‘Almost everyone is having an existential crisis’: Designers share how they’re surviving an industry

In 2018, Cari Sekendur relocated from New York City to Berlin, Germany to launch an independent web design and branding studio, Butter. Like many designers who leave salaried employment to work for themselves, Sekendur was seeking greater independence and a sense of creative freedom. An entrepreneur at heart, she wanted to wear many hats beyond graphic design—including marketing, pitching to clients, building freelance teams, and developing the systems that keep a studio ticking...