I have searched high and low for freelance clients over the year. Many of them come from web referrals, and many stumble upon me.
Even greater, however, are the numbers who reach me by either meeting me in person, or through word-of-mouth.
One of my current projects, a two-site deal, is absolutely to die for. I don't need to worry about Flash or animated gifs, and the client essentially loves my ideas for it. How did I score this?
I met him in person.
The site is for a smoothie shop that I attend almost every afternoon for my lunch break. The owner knew I worked for a nearby SEO company, and inquired as to how much a site costs. I gave him the numbers, and shortly after, offered to build him one myself.
I have never regretted it.
The other major points in my portfolio came through networking as well. Roy Audio came through one of my closest high school friends, and I was invited to create a template for LiveJournal by seeing a post from one of their current designers, who happens to be a friend of mine.
Going back to the topic, I would say that it is safe to assume that the best practice in promoting your design business isn't to have a fancy portfolio (hell, I am still working on updating mine with a new style and the newer works I have done), nor to post on Craigslist or other places with job postings. Rather, I find that the best way to attract clients is through meeting them face-to-face, whether in daily life, or even by chance. I'd say that this definitely means one thing - business cards! And lots of them! I lost a deal for a site simply because I did not have a decent business card.
Promote, promote, promote! Promote yourself, and let everyone know that you are, in fact, a freelance web designer! The more you do this, the more people will feel comfortable with turning to YOU for their needs, not to someone else entirely. I've lost many a site simply because one contact or another was not aware that I was a designer.
That all said and done, promote! Let everyone know who you are and what you are about!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Why Do We Design
Why do web designers design the web.
Without a computer, it is impossible to see our creations. The market is difficult; hard to break into, hard to stay in.
The work can at times be frustrating.
The competition is fierce, and plays as hard as it can.
So why do we design?
Because we like it.
There's that satisfaction at the end of a great design, the knowledge that we did that. We made those sprite images work, we made that sliding jQuery effect. We thought up that color scheme, we reached our goal of either disjointed and energetic, or clean, simple, and smooth.
There's that feeling of relief as everything melds together into one thing, like we just created this great piece of art for people to enjoy.
And during the design, there's that feeling of hey... I can do something different. I can move this industry forward. I can really do something good.
We do it because it is our passion.
Without a computer, it is impossible to see our creations. The market is difficult; hard to break into, hard to stay in.
The work can at times be frustrating.
The competition is fierce, and plays as hard as it can.
So why do we design?
Because we like it.
There's that satisfaction at the end of a great design, the knowledge that we did that. We made those sprite images work, we made that sliding jQuery effect. We thought up that color scheme, we reached our goal of either disjointed and energetic, or clean, simple, and smooth.
There's that feeling of relief as everything melds together into one thing, like we just created this great piece of art for people to enjoy.
And during the design, there's that feeling of hey... I can do something different. I can move this industry forward. I can really do something good.
We do it because it is our passion.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Difference Resolution Makes for Web Design
I typically design for 1024 x 768 screen resolutions. I work from a 1920 x 1200 screen resolution at home, and a smaller 1280 x 800 resolution at work.
The difference in resolution at home and at work is remarkable. At work, I end up having to make my mockups 600 x 800 so I can see more of the borders, and can check my widths, etcetera. Personally, I am considering purchasing a new monitor with a larger resolution to use at work simply because I find that bigger is better.
In addition, I like to use Adobe Illustrator in order to plan my designs, and I like to draw parts of the graphics off of the canvas. This means that I have to be able to see the entire canvas with plenty of area on the side bar - so I get a bird's eye view of what the final design will be like in 1024 x 768.
Of course, it means that I do, in fact, use a window resizer so that I can see what the average user would see. But I find that it benefits my designs in that I can see if there are flaws between different resolutions, and I can see how to make the different aspects of the design work in greater harmony.
Often I am asked why I wanted such a large iMac when I ordered it (I splurged and got a full 24"). Part was vanity, part was because I was using a smaller G4 Macbook and a Gateway laptop and it felt absolutely cramped.
Truth be told, I feel that larger resolutions should be given out everywhere, but I know that a person who just needs to use Word and casually surf the web won't be hurting for a monster resolution like mine, and, well, maybe it is a good thing, otherwise I would have to double my resolution to design for 1920 x 1200, which would be, well.. Very difficult :P
The difference in resolution at home and at work is remarkable. At work, I end up having to make my mockups 600 x 800 so I can see more of the borders, and can check my widths, etcetera. Personally, I am considering purchasing a new monitor with a larger resolution to use at work simply because I find that bigger is better.
