It’s always good to have a good laugh, and staying in good spirits can make you more productive! …just don’t spend too much of your work day perusing these links ;)
Hello Readers,
This post is going to veer from our usual talk of design and freelancing, I am sure you all have notice that postings in the last couple months has slowed down and over the last week I had disappeared from Twitter and the blog completely.
My furry little man (who you may remember from my various TwitPics, Flickrs, and Tweets) lost his 2 year battle with Chronic Renal Failure this weekend, he was 10 years old.
I expect to pick up the blog more in the days to come, so if there is something you would like me to cover, send in your suggestions! In memory of Cthulhu I would like to put together a round-up post of all you kick ass designers/devs/writers/freelancers and your office pets – so if you have a furry friend who keeps you company while you work – be part of this post!
I have a few things that I use on every web project that really makes the project efficient for me, thought I’d just share a few of those things with you guys!
Go here to download templates of 12 and 16 column grids for designing or coding. The PSD’s in this download have become the first thing I open when starting a new site design!
I use to open up a broswer and screen capture all kinds of elements when i needed them for a design mock up, then i came across this super helpful PSD download that gives you input fields, pointers, buttons and many other useful elements!
There are a few tools I use when making decisions on the typesetting in my website layouts. CSSTypeset helps you to quickly exxperiement with different line-heights, letter spacing, and font sizes without having to put a hand to one line of CSS.
I regularly use the Lorem Ipsum Generator as well as this HTML Ipsum site. The “Kitchen Sink” text on the later is something I use in ALL my design comps, because I am able to style all of the possible text elements my client might be using within one page layout so we can see how they interact with one another!
Lastly, even if the design I am working on doesn’t have much textural elements – this site is a lesser known gem! CG Textures has so many textures, colors and just some cool images that could inspire you in your project!
Is there something you’d like to see covered on the CMD+Shift Design blog? A design or freelance matter, an opinion, a review?
Tell me your ideas, you can either leave a comment or enter them here.
From time to time I get emails asking for advice about freelance matters. It occurred to me today that by publishing these inquiries and my response I could do a better service to my blog readers than just responding one email at a time. Plus, those of you who may have input on the matter that I didn’t think of can chime in with a comment!
I’d like to make this a regular part of the blog — so if there’s a question you have or a subject you’d like to get an opinion on, please contact me!
Wondering if I could get your advice or opinion on something?
There are a couple projects I am working on where the client has felt the need to provide VERY specific sketches/colours… Now I’m all for client feedback, but I basically feel like the client is requesting a very specific design — after I provided a ton of variations (first mistake).
How do you avoid them having THAT much input? There’s no grid, the colours don’t match, everything is in boxes… I’m so non-confrontational and struggle to be really honest with clients sometimes. I figure, you HIRED me to do this, why would you think to do it yourself? Why not buy Photoshop and you’re good to go?
Any advice for a fellow freelancer? Am I just supposed to suck it up, do it as they want, then pretend I had nothing to do with it? The client is really nice and the logo development went so smooth! How did the website slip out from underneath me??? Sigh. Any words of wisdom?
- Not A Pixel Pusher
Hello NAPP,
I’m not sure if I will have a cure all solution for you, but there are steps you can take to avoid finding yourself in this position again and possibly how to flip this current client into being the passenger and not the driver!
You said it, NAPP — the HIRED YOU. So why are they now treating you more like a computer operator instead of a designer? This seems especially curious since you say that the process of branding with them went so smoothly. I have a feeling that perhaps you are not presenting yourself with the amount of confidence in your web design abilities as you may have with your print design abilities, is this a possibility?
Clients are hiring you because they need an expert and if they get the feeling that you aren’t doing the driving they may feel the need to grab the design wheel!
You mention showing the client a “ton of variations” which, in my experience, I have seen this can do a couple of things to a client.
1. The client see’s a large group of ideas and is overwhelmed, feels like you are unsure on the direction things should be going and that it is their job to make the call.
2. The client see’s a large group of ideas and then see’s the process as less of a problem solving venture. They become focused more on the button having sharp corners or rounded corners and loose track of the process being about communicating with their customers in the most effective way.
