Today we’d like to introduce you to Harsha Chathuranga.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
During my undergraduate studies in 2012, I worked as a freelance web and graphic designer, which was the start of my career. I had already started enrolling in a course in software engineering, which helped me a lot when designing websites. When I started, I knew nothing about designing websites, so I entered many contests on sites like Design Crowd, 99Design, and Fiverr to gather experience and knowledge.
During that period, I was able to win several competitions. I could sell my designs to customers from North & South America, Europe, and some of the largest Asian nations, such as the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Canada, the United Kingdom, and China. Most of my customers are from the United States and are all wonderful people. I was able to continue working as a full-time freelancer after completing my studies. Many people used my services, and I earned a nice income.
In 2013, I started a Metal Crusher business in Sri Lanka. Also, I appointed a few individuals to work for it, But I could not achieve the success I expected with the circumstances at the time. Instead of making a profit, the business continued to lose revenue. After a few months, I decided to shut down the business. My dad gave me a lot of support as well. In the meantime, as usual, I continued working as a freelancer full-time.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Honestly, it wasn’t a comfortable journey. In the business, I started losing more than one million. But I learned a vital life lesson from it. Somehow, in the meantime, my services were offered to clients in many other countries. I gained a lot of experience from it, but I wanted to take a short break, so I temporarily stopped working as a full-time freelancer.
Since I wanted to gain professional qualifications and experience, I joined Moresand Company (Travel Center) in 2016 and have been working as a graphic designer until now. There I get the opportunity to gain extensive web and visual design knowledge.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
After I started working with Travel Center, I was able to design banners for social media marketing, newspaper advertisements, the company’s mascots, and the required graphics for the websites.
Additionally, I now work as a part-time freelancer for clients worldwide. I mostly do UI/UX Designer tasks and Create apps for Apple products. Services such as App Icon & Onboarding Illustration | App Wireframe | Design System | Mobile App | Web Design are also available. It’s important to highlight that most of these clients came to my portfolio on the Behance website. Having a solid portfolio is essential for achieving this goal.
Additionally, I believe that winning the Bronze Award in a competition to choose the best personal website was conducted in August by Bestweb.LK would be excellent support for my future career and the remarkable achievement I have received on this journey.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
First, I want to mention my beloved wife (Piyumi Nuwandi) and the family(my Mom & dad). My wife and family stood by my side and provided me with the support I needed during the many challenging parts of my journey and the moments when I succeeded. I should thank them for that.
I need to thank my sister (Sachini Anuruddika). She has given me concepts for a variety of works, including illustrations. Also, Several American clients have provided me with design elements for free while I work as a freelancer. These resources have been used in a lot of projects. I’d want to thank those clients.
I must thank my friend (Kasun Mihiranga) for supporting me in joining the new company in 2016. I also like to thank (Priyantha Lokuge), the manager who believed in me and introduced me to the company.
And Finally, I want to thank my friend Pathum Tzoo. He invited me to join the Dribbble website, which has a large community of designers, and encouraged me to do so. I’m also grateful to Sarah Miller for giving me this opportunity to share my experience with others in VoyageDenver Magazine. Also, thank you to everyone who has motivated me and supported me to get this far.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.designerharsha.lk/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designer.harsha/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Designer.Harsha
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/designer_harsha
- Other: https://www.behance.net/DesignerHarsha
Image Credits
Mr. Shashika Geethapriya
