CMD+Shift Design
Liz Andrade
Designer of print and web. Podcaster, Blogger, internet nerd and crazy cat lady.
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Many of you may already know that I spent my weekend flipping through books, talking to artists and meeting Sci-Fi celebrities at the annual Seattle geekfest known as the Emerald City Comicon* .
It was a really fun weekend and extremely inspiring! As many of you who are creatives, you might relate to this, except for a few of my buddies who share some of my nerdisms – I am so rarely surrounded by a group of people who will laugh at the same subversive jokes as me and where the more you embrace your geekery, the “cooler” you are.
No doubt, times have changed. The blockbuster super hero movies and the mainstream adoption of the internet has made a lot of things that once were reserved for the uber-nerd much more socially acceptable — but there is still a line between those who will shell out $8 to go see Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man at their local Cineplex and those who will spend a wad of cash, an entire weekend and several hours of waiting in lines to attend a Comicon. Being a part of the weekends festivities, I took away a few freelance related lessons to share!
Lesson #1: Be nice.
Being nice is really under estimated, and in todays world, it is really unexpected when people are nice, so it means a lot. I met a few cast members from The Guild, and was really surprised at how genuinely happy they were just to chit chat with some fans of the show and how appreciative they were of the support.
When you’re building a brand on the internet, your power is in your audience — without them, there is nothing to save you! You can apply this to building your blog or even in a design studio — your clients are all that is standing between you living your entrepreneurs dream or going back to the daily grind working for someone else. So be nice, show people the respect and appreciation they deserve!
Lesson #2: Be Yourself.
It’s an adage that gets a lot of flack, “just be yourself,” but I think people misunderstand this. I don’t take it to mean that if sitting in your room alone doodling in your sketchbook and watching old episodes of Shera make you happy, do it and expect to succeed. I see it as, take what you love and work your damnedest to embrace that and make it your life!
The other cliche, “life is too short.” It ain’t. Life is long. Unexpected illness and traffic accidents excluded, chances are – you are going to be on this planet for a long while — so how do you want to spend that time? Life’s too long to spend it trying to fit into someone elses mold of success, so define it for yourself and live it!
Lesson #3: Open Your Creative Circle.
This weekend made me feel really good about pursuing my creative career and also made me realized that I wanted to branch out my social network of other creatives. I love web design, but design and business lessons can be learned from writers, crafters, and comic artists – so open your creative circle!
* note from liz: If you’re not into comics, give them a chance! They aren’t all for kids and they aren’t all super powers and capes. There are books out there of all different generes from mysteries to sci-fi to romantic comedies. You can get into a series, try out some graphic novels, or subscribe to a web comic. It’s a great entertainment and art medium and if you don’t know much about it, give it a chance — you will not regret it.
Freelance Freak Outs!
One of my best friends, who I met in art school is setting out on the adventure to become a freelance illustrator. She invited me out for some dinner and drinks last week to get some advice and ask a few questions. She had some concerns about finances, legalees, and marketing — the stuff that even after 2 years of steady full time freelancing I freak out about from time to time.
She took notes on the links i spouted out and the random tidbits. “Seattle requires a city business license, in addition to your state license.” …We headed back to my house and I showed her my simple book keeping system and handed down to her my copy of the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook.
She seems to be going about this venture in a very smart way. She has saved up a nest egg, she is doing her research and is arranging with her boss to keep on schedule part time so that she has a steady cash flow with time left to build her business up. So it struck me was when she expressed how terrified she was. I understand, I’m terrified sometimes. Being in business for yourself can be scary, I don’t think that EVER goes away.
But isn’t regret even scarier? Maybe you will be a successful freelancer, maybe you will make a living doing what you love on your own terms, maybe you will find out it’s not right for you… the only way to know – is to try. “Well… what’s the worst that could happen?” I asked her. “You lose some money, you have to go back to working full time. …that’s not so bad.” Her expression changed and a smile started to peak through the terror that was on her face. “Yea. …yea! You’re right!”
So I was a little bummed that I missed out on going rollerskating with her yesterday (neither of us had even attempted to put on a pair of skates since adolescence!) But it gave me a big smile when I logged into Facebook today to see this inspirational and absolutely adorable status update from her…
“if I can rollerskate, I can illustrate!”
-Kendal Tull Esterbrook, LubDub Art
What do you get freaked out over in your career and how do you calm yourself down about it?