In addition, I like to use Adobe Illustrator in order to plan my designs, and I like to draw parts of the graphics off of the canvas. This means that I have to be able to see the entire canvas with plenty of area on the side bar - so I get a bird's eye view of what the final design will be like in 1024 x 768.
Of course, it means that I do, in fact, use a window resizer so that I can see what the average user would see. But I find that it benefits my designs in that I can see if there are flaws between different resolutions, and I can see how to make the different aspects of the design work in greater harmony.
Often I am asked why I wanted such a large iMac when I ordered it (I splurged and got a full 24"). Part was vanity, part was because I was using a smaller G4 Macbook and a Gateway laptop and it felt absolutely cramped.
Truth be told, I feel that larger resolutions should be given out everywhere, but I know that a person who just needs to use Word and casually surf the web won't be hurting for a monster resolution like mine, and, well, maybe it is a good thing, otherwise I would have to double my resolution to design for 1920 x 1200, which would be, well.. Very difficult :P
Monday, September 22, 2008
Why Web Designers Should Drop IE 6
In fact, my new policy has become to drop Internet Explorer entirely.
The large amounts of hacks and having to take several extra hours of time just to make a site look good for a ten-year-old browser that came out before September 11, 2001, are just not worth it. Log the time you spend on Internet Explorer hacks - you'll be amazed. To code for IE6 is like coding two websites at once, only one is frustrating and slowly becomes your red-headed stepchild. (I have nothing against red heads, by the way - several of my nieces and nephews happen to be 'gingers' as they call themselves).
Why do people still use IE6?
Well, back in its time, it was pretty cutting-edge. It worked, and it didn't have much of anything to call competition because other browsers just hadn't been as developed at the time.
However, that was before the major failures of the Bush administration.
So for this presidential election, let's completely do away with the Bush administration and do away with all of its straggling remnants - make clients download at least Internet Explorer 8 or Firefox (my disclaimer that shows up to IE browsers directs them toward Opera, Safari, Firefox, Flock, and Chrome) or SOMETHING other than outdated software that is very insecure and very offensive.
I charge extra for compatibility with Internet Explorer. How much? That's the only part of my service that I charge by-the-hour. And it's only added on after a design is done - so if a design doesn't need any hacks, then I'm not going to charge the client extra. And how much more? That is in proportion to the project :P One of the sites I'm working on would be complete overhaul in order to make it work with IE - it's just not possible without weeks and weeks of extra work that's only going to appeal to probably 25% of the browser market - at most.
Internet Explorer is simply a designer's nightmare. It was great ten years ago - but why don't we start living in the twenty-first century and make modern sites for modern browsers?
The large amounts of hacks and having to take several extra hours of time just to make a site look good for a ten-year-old browser that came out before September 11, 2001, are just not worth it. Log the time you spend on Internet Explorer hacks - you'll be amazed. To code for IE6 is like coding two websites at once, only one is frustrating and slowly becomes your red-headed stepchild. (I have nothing against red heads, by the way - several of my nieces and nephews happen to be 'gingers' as they call themselves).
Why do people still use IE6?
Well, back in its time, it was pretty cutting-edge. It worked, and it didn't have much of anything to call competition because other browsers just hadn't been as developed at the time.
However, that was before the major failures of the Bush administration.
So for this presidential election, let's completely do away with the Bush administration and do away with all of its straggling remnants - make clients download at least Internet Explorer 8 or Firefox (my disclaimer that shows up to IE browsers directs them toward Opera, Safari, Firefox, Flock, and Chrome) or SOMETHING other than outdated software that is very insecure and very offensive.
I charge extra for compatibility with Internet Explorer. How much? That's the only part of my service that I charge by-the-hour. And it's only added on after a design is done - so if a design doesn't need any hacks, then I'm not going to charge the client extra. And how much more? That is in proportion to the project :P One of the sites I'm working on would be complete overhaul in order to make it work with IE - it's just not possible without weeks and weeks of extra work that's only going to appeal to probably 25% of the browser market - at most.
Internet Explorer is simply a designer's nightmare. It was great ten years ago - but why don't we start living in the twenty-first century and make modern sites for modern browsers?
Freelance Designer vs. Design Agency
Now, there are many posts, a dime a dozen, about the pros and cons of working in a design agency as opposed to being a freelance designer.