The best way to combat this is to spend more time in the research phase before moving in to the design phase. Talk with your client about their customers, their needs, their goals. Examine their industry and give them guidance on what they should include and what they shouldn’t concern themselves with. Clients WANT your guidance, they want hand holding, they want you to tell them what’s the smartest thing to do (where design is concerned.) This isn’t about a confrontation – it’s just about making your client feel like they’re in good hands. Remember, they HIRED YOU because they need someone who knows web design, so don’t be afraid to show them how much you know!
After spending more time in with your research process, the design process can go a lot smoother and less things are left up to whim or fancy. If you have a valid reason for all your design decisions that can be articulated, this shows your client that you really are doing a job for them!
Some of the most valuable lessons I learned about interacting with clients, I gained while working in sales. So much has to do with the language we use, the way we talk to our clients and about the project at hand. Unfortunately, this isn’t and exact science, it’s something you just have to get the hang of. Listen to what your client is saying and think about what they are really trying to accomplish.
It’s all about talking from a problem solving mind set and phrasing things so that they are plans of attack! You’re not looking to your client for the solution, you know the solution and you are excited to let your client know that you have things in control.
Client: “Let’s get rid of that contact link and make the background red, the blue is too corporate.”
You: “It’s a must that your customer has quick access though out the site to your contact information, you don’t want to miss an opportunity for a sale… And a I do have an idea for giving the site a little more warmth, this falls in line with our initial meeting where you said that your company is approachable!”
Some of what I have here related really well to this presentation by Paul Boag (of BoagWorld fame!) I watched this a long time ago and after writing this post ended up looking it up again, I totally learned a lesson or two from listening to Paul, I’m sure you will too!
So this advice may be better suited for your future client interactions, but what about your problem with the here and now? Well, this is what I would do if I were in your shoes.
1. Take the mess of a design that the client gave you and find the redeeming qualities in it. There has got to be something: one color, the placement of a link, anything that can be salvaged
2. Incorporate that element into a refined and fully thought out design
3. Present this to the client, pointing out what you did and why your did it and how it is going to benefit them! Be excited and highlight the GREAT idea they had about making the search box on the right hand side!
4. Remember the lessons covered here and in Boag’s talk and choose your words accordingly. :)
Am I missing something? Do you have experience with a similar situation and would like to share how you handled things? Leave a comment and tell us about it!
I was recently a part of an article at VelvetAnt.net called Ghosts of design work past, where 18 designers shared some of our student work from back in the day. Luckily, it looks like everyone had doe a tremendous amount of growth since these pieces!
It was difficult to even find my old stuff — this is all from back in the days when owning an external hard drive wasn’t dirt cheap and many of these things were originally backed up on ZIP drives (do you remember those!?) Plus, much of my layouts were composed in Quark, which I do not even have a copy of anymore!
Antonea chose to feature in her article a magazine cover design I did Freshman year.
There just seems to be no regard to typography or grid on this, the only thing I actually like is the image concept – but that’s about it. - This is me talking about this horrific piece of “design”
After putting one piece of design past out there, I figure I might as well open myself to even more embarrassment! :) So here you go people… design skeletons from my closet. You can see some of my more recent (and less gag inducing) work here.
Poster design to promote vericomposting. The typography on this is appalling, I know the “grunge” thing was in fashion – but some of this just seems sloppy to me now. Also – the assignment was that you were creating design work for King County Waste Management and this DOES NOT look like anything a County office would ever go for!
Logo/Branding/Print Marketing for fictitious salsa makers, Desert Mountain Salsa. This project included everything from Black and White Newspaper ads to coupons. Here is the package label and a magazine ad. The typography on the logo horrifies me and also the shotty Photoshop job I did on putting salsa in the jar – why didnt i just PUT salsa in the JAR!? I dont know! My favorite parts of these are the puppet I used in the ad (made my my roommate) and the slogan I came up with for a Salsa sold out of Seattle. “A Taste of the Southwest in the Northwest.”
CD Packaging for fictitious band, The Nothing. (I guess I don’t have a lot to say about this one) Those were my roomates who posed as the band!
I have been managed by a fair share of project managers and have acted as one myself over other freelancers on some projects — here’s what I have learned in the process.
A project Manager who isn’t clear on what they want or what their client wants can cause an other wise cut and dry project to go completely haywire. Before giving instructions on step one, it is best to know your plans on steps 2, 3, 4, etc.
And in those cases where something unforeseen causes the plan to break at step three? You need a contingency plan as well.