When Freelancer Met Client
Today is Valentine’s Day and while many would see me as a prime candidate for someone who might relish in this holiday (been in a happy partnership for 8 years now,) I have always strongly held the belief that Valentine’s Day is bullshit. I do not practice it in the least bit. No candy hearts, no expensive dinners, it is a day just like any other day… and as per our Sunday ritual I got a lovely homemade breakfast this morning — who needs a holiday to tell us when to be thankful for each other?
But – hey all this relationship hoopla has got me thinking and you know… the process of being a freelancer, it ain’t much different than being out there in the dating world. …You don’t believe me? Well… here’s how it goes…
How I met my client…
When you first get a lead on a client, you have to pay attention to the signs to see if this is someone you want to start a project with. You get the information on the project and give out your quote. Can they afford you? Are they throwing up red flags like asking for free work or wanting to micro-manage the process?
Beware! At this stage in the game it can be easy to get swept up in the excitement of a new project, but keep your head about you! If you are a good match for each other then it’s time to plan for the future…
I think I could spend the next 15 – 20 business days with this person…
You’ve got a new client! They have accepted your quote and are eager to get the ball rolling, but slow down… it’s time to protect yourself and your client by doing things right.
Get their deposit in the bank, draw up your contract and get both of you to sign it. These steps show that you are a professional and that you have a professional attitude about your business and their business. Are they in a rush and want to move fast? Allow for sign-offs to be faxed in or get a digital signature. You can accept payments through Paypal to speed things along. If your client is serious about getting to the next phase quickly, they will not bat an eyelash at taking the initiative to get your the proper items necessary to move things along.
They totally “got” me!
I love that first meeting with clients! You get to know each other a little better, you share a few laughs and find those common connectors. …You hate Flash intros!? Me too! :) HAHAHA!
I always leave kick off meetings on a bit of a high, I am flooded with inspiration and I usually have to race to my notebook or computer so I can start sketching out ideas, making notes and researching right away!
What do you think they’re doing right now?
Once the project is underway, I think a huge part of having a happy and successful project is to stay in good communication with your client. Don’t leave then wondering and waiting by the phone. Each of your interactions should end with you letting them know what the next milestone is and when they will be hearing from you again.
It just didn’t work out…
Every once in a while, things just don’t work out. It’s a possibility in every relationship and the designer/client relationship is no different.For whatever reason, there may come a time when you or your client decide to not see things through to the end of the project.
It is important to be professional, don’t take things personally! If you choose to sever ties, just keep in mind that you do not have control over how your client might take the news, but you can be in control of how you respond to them.
(All of the whose-whats of this break up should be easy, just defer to your project agreement!)
I’ll never forget how special they made me feel…
When your project is complete and it is time to part ways make sure you leave them feeling satisfied. Answer any questions they may have and let them know that you are available to them in the future.
Even clients who come for a small one time project can turn out to be those who send you the most referrals! Happy clients beget more happy clients.
Keep the flame burning…
Long after you and your client have completed your work together, they will always be your client. Don’t forget them when you send out promotional materials, holiday greetings, or maybe just shoot them a quick email from time to time to say hello! Not only will this remind you client that they are important to you, but you may end up reminding them that they’d been meaning to get a hold of you about some new work!
One of my first jobs out of college involved direct customer sales where I got a crash course on how to be a salesperson. Not a salesperson like I had been when I worked at random retail jobs in the past, but getting professionals to throw down thousands of dollars and feel really excited about it.
At the time, I saw this job solely as a way to get my foot into the door of the companies design department (it worked) but as I look back now on that time it was probably some of the most valuable work experience I have ever had! Every bit I learned that year about selling I have applied to my design business in talking with clients about their projects.
It’s All About the Product (Services)!
The most important part to selling, is believing in the product, if you don’t — you’re going to come off sleazy… no one is going to trust you. While you may finagle someone into shelling out the doe, they are likely to feel more nervous about the transaction than excited.
I see this with freelancers all the time, they are not confident in their work (some with reason, some without) and this comes across when they talk about their services. I am surely not going to throw down my hard earned cash and gamble my businesses reputation on someone who doesn’t feel confident about the product they’re supplying! Would you?
The harsh truth, this can’t be faked. You either believe you can offer your clients top quality services or you don’t. If you don’t you can still try and sell it — but it’s not going to be so easy.
It’s All About the Customer (and how you treat them)!
So you are 100% behind your product? Good. Now here is the hard part, get behind your customer.
By this I mean… it’s not just about selling the goods, it’s about honing in on what your client needs and delivering that to them. Your interaction with the client is PART of the product when you are a freelancer. Be a good person, care about your client, listen to them and tell them what YOU would do if YOU where them.