I, of course, have worked in the design department of an SEO company as well as working as freelance, and policies toward clients are certainly different.
At the agency, clients get something similar. There are basic templates for each level of design, so there isn't as much of that personal touch added to the designs. They are much cheaper because of this, and there is an imposed timeline, so obviously the design is delivered probably much faster. The main issue with this is that (at least where I design), designs have to pass through management - who are, by all means, not always the most artistic people on the block! Now, I never really had issues with management concerning my designs, but some design agencies impose guidelines on their designs - there's no real 'breaking the grid'.
With freelance, however, I think there is more of that personal touch. Of course, it varies from designer to designer. Some add in more personal touch, others still do the template system. I feel, however, that since there is a level of independence of the designer from management, that they are able to show the client their best.
In the end, though, I don't think that the differences between hiring an agency and hiring a freelance professional are always too different. In the end, it's just a matter of who delivers what the client is looking for price-wise and design-wise.
Of course, if anyone has feedback to offer, that would be great :P Comment here if you've got any other ideas about what's similar or different about working with a freelance web designer or a web design agency.
I, of course, have worked in the design department of an SEO company as well as working as freelance, and policies toward clients are certainly different.
At the agency, clients get something similar. There are basic templates for each level of design, so there isn't as much of that personal touch added to the designs. They are much cheaper because of this, and there is an imposed timeline, so obviously the design is delivered probably much faster. The main issue with this is that (at least where I design), designs have to pass through management - who are, by all means, not always the most artistic people on the block! Now, I never really had issues with management concerning my designs, but some design agencies impose guidelines on their designs - there's no real 'breaking the grid'.
With freelance, however, I think there is more of that personal touch. Of course, it varies from designer to designer. Some add in more personal touch, others still do the template system. I feel, however, that since there is a level of independence of the designer from management, that they are able to show the client their best.
In the end, though, I don't think that the differences between hiring an agency and hiring a freelance professional are always too different. In the end, it's just a matter of who delivers what the client is looking for price-wise and design-wise.
Of course, if anyone has feedback to offer, that would be great :P Comment here if you've got any other ideas about what's similar or different about working with a freelance web designer or a web design agency.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Why You need a Professional Website
So, you want to make a website.
You're probably thinking that it'd be cheaper just to do it yourself. After all, you know how you want it, and you figure that it can't be all that hard. You pop up a trial version of Adobe Dreamweaver CS3, and get to work.
Things are going okay. You give up on many of your design ideas, forfeiting them just because you simply do not know how to implement them. Who knew that these programs were so hard to use?
The truth is, any true designer tends to hand-code their designs - the WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get - think the design pane of Dreamweaver) editor is rarely used by most professional designers. Why? Because it's just easier to hand code it? Yeah, mostly that. On top of, WYSIWYG editors have their limitations :P
When I browse the Internet, I don't always look at it from a web designer's point of view. I also view it as a client (probably about 90% of my purchases are done online). Several times, I almost did not make purchases because I could tell that the person had not had it done professionally, and worried that, perhaps, I was looking at a scam site. If your images aren't well done, and your site simply does not look professional, then truth be told, the chances are that you are losing quite a few potential clients and have a bounce rate out the wall.
It's not that hard to find a professional design. Many designers will sell you a decent, functional 3-page site for probably less than you can buy Photoshop or Dreamweaver with.
You're probably thinking that it'd be cheaper just to do it yourself. After all, you know how you want it, and you figure that it can't be all that hard. You pop up a trial version of Adobe Dreamweaver CS3, and get to work.
Things are going okay. You give up on many of your design ideas, forfeiting them just because you simply do not know how to implement them. Who knew that these programs were so hard to use?
The truth is, any true designer tends to hand-code their designs - the WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get - think the design pane of Dreamweaver) editor is rarely used by most professional designers. Why? Because it's just easier to hand code it? Yeah, mostly that. On top of, WYSIWYG editors have their limitations :P
When I browse the Internet, I don't always look at it from a web designer's point of view. I also view it as a client (probably about 90% of my purchases are done online). Several times, I almost did not make purchases because I could tell that the person had not had it done professionally, and worried that, perhaps, I was looking at a scam site. If your images aren't well done, and your site simply does not look professional, then truth be told, the chances are that you are losing quite a few potential clients and have a bounce rate out the wall.
It's not that hard to find a professional design. Many designers will sell you a decent, functional 3-page site for probably less than you can buy Photoshop or Dreamweaver with.
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