Starting a project with a half laid plan is like a pilot taking up a jet liner without a flight path – its stupid and risky! Know every detail and be ready to make decisions on your toes. phrases like “i don’t know” and “I’m not sure” should not be part of your vocabulary, lets try “I’ll have my decision on this detail in the morning!” or “this is the approach we are going to take…”
project management isn’t for the timid. You need to be able to listen to your clients and make key decisions in their best interest – you are the expert – they have hired you for your expertise! Too often PM’s fall into the trap of simply becoming a telephone between the client and the freelancer, relaying what the client says to the designer/developer/writer and leaving it up to the freelancer to attempt to manage the project, which proves to be impossible with a middle man translating all of the feedback and instruction but offering no real management.
If you choose to outsource you work and take on the role of project manager, be ready to fill that role — other wise, simply refer your client to hiring someone directly.
Like managing anything else, It is important to have an understanding of what your team is doing. Now I’m not saying that every project manager needs to be fluent in web development to manage a web team – but you should at minimum understand the difference between HTML and PHP, know a widget from a framework and be willing to spend some extra time educating yourself on the tools being used if you’re not familiar with them.
Don’t pretend you know and think your team will be fooled, they will not be, and neither will your client.
“In my experience, this lack of understanding is the single biggest reason why projects delay and run over budget, why expectations are shattered and why subordinates find themselves frustrated and overworked.” – Tod McKenna
“At my job I project manage a lot of our projects, and something that I have seen hurt projects is to personalize them. To look at the players involved and identify their portion of the project with them as a person or how they work.
This can cause the team, and project goals to get lost in stereotypes, or pre-supposed ideas.
(i.e “well they are just saying that because they are engineers, so they only want to see engineering as the priority”) I been on both sides of this as a team member, and a PM.
The key is to see each member of the team as representing project needs, this eliminates personal feeling and opinions from hindering the project.” – Aaron Irizarry
Project Management is about delegating tasks, not ignoring the work. There no better way to create a bitter and ineffectve team than by not putting in your fair share of blood, sweat and tears.
At an old job I would regularly be juggling client calls, emails, design and production tasks while my art director spent half of the day shopping online and reading gossip blogs.
“I have a PM / Boss that is writing a medieval “Lord of the Rings” type novel with herself as the main character. I know this because she does it in the office during work hours instead of meeting her deadlines. It’s awesome.” – James
Have you worked under a PM who let the project get away from them? Have you struggled to effectively manage a team? Leave a comment and let us hear about it!
Well, since I have finally reached that 1000 follower threshold on Twitter – there is a winner for our 1000 business card giveaway! Congratulations to Tyler Jefford! Tyler will be awarded with FREE printing from digitalroom.com for 1000 business cards!
I’ll see if Tyler would be willing to share some photos once he gets his design ready! Thanks to Sam at Digitalroom.com for coordinating the giveaway, I look forward to hearing from YOU on getting Tyler ready to go! :)
Thanks to everyone who joined into the contest and all my new (and old) followers!
Interviewed with a batch of other freelancers about the ups and downs of doin’ it on your own!
It is rare that I work in silence, like to have a podcast or music always playing in while I’m at the computer and I’ve got those special songs that can really get me going, make me type a little fast, think a little sharper or create a little smarter.
I was curious to see what some of you listened to when your takin’ care of business! Check out these awesome playlists, you can click any linked song title for the digital download at Amazon.com – when available (as low as 89 cents and DRM free!)
100 tracks in total here! whoa!