A 20 page site with a full company owners biography and photo gallery of their office space would bring in a lot more money to your business, but this guy’s plumbing company would get a better return on his investment with a concise one page. Do you tell him this? YES, you do!
When you focus on delivering the right solution to your clients and getting the best results for them – you’re delivering a superior product.
I truly do believe, we are sales people. We are selling our abilities to help grow our clients businesses. It’s funny that I didn’t see this connection back then, but I am so glad that I paid attention to those sales lessons and was able to draw upon them and make this connection later down the road!
Did you ever have a job that isn’t design related that taught you a valuable business lesson? Leave a comment and tell us about it!
Freelancers Standard Terms and Policies
Don’t get freaked out, you don’t have to have a fine printed document full of legal jargon to set company policies! Just think simple here, I’m talking about setting some standard practice rules for your business that make it clear to both you and your client what you can expect from each other and how things will run.
Things like, all invoices are due within 30 days of receipt. There. That’s a policy, simple, right?
How about all projects require an initial 50% deposit to begin work. There, see! There is another one!
These can even be rules you set for yourself. instead of your client. You can have a policy for how you name and organize your project files, how you hand things off to a printer or how you organize your code.
Policies aren’t hard to come up with, many of us probably have similar rules in place for our businesses. The part where I see most freelancers trip up is, sticking to the policies they set in place. Sure, it is fine to bend the rules from time to time.. you can do that, it’s your business. But, there is no point in setting a policy if you aren’t going to stick to it. Your client s will appreciate these guidelines because they show that you are serious about running things properly and if you can manage your business in a professional way, it’s a good indicator that you’ll manage their project in a professional way.
Client: “This contract looks OK, can you just take this email as an approval?”
Freelancer: “It’s policy that projects cannot begin until a signed agreement is received. You can send it in by mail or fax, let me know which is most convenient for you!”
Do you have any special policies that have helped your business run smoother? Have you ever got into hot water by not having a policy in place when a situation arose?
The word “freelancer” has a bit of a stigma attached to it for the people outside of the freelance world. There’s a number of misconceptions about what kind of people we are and kind of business we do. True, I don’t have a time clock to punch when I start my work day and I don’t even own a pair of panty hose, but I am not just a free-agent design nomad. I’m a business owner! My business may only have one employee (that one being me,) but that makes it no less a business.
Starting out, it can be difficult to wrap your head around this and really embrace it. Being a “free agent” is so much easier, you are still like you used to be when you were an employee, only now – your clients are your boss! Right? WRONG! I think this attitude can be detrimental to a one-person business and as I’ve come to terms with my own entrepreneurship I’ve learned a lot about being a business owner and not just a freelancer.
Something I see as an important part of defining your operation as a real BUSINESS? Setting normal business hours.
I know! One of the benefits of being an independent professional means you DON’T have to do a typical 9 to 5 day — but it is still very important to have regularly scheduled business hours. Depending on your clients needs and your industry you can set these to be the most productive for your business.
We do have more freedom to modify our schedules when things come up or if you just need to take an extended lunch on a random Wednesday. What’s important that your clients have a frame of reference to know when they can get a hold of you. I keep pretty typical hours in my studio of Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm. The reason I chose this because most of my clients work traditional hours and I want to be available to them when it’s going to be of the most benefit to them.
You don’t have to think of this as being at the mercy of your clients sleep cycle. Setting a regular schedule can be liberating! If you have set hours of operation – this frees you from feeling obligated to jump on the random email question you might receive from a client at 2am on a Saturday night. Your clients accept this, because they view you as any other business. We all know that if we want to talk to our dentist, we call during his office hours. We don’t show up at the yoga studio at 2am and wonder why all the lights are out! Businesses have normal hours of operation, so set some for yours! Of course, I work outside of my business hours — I just can’t help myself! But, having that guidelines sets boundaries for both you and your clients.
What are your hours of operation? Why did you set the hours you have?
Top Posts of 2009
2009 is coming to a close and it’s been a great year! I have successfully survived my 2nd year of freelancing and blogging. I want to first take a moment to thank all of you for reading and subscribing, thank you to my sponsors and to the companies that hosted some of the awesome giveaways on the site this year. I feel truly honored to have you all as a part in my life! Thank you!!! Thank you to all my clients (i love you all) and fellow designers, developers and internet nerds! I wish you all the best in 2010.
I thought i’d take a look back at some of the posts that made this year such a memorable one. Fell free to leave a comment and let me know if there is anything you would like to see me work on for the blog in the next 12 months!
