Sean Viljoen Freelance Graphic Designer and Art Director, Johannesburg
An overview of how I got here, my skill set, and some of the clients that put their trust in me.
South African
16 Years of Experience as a Freelance Designer & Art Director
Hi there, my name is Sean Viljoen. I’m a Johannesburg-based freelance graphic designer and art director with over 16 years of industry experience.
Trained at the AAA School of Advertising and recognised with a Silver Pendoring award, I’ve worked with brands including Mercedes-Benz, Vodacom, Nedbank, FNB, Samsung, and BMW across branding, digital design, web development, and advertising.
Based on a recent Behavioral Overview test run on my behalf, the results lean towards maverick. You can view the assessment below to get a better understanding of my personality.
My Career Journey
We all have our journey. Mine hasn’t been a straight line, but a series of separate elements that brought me to where I am today. Below is that journey, and how I got here.
Education
- Transvalia High » 2007
- AAA School of Advertising » 2008 – 2010
Work Experience
- Network BBDO » Jun 2010 – Mar 2011
- DavinciEdisonBell » Apr 2011 – Jun 2011
- JWT (Freelance) » Nov 2011 – Feb 2012
- Strawberry Worx » Jul 2012 – Sep 2013
- Breed Social Media » Oct 2013 – Sep 2016
- Publicis Machine (Freelance) » Jan 2018 – Mar 2018
- Faben (Freelance Retainer) » Mar 2022 – Aug 2022
- Demographica (Freelance Retainer) » ad-hoc 2022 – 2024
- Promise Group (Freelance contractor) » Sep 2025 – March 2026
- SV Freelance (Freelance contractor) » Sep 2016 – Present
Awards & Recognition
- Silver Pendoring » Ouma Rusks
Additional Courses & Certifications
- Complete Web Developer bootcamp » Colt Steele
- Advanced CSS and Sass » Jonas Schmedtmann
- Learning Maxon Cinema 4D » Infinite Skills
- The Complete Digital Marketing Course » Daragh Walsh
- Cinema 4D Special Effects Techniques » Infinite Skills
- SEO-2023 Complete SEO Training » Udemy
- After Effects CC 2023 » Joe Parys
- UX & Web Design Master Course » Joe Natoli
- AdWords 101 » Jeffrey Lane
- Social Media Marketing – Complete Certificate Course » SO ME Academy
- Modern JavaScript (Complete guide, from Novice to Ninja) » Shaun Pelling
My Skills and Creative Proficiencies
I’ve mostly been self-taught, spending after-hours learning and applying new techniques. Here are a few of my proficiencies, and what I can offer as a creative.
Adobe Photoshop
With years in the industry, I’ve finely honed my photo editing and image manipulation skills. Since Adobe’s products integrate so closely with each other, I use its full suite of vector and pixel software as one connected toolkit.
Adobe Illustrator
Between the Adobe suite’s cross-integration and my love for illustration and vector artwork, Illustrator is where I spend a lot of my time. From logo design and vector artwork through to full posters and printable designs.
Adobe InDesign
I’m highly proficient in InDesign for layout and large-scale document design. Combined with Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere, it lets me create highly interactive, polished documents rather than static layouts.
Premier Pro
A love for film, and the need to actually edit it, led me deeper into this tool as I got a better grasp of social media and event aftermovie editing. I use Adobe Premiere alongside After Effects and Audition to produce high-end, polished video.
After Effects
A love for illustration sparked a love for making those drawings move. I use Adobe After Effects to build motion graphics, either as standalone pieces or integrated with the rest of Adobe’s editing tools.
Adobe XD & Figma
I’m highly proficient in both CMS and custom web design, and equally comfortable in Adobe XD and Figma for wireframing and prototyping. This keeps both the planning phase and the actual build seamless. Structured creativity, if you will.
HTML, CSS & WordPress
I know my way around the front-end of a website and can code in both HTML and CSS. I’m also well versed in WordPress, helping clients build sites that scale easily. From simple brochure sites to larger builds with all the bells and whistles.
SEO & Digital Marketing
I have a full set of tools in my arsenal for competitor research, keyword targeting, and implementation. Plus tracking campaign performance and adjusting tactics along the way for better traffic and stronger overall rankings.
Past Clients I've Worked With
Mercedes Benz
Vodacom
Nedbank
Nestlé
First National Bank
Haute Cabrière
Doppio Zero
Webber Wentzel
Shout SA
Hoosen Wadiwala Attorneys
Astrum Technologies
Isuzu
Builders Warehouse
Cell C
Helivac
ICCS
Investec
Simba
Zareena Kara
1time Airlines
Agricolleges international
Anouthen
BMW Group
BP
Cartrack
Danao
DHL
Clover SA
Neotel
Nokia
Samsung
The Great Moscow Circus
RCL Foods
Cadbury
Tropika
Client Testimonials
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a freelance graphic designer charge in South Africa?
Projects are quoted based on scope, with hourly rates available on request. I work within budgets suited to both startups and large corporates. Factoring in your budget, the work involved, and the likely hours needed to finalize the project, including edits and revisions.
How long does a typical branding or design project take?
All projects differ in scope. On average, logo designs generally take 3 – 5 days to complete. That does depend on how successful the initial concept phase is. For websites, it generally takes around 1 – 2 weeks for basic sites. For more complex builds with a large volume of content it could take up to a month.
What design services do you offer as a freelance designer?
While it’s good to focus on one niche, I’ve upskilled quite a bit to accommodate clients who’d rather have all their services in one place. I try to help clients from start to finish. Logo design and branding, corporate identity and brand establishment, web design and digital footprint, plus Google Business setup and initial SEO to help a brand start ranking and gaining visibility.
Do you work with small businesses or only large agencies?
I don’t discriminate based on company size. I’m here to help any client who needs the service. I’ve worked with large, well-known brands as well as startups just launching.
Can you work remotely with clients outside of Johannesburg?
Yes, I can and have worked with clients across the globe, using productive online meetings to discuss projects in detail. I’m open to working with clients from anywhere in South Africa or internationally.