Building a 6-figure Design Agency While Everyone Is Worried About AI

Everyone in my family had one script for a career.

Study hard, get a good degree, get a government job, and build a stable life.

‍

So in 2014, I told them I was preparing for the government job exam. But I wasn't.

‍

Instead, I enrolled in a graphic design course. It was the only version of ‘ambition’ my family would have approved of. In my defence, design didn't sound like a job to them. It still doesn't, in most of Bangladesh

‍

I'm Tarik Eamin. I was born and raised in Mymensingh. Most of my family are in government jobs or teaching. You can imagine the sheer disbelief at choosing design as a career. That too, as a political science graduate.

‍

I run a six-figure design business now. But I started with a laptop I could barely afford, a curiosity I couldn't ignore, and a small decision I didn't think much about.

‍

If you're trying to build a creative career and everyone around you keeps telling you it isn't a real ambition, this story is for you.

‍

‍

Story of Learning

It was 2014. Buying that first laptop was a struggle. But if you’re stubborn enough, help somehow lands on you. My friends helped me. An academy owner gave me lab access so I could practice.

‍

I didn't have a design school degree or a fancy start. But I refused to quit. I used whatever I could find. YouTube, free courses, blogs, tutorials, forums, articles. You name it, and I might have used it.

‍

I studied other designers' work. I redesigned it. I looked at my mistakes and studied the explanations. There was no structured roadmap, so I had to build one myself.

‍

I didn't have a big plan about building a company. Forget six figures. I just wanted to become good at something creative.

‍

That small decision changed the whole direction of my life.

‍

First Job

By late 2014, I got a job at GraphicRiver (Envato).

‍

It was a major moment for me. This was the first time I built something that someone would pay for. It was the first time I felt that my work had value to someone else.

‍

Never forget who trusted you for the first time.

‍

And I realised design wasn't just something I was learning.

‍

It could become a career.

‍

‍

Rejection, Failure & What It Taught Me

That first break was everything. But that's not how the story went. I got rejected after that, a lot. The only answer I was getting was ‘NO’. A two-letter word, but enough to break anyone.

‍

“Your design isn't good enough.”

“Your quality isn't there.”

“Your submission doesn't meet the standard.”

‍

I started doubting my abilities. I was wondering if I was on the wrong track.

‍

Rejection was painful; it always was. But looking back, I think it was one of the most important periods of my career. Because nothing teaches you resilience like failure does.

‍

Every time there was feedback or rejection, I studied and practiced more. I learned to take feedback sincerely. I improved my taste. And with time, I started getting better.

‍

Rejection and struggle made me a better designer. I had already put everything I had into this direction. I couldn't afford to quit.

‍

The only way was forward.

‍

‍

The Career Pivots: From Graphic Design to UI

By late 2015, I became interested in digital products and interfaces. I moved from graphic design to UI design. In 2017, I started freelancing seriously: websites, product UI and UX, real clients with real problems. In November 2019, I joined Getonnet as a Product Designer, where I stayed until April 2023, working across three or four products.

‍

None of those steps were on a road I had drawn in advance. Each one came from the step before it.

‍

Graphic design taught me visual communication. UI design introduced me to digital products. Freelancing taught me to sell, negotiate, and hit deadlines while maintaining all the admin tasks. The full-time job taught me to work on a team, handle disagreement, and take ownership, because now a whole product depended on us, not just one client.

‍

You don't have to know exactly where you're going when you start. It's okay to change paths. Just keep moving, and each step opens the next door.

‍

‍

Designer and Founder are Different Jobs

In 2022, I founded WhiteFrame Creative.

‍

This was a completely different challenge. Being a designer is one thing. Running a design business is another.

‍

Suddenly, I wasn't only responsible for the quality of my own work. I had to think about clients, sales, operations, hiring, project management, finances, processes, and team culture.

‍

I was fortunate enough to work with incredibly talented people. We worked with startup founders and companies on digital products, websites, and brand experiences.

‍

The agency grew. Something I never thought was possible when I was sitting in that computer lab back in 2014.

‍

Grabui Library

In 2024, I launched Grabui Library. This was another important shift for me.

‍

For years, most of my work had been service-based. Clients came to us. We solved their problems.

‍

But products are different. With a product, you aren't just solving one client's problem. You're trying to build something to help hundreds or thousands of people. That requires a different way of thinking. You have to understand the market, the users, product demands, business model, and marketing.

‍

When I thought about a template library, everyone thought I was being stupid. Because what was the need for the same business? But I knew the template market was generic. And I wanted to build a design asset.

‍

Today, we are certified Framer and Webflow experts. People from different industries buy our templates to launch their websites faster.

‍

What I'd Do If I Started Again

Four things I'd tell my younger self, and I'd tell you the same.

If you don't have an opportunity, create one. I didn't have a setup, a mentor, or a roadmap. I barely managed to buy a laptop and get lab access. You don't need the perfect settings. You need one opportunity, and then you build from there.

‍

Rejection is not a dead end. Every ‘No’ taught me something: get better, learn more, get tougher. It never meant stop. It meant change how I was doing it.

‍

Change is scary, but it’s ok. Your journey won’t always be the same, nor will your interest. You might need to start from scratch. But that doesn't mean all your learning or experience is lost.

‍

Choose better surroundings. You need to be with like-minded people. At the same time, you need to broaden your surroundings. You will learn from both. And creative people need different kinds of opinions and learning.

‍

‍

Where I Am Now

In 2026, I'm still building. WhiteFrame Creative continues to grow. Grabui is evolving. And I'm working more on design, development, and branding experience.

‍

Back in 2014, I was trying to figure out how to become a designer. Today, I'm thinking about how to build systems, products, and teams.

‍

I came from a place where creative careers weren't the obvious choice. I had to figure most of it out while doing it. And that's probably the biggest lesson I can share.

‍

‍

Your starting point doesn't determine your destination.

You have to work around limitations that other people don't have. It might take longer. But it doesn't mean you can't build something meaningful.

‍

And if you're starting from somewhere that doesn't believe in what you're doing, start anyway with whatever you can find.

‍

Comment what you're building. Because I was you, sitting in that lab in 2014, not sure I'd ever get out.

‍

If you have a project in mind, Let's talk: https://whiteframe.agency/book-a-call