January:
5 Reasons it’s Easier Being Sick When You’re a Freelancer
February
Ditching your 9to5 to be Freelance & Fancy Free
March
Freelancers, You Can Sleep When You’re Dead!
April
14 Applications to Make Your OSX Installation Better
May
Do’s and Don’ts of Project Managment: 5 Habits of an Effective PM
June
July
How Freelancers Can Beat the Summertime Heat
Office Pets and their Creative Humans!
August
Ask A Freelancer #4: Dealing with Scope Creep
Ask A Freelancer #5: Finding New Clients
September
10 Things I Don’t Miss About My Old 9to5
Tips For A Successful Meeting At A Coffee Shop
October
Freelancers Preparation for Vacation
Passion, Hard Work, Authenticity & Your Brand!
Ask A Freelancer #7: Naming your Freelance Business
Online Discussion in the Design Community
Novemeber
December
Best Gifts for the Design Nerd & Internet Geek You Love in 2009
There are just 10 days left in 2009 and I can’t help but reflect on the last 12 months. As promised, I’m taking some time to write about some of the things I learned over the year, partially for the benefit of any of your in the community who might get something out of hearing MY experiences and partially for my own good. Documenting what I have learned is a good way for me to not forget it! ;)
Back in February, in my post Ditching your 9to5 to be Freelance & Fancy Free, one of the things I pointed out as über important when moving from your full-time gig to be a free-agent is to “Stay on your bosses good side”
Maybe you won’t be missing your boss once you leave your 9to5, but don’t use your upcoming freedom as an excuse to burn bridges with your current employer. There is a good chance your former boss will soon become your client when you leave.
This was very true for me! My former boss is one of my most valued clients and it is because I made it a point to be a hardworking and dedicated employee for her until the very last moment of my time in the office.
As a freelancer, reputation is everything. You want to be known for doing good work and for being a GOOD person to work with! I was tested on this, and held true to my words earlier this year when I opened my email one day to find a message from someone who used to be a client of mine at the old 9-to-5 asking for some freelance work.
I knew this person was an important client to my old boss and no matter what monetary gain the extra work might bring, damaging my relationship with my old boss by stepping on her toes was the LAST thing I wanted to do.
I immediately wrote her and let her know of the request for service and said “I just wanted to make sure you are comfortable with me taking on work with her directly.”
I quickly got word back letting me know she had referred the client to me since she was swamped at the moment and thanking me for checking in about it!
Lesson Learned: Reputation is valuable! Be loyal to your clients and they will be loyal to you!
Since this time, I’ve continued to get more referrals from my former boss and even some from the people she’s referred. Word of mouth is my most valued marketing tool, but it is worthless without reputation!
As 2009 is coming to a close, it’s hard to not reflect on what has happened over the last 12 months. As I have been going over finances for the year, putting together end of the year greetings for my clients, etc., I’ve revisited a few of the projects past and lessons learned, and for the weeks following up to the new year, I’ll be sharing with you some of my freelance blunders and the lessons I learned from them!
At the end of 2008 and early in 2009 I took on a project to design a WordPress blog theme for a client who was moving their established blog over from a Blogspot account and wanted a new look to go with their new home!
The project went pretty smoothly! We consulted on the goals for her blog, the content, the audience and talked at length about the aesthetic styles that appealed to her and that would best represent her content. My notes show her using words like modern, simple, and sophisticated.
We went through a few rounds of design and in the end, the client said she was “thrilled” with the result! I was excited to see the theme finally activated after the start of the new year! The client and I exchanged a few emails as she prepared for the official unveiling of the redesign and never mentioned any desire to change what we had done, so imagine my surprise (and a bit of horror) when I went to the site a few days before it’s official launch and saw that it looked completely different! New colors, new background, new header design, etc. Other than the fact that it was still a 2 column layout, and some of the text formatting was still there, the site was unrecognizable from what we had designed! When I mentioned this to the client, I got an email saying, “The site itself is all the same, a friend and I just played around with colors and fonts and swapped pictures. Plus I changed the sidebar – the joys of WordPress!”
Hmmm…
Lessons Learned
I really wish that my client could have approached me about her apparent dissatisfaction with the design, but I have tried to understand her reasons. Perhaps she felt bad after so much work had been put in to say she was less than thrilled? Perhaps her friend was really persuasive? I am unsure exactly — but after a day or so of feeling a little bummed on the whole thing, I decided to make something good out of the situation.
Lesson #1: Sometimes things just don’t work out. Don’t dwell on stuff and don’t take it personal.
Since all that was kept from my design was a basic structure of information, (which basically came from my starter framework) I did a bit of retooling and then was able to use the design I had created as the basis for the theme Simple Changes, which I released as a Free WordPress Theme back in March of this year! Something good came out of all this, I’ve been able to give a little back to the community and the greater part of the design can still get out there and have a life.
So, Lesson #2: Even the worst situations can be successes if you are willing to think creatively about them.
Since then, I’ve made a point to use more than words to communicate aesthetics between clients. A term like “clean” can mean one thing to me while it may mean something vastly different to my client, that is why I have modified my process now to include “mood boards.” After discussing the projects over all style I do research to gather visual representations of that “look and feel” to present to my client so that if we aren’t on the same page, we can address that before even one pixel has been laid down.
Finally, Lesson #3: Clear communication from the start is key!
Share!
Did you learn a valuable lesson this year about running your freelance business that you would like to share? Leave a comment! :)
Last month, I was listed in a post on Line 25 called 40 Amazing Female Role Models in Web Design — crazy, i know! I was pretty excited to be included on such a list of kick ass ladies, including a couple I’d already interviewed for this blog, including Niki Brown and Krissy Gogel. From this list, I let word out on Twitter than I was interested in interviewing many other ladies from the list and the first to come forward? The lovely Tanya Merone! You can check out her site at tanyamerone.com or follow her on Twitter @tanyamerone.
Good design must be intuitive, memorable, and deliver its message.
Give us your “elevator pitch”, who are you and what do you do?
I am a Graphic Designer based in New York, specializing in User Interface Design and Development. My edge is creating clean, appealing, and functional designs which comply with the latest web standards. I love when people look at the finished product – whether it’s an application, a website, or a postcard – and find the user experience and presentation intuitive.
What’s the most inspirational book in your library? (Doesn’t have to be design related)
There’s an old illustrated children’s book that I flip through sometimes. It has been published around the time I was born by an obscure author, and I used to love to read as a child. Its yellowed pages are decorated by colorful doodles that cover simple but captivating illustrations. Looking through the book brings back many happy memories and inspires me to this day.
What do you do when you’re feeling uninspired or burnt out? Do you have any rituals to help you cope? Resources to get you inspired?
It depends on where I am at the moment. If I’m at home, I got for a walk, a jog, or use my home gym. If that’s not an option, I rely on design blogs and my twitter stream for inspiration. Some of my favorite blogs are:
- Jason Santa Maria: My favorite part is the always-changing design that custom fits every article Jason writes.
- Veerle Pieters: love Veerle’s blog colors, her designs and tutorials.
- Web Designer Wall: amazing vector and “scrapbook-like” hand-drawn design.
You work out of your home-office How do you keep your personal and work life separate – or do you?
I have two types of clients, those that require on-site presence, and those that do not. When I started 6 years ago, I made a conscious decision to keep my personal and professional lives separate. I failed. The only rule of thumb I’ve been able to follow is to keep Facebook private to friends, and Twitter open to everyone.
What’s your favorite project to date?
My favorite project would probably have to be the NFL intranet portal. The client envisioned it as a very dynamic site filled with colorful imagery, that invited a lot of creativity from my end. Plus, the client was very receptive to new ideas. They were happy to consider them even if they did not end up using all of them.
Do you have a nightmare client story?
Who doesn’t have a client that rushes you only to drag their feet, that can’t relinquish any control, or who demands design that doesn’t comply with usability standards? I think all designers have come across these kinds of clients at one time or another. It’s the designer’s ability to handle situations gracefully that showcases their professionalism.
Why do you think design is important? How do you see design effecting the day to day lives of ordinary (non-designer) people. What makes “good or bad” design?
If the iPhone and the iPod have demonstrated anything, it is that user experience matters. Good design must be intuitive, memorable, and deliver its message. When 9 out of 10 people can use your product without flipping through an instruction manual, you can almost pat yourself on the back for good design. The design must also be aesthetically pleasing. There are common shapes, patterns, and colors that suggest excitement, relaxation, or other emotions. Picking the right combination for the desired effect is essential to an aesthetically pleasing design.
The Bonus Round!
Favorite HEX? My random number generator tells me it is #cc0066.
Do you say “font” or “typeface”? Font.
When setting live San Serif text, which do you choose more often; Helvetica, Arial or Verdana? :) Probably Arial.
Favorite Keyboard shortcut? Ctrl+Z. Too bad real life doesn’t support it :)
Favorite internet celebrity &/or internet celebrity crush? Heather Armstrong from dooce.com. Her writing style, openness, and humorous photography are impossible not to enjoy, whether you agree or disagree with her approach to life.