In this edition of “For the Win,” designer John Howard tells us how he started his own business and how he got his first job from Dribbble. You may know the client—a little company called Coca-Cola.
I am a 32 year old self-taught UX/UI & Brand designer out of Atlanta and I work under the studio name Blackairplane. I’ve been on Dribbble for a little over 3 years now and it has been a tremendous resource of inspiration, encouragement and income. When I created my Dribbble account I was just getting my feet wet with what UX & UI was and I hadn’t yet had a paying freelance job outside of simple graphics and illustrations I had done for churches and local bands. UX seemed like the math of design and I loved the challenge, but it was hard to convince others that I was ready and capable to take on a big project without showing a robust portfolio and/or impressive college degree.
Around the same time I started on Dribbble, I landed a job at a small agency in Atlanta named Eyespeak. The projects I worked on over the course of the next two years enabled me to learn about grid systems, web and iOS standards, and more. I continued to teach myself new skills based on the needs of each project.
“I got my first job off of Dribbble that October from a little company called Coca-Cola.”
I left Eyespeak in May of 2014 and started my own company called Blackairplane. I got my first job off of Dribbble that October from a little company called Coca-Cola. I was in awe. I had the expertise and a Pro account for a few years but I had never been approached by a large company such as Coca-Cola. I had the incredible opportunity to create a bottling assessment tool for 150 of their global bottling facilities.
From May through the end of 2014 my company grossed 40k in revenue with 15k of that being attributed to Dribbble. This year we’ve grown nearly five times in revenue and around 40% of that has come from Dribbble inquiries!
Because of this growth we were able to move into our own workspace in historic downtown Acworth years ago. We’ve since worked with clients such as Salesfusion, AchieveIt, The End It Movement, Andy Stanley (YourMove/Buckhead Church), Crown & Caliber, and many more!
For me, Dribbble isn’t about the likes, buckets, or followers. It’s about the community. Being here has provided me with a place to show my work, grow as a designer, and meet some really incredible and inspiring people along the way. Here’s to next year!
Find John at Dribbble, or on Twitter, and Find Blackairplane on Twitter or at blackairplane.com.
Want another winning story? Check out Titus Smith. Have a For the Win tale of your own? Contact stories@dribbble.com.
Find more Inspiration stories on our blog Courtside. Have a suggestion? Contact stories@dribbble.com.