Liz Andrade – follow on TwitterLust For Life – Iggy Pop
Wake Up Exhausted – Tegan & Sara
It’s A Long Way To the Top (If You Wanna Rock n Roll) – AC/DC
Islands In The Stream – Dolly Parton With Kenny Rogers
Teenage Riot – Sonic Youth
Nout van Deijck – follow on TwitterNo You Girls – Franz Ferdinand
Knights of Cydonia – Muse
Rocky Racoon – The Beatles
Light my fire – The Doors
Last Chance – Moke
Sean – follow on TwitterNice to Luv You – 54/40 (on Dear Dear Album)
Fifty-Mission Cap – The Tragically Hip
Underwhelmed – Sloan
Troublemaker – Weezer
Tick Tick Boom – The Hives
Amy – follow on TwitterCuddle Fuddle – Passion Pit
French Navy – Camera Obscura
All my Friends – LCD Soundsystem
Too Young – Phoenix
Breaking Up – Rilo Kiley
Marie Poulin – follow on Twitter My Happiness – Powderfinger
Dig – Incubus
Lifeboats – Snow Patrol
Walk in Fire – The Doves
(Here’s to) New Beginnings – Amos the Transparent
Luis Bajaña – follow on TwitterPollination – Plej
Static friction – Plej
You – Plej
Remind me – Röyksoop
Sparks – Röyksoop
Emil Wisch – follow on TwitterBlind Dogs – Soundgarden
Bombtrack - Rage Against the Machine
The Flame - The Black Keys
Redemption Song – Bob Marley & the Wailers
Vasoline – Stone Temple Pilots
Valerie Babin – follow on TwitterLove on the rocks – Sara Bareilles
One More Time / Aerodynamic – Daft Punk
Idioteque – Radiohead
Beat it – Michael Jackson
Hand in my pocket – Alanis Morisette
Tom Kenny – follow on TwitterPlug in Baby – Muse
Basket Case – Green Day
The Pretender – Foo Fighter
When Your Heart Stops Beating – Plus 44
Discipline – Nine Inch Nails
David Gheorghita – follow on TwitterAnesthetize – Porcupine Tree
Sleeping in Traffic – Beardfish
Matroshka (The Ornament) - Dredg
Dear Dead Days – Frost
Some Miracle – John Wesley
John Visser – follow on TwitterTeeth in the Grass – Iron & Wine
Seeing Other People – Belle & Sebastian
Tango Till They’re Sore – Tom Waits
Love on a Farm Boy’s Wages – XTC
The Village Green Preservation Society – The Kinks
Ralph Saunders – follow on TwitterCircuit Breaker – Royksopp
When The Sun Goes Down (Radio Edit) – DJ Fresh Feat Adam F
In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth 3 – Coheed and Cambria
Faith, Hope and Love – Wishbone Ash
Put Your Lights On (Ft. Everlast) – Santana
Jonathan – follow on TwitterInside Works Best 3 – m-flo
Freedom – Dragonash
Soundtracks 2 – DJ Deckstream
Diorama – DJ Okawari
Graduation Day – Kanye West
lette – follow on TwitterThat’s Not My Name – Ting Tings
4 minutes (Bob Sinclair Mix) – Madonna/Justin Timberlake
Love Foolosophy – Jamiroquai
Hung Up – Madonna
In this Life – Kaskade
ajbis – follow on TwitterCrystal Cats - Dan Deacon
If You Live Or Die - Alec Empire
The Cutter - Echo & The Bunnymen
Caterwaul - …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
Carry Me Ohio - Mark Kozelek
Aaron Irizarry – follow on TwitterAlways for You – Album Leaf
Magic Hours – Explosions in the Sky
Look Into The Air – Explosions in the Sky
Oblivion (Instrumental) – Mastadon
Before Dishonor – Hatbreed
Kris Triplett – follow on TwitterThe World At Large – Modest Mouse
All Along The Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix
Everyday – Carly Commando
Effigy – Andrew BirdCMD+SHIFT DESIGN BLOG: Design, Freelance & Internet Nerdiness › Edit Post — WordPress
Caring is Creepy – The Shins
Jason Carpio – follow on TwitterEq-ing – Audio Bullys
The Future’s Overrated – Arkarna
Galvanize – The Chemical Brothers
The Headphonist – Kinky
Devil’s Haircut – Beck
Megan Seling – follow on TwitterStay Positive – The Hold Steady
My Bedroom Is Like for Artists – Latterman
2 Rights Make 1 Wrong – Mogwai
Anything, Anything (I’ll Give You) – Dramarama
True Believers – Bouncing Souls
scdesigns – follow on TwitterBeyond – Sasquatch and the Sickabillys
Do The Zombie – The Eyeliners
Bully – Ghouls Night Out
Its Tricky – Run DMC
Insane – The Independents
Want to stay up to date with the CMD+Shift Design Blog? You can subscribe to this sites RSS Feed or get updates via email.
 |
|
|
Learn about how you can advertise on CMD+Shift Design Blog |
|
I am a designer of web and print, a blogger, internet nerd and crazy cat lady. I run a one-woman web studio in Seattle, WA.
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |