The Perfect Design Blog » freelance graphic designer

Join A Network Of Graphic Designers

Rufino — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:57:24 +0000

This post is a continuation of graphic design tip #54 in our article “101 Graphic Design Tips for Business Success.“

Don’t Be A Caveman

Social networking is the hottest trend these days. Recently sites like myspace, twitter, and facebook have become widely popular and accepted as valid sources of information. If you haven’t signed up for one or all of them you may have been living in a cave! There is more to networking online than posting pictures of the new pup or your status on what’s for dinner.

You can spend a lot of time on these sites, so setting things up the right way may take a little planning. If you do it right you will create a profile that will attract both clients and colleagues to join your network.

Here are some of the A, B, C’s of social networking.

A. Always keep your business and personal profiles separate.

a. When being exposed to a large online community you should practice the art of compartmentalizing (for example when facebooking set your business up as a “page” instead of a “profile”. Your clients won’t be interested in your summer vacation and your friends and relatives might not be interested in your self-promotion. This doesn’t mean that they can’t overlap, just draw the line and keep it relevant to your audience.

B. Be prepared with a robust personal profile.

a. Create a text document with the basics about you. It can be a livelier version of your resume including previous job experience, awards and current projects. A short bio with your networking interests accompanied by a nice profile picture should give you the essentials for most networking sites. For graphic design sites plan on creating an online portfolio and links to your website(s).

C. Consistent contact.

a. Narrow down how many networks you belong to in order to achieve this goal. The best way to build reputation and credibility is to consistently blog, post, comment and upkeep your profile. People won’t visit profiles that are stagnant and unresponsive. Don’t open a profile and then neglect it. If you find that you haven’t visited a site for several weeks consider closing down that particular account.

The Value Of Niche Networking

Also, never underestimate the value of niche networking. Joining a graphic design network is imperative to your growth and validity as a designer. Networks help you see more designs and get in contact with good designers. If you don’t know who’s good, look at who’s being followed the most and try figure out why?

Some specialized sites allow you to follow websites, setup feeds and notices for people and agencies that interest you. They can place you in contact with clients looking for freelance and forums to connect with other designers to share ideas or vent frustration. Best of all they are a source of motivation and inspirations. An amazing way to feel connected through a virtual community.

The final no-brainer of social networking is just because it’s virtual doesn’t mean you can act recklessly. Everyone potentially can view your profile; abstain from making rude comments, pointless arguments, or sharing TMI (too much information). Get ready to make some real, robust relationships that go beyond geographical limitations. The Internet is your virtual power-lunch, treat every online contact as a real face-to-face relationship.

Be A Proactive Graphic Designer

Rufino — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:50:39 +0000

This post is an expansion of tip #53 in our post 101 Graphic Design Tips for Business Success.

Don’t Be Taken Advantage OF

One of the hardest things to learn as a designer is how to not be taken advantage of. It can be devastating to your business and your confidence. Six-hours of burning the midnight oil followed by being jilted after delivering files to a client really hurts. Burn me once shame on you, burn me twice shame on me. It only takes a couple of these burns to realize how unproductive this behavior is. Prepare yourself by taking a few precautions in the future to protect your valuable time and services.

Interview your prospects as part of your process to see if they are worthy of your work as a designer. You can usually get a good feel for a client the first or second time you meet them. The best clients are decisive, to-the point, and prepared with a clear vision of what they want. They will want to know pricing and budget up front. Watch out for the clients that are vague, ill-prepared, or uncomfortable talking about pricing.

Protect Yourself And Your Business

Use a contract.

      o You can create your own contract with the specific terms, rights, etc. The AIGA website has samples that you can view.
      o Strongly recommended on projects of $1,000 or more where you may have to legally take the client to small claims court in order to receive payment.
   o Make sure both you and the client sign the contract and each of you have a copy.

Get paid a deposit.

o 10%-50% non-refundable is a common down payment.
o This benefits you in two ways. 1) If the client backs out you retain a portion of the payment, something is better than nothing. Two, clients are less likely to back out once they have invested in the project. When they have “skin” in the game, they are more likely to follow through.

Hold the files.

o Deliver all proofs in lo-res jpg format or locked pdf files. Deliver source files only after you have invoiced and/or receive payment.

Set terms.

o In your contract set payment terms. This will depends on your comfort level with the client. You can set terms Net 15 – 60 days. Charge interest on payment after term expires.

Protect yourself and your business. Don’t be afraid to say no if it doesn’t feel right. You may take a few freebies in your career, but don’t make it a habit. You can sometimes sacrifice payment for potential project pipeline. Use your best judgment and treat yourself and your business with the respect it deserves.

Are You A Professional Graphic Designer?

Rufino — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:08:42 +0000

This post is an expansion of tip #52 in our post 101 Graphic Design Tips for Business Success.

Cheer On Your Fellow Designers!

You should be well aware by now that everyone has an opinion on everything. Art is objective by nature, so it will always be subject to interpretation. This is what makes it art, the ability to provoke a response from someone. The intelligent critic will realize this and remember to not judge based off of initial gut reaction.

When you criticize your fellow peers don’t be vulgar or make funny comments. Make your criticism constructive and helpful. Cheer on your fellow designers! We are all students.

If you truly want to help your fellow designer, be delicate with your input. Elevate yourself beyond being just another guy with an opinion by reflecting on why you would like to offer suggestions before making a response. The odds of them taking your advice increase significantly when you take them seriously.

Take Constructive Criticism

Perfect the “sandwich” technique. This is a classic persuasive tactic where you offer a piece of advice sandwiched in between two positive statements. For example you could say “I really like your use of creativity here, you may want to use a less decorative font in the headline, but other than that it’s looking great!”.

As a designer you need to be able to take criticism as well. Don’t pay attention to others if their criticism is anything but constructive. You will learn quickly how to distinguish between random spewed opinions and intelligent editing that actually help. On the Internet be aware that there are many nasty personalities out there lurking around just waiting to heckle for hecklings sake. Ignore the urge to feed their negative fires.

When you come across constructive criticism, take it! This is essentially free help from a fresh set of eyes. You don’t have to do everything yourself. Writers almost always have an editor. Think of them as your design editors. In the end they might spot something you may have missed that will take your project to a whole new elevation.

Graphic Design Is An Iterative Process

Rufino — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:23:20 +0000

This is graphic design tip #51 from the post 101 Graphic Graphic Design Tips for Business Success

Don’t Just Rely On What You Have Done On The Past

Even though you will repeat some of the same steps over and over, it’s wonderful to know that there are still designs that have not been designed yet and creativity can still exist. With that in mind, a satisfactory result today may not be satisfactory tomorrow.

Part of the thrill of being a designer is uncharted territory. The beginning of each new project is an adventure waiting to happen. Perfect your style, skill and technique and then push the boundaries. A really good designer is always experimenting, tweaking, and perfecting what they know.

In this fast-paced era you can’t afford to rest on what you have done in the past. It is easy to become dated or obsolete. You have to do new things in order to catch people’s attention. This is especially important on the web and in ads where you only have mere seconds to get that click for your client.

Evolve Along With Ever Changing Graphic Design

There is a powerful psychology to the new. People are curious by nature, but they are also cautious as well. You want to find a fine balance of being eye-catching while instilling a feeling of trust-worthiness. Also when people are shopping for different things, they are looking for different styles. For example if you are shopping for a daycare that sleek looking ad may not work. Taylor each design to the audience, the need, and what the end result should be. And keep it fresh.

Push yourself always. You are never done learning or trying new things. Design is ever changing; make sure you continue to evolve and grow with it.

Yusf Ali – Graphic Designer SpotLight

mackenzie — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:54:47 +0000

Originally I’m from Libya. I’ve lived there for around 10 years and spent most of my childhood there. My family moved to the UK in 1997. Right now I’m settled in Manchester, I’ve been in Manchester for around 13 years

I always wanted to be someone when I was young. Not just another book on the shelf. I’ve had that creative fuel since I was young. However it was undiscovered, as a result I picked chemistry, biology and politics as my main college subjects, hoping to make something of it and become a politician or a scientist. Unfortunately I found out I failed at all these subjects after coming back from holiday, and only had 2 weeks to reenroll or find a different college. Against my family’s consent I took up a full course in graphic design where my creative fuel had sparked and is still burning today.

I’ve been freelancing since 2006 while I was a student, and now working temporary at a printers as a designer as well. I through my self in the design scene and took a crash course in freelance design when I was in college, and to a lot of peoples surprise I managed to prove my success. I have been taken advantage of a few times by a number of clients due to my age or my inexperience in business. I guess I’m the type of guy who seems to learn the hard way. Yep I love freelancing because you never know where your going to get your next phone call or email from. Some freelance jobs can be a bit dull but fortunately most of the freelance jobs I’ve got were good. I’m looking to expand in to my own shop/studio, so I decided to boost my experience and finance by working at Great Ledge Printers.

My favorite part… I have two… I get a buzz when I first get a brief that has a lot of potential and when I see the work I’ve designed published and used publicly, it’s a great feeling when you walk past a piece of work and you can say “I designed that”.

I never thought of this question before because I always liked to design for my self. But if there were one individual I would design for it would be Charles Saatchi, for the simple reason that he seems to appreciate design, artwork and creativity in general. One event that’s stands out in my mind was the Islam Awareness Week in Aberdeen. Where I gave a talk about my design work in Aberdeen University and then gave a calligraphy presentation, and had another two days of writing peoples names in calligraphy. The best part of it is when you see their look on their face when they see their name in Arabic calligraphy.

One thing I’ve learnt in the business of the design industry and dealing with clients is, always have a written agreement especially if your going to be working on a big project. Also never under sell your self, as a creative your work is unique and valuable. I’ve learnt my lessons the hard way. When I first started out, I was young and had no experience in dealing with clients face to face, and was taking advantage of.

One person who was a great help and has shaped my career in a large way is Muiz Al-Khattat. Muiz was a student and already a freelance designer when I met him he was at university and I was in my first year of college in Graphic Design. Muiz was like my design mentor, he has given me countless advice, from dealing with clients giving talks and workshops to wide audiences. I also admire his work and also inspired by it. When I first entered the freelance design scene I could relay on him at any time when I needed advice and help. There were other people who have helped shape my Design career like my family and my tutors. However Muiz was the most prominent in my design career. At the moment I’m kind of taking his role and helping other younger designers in their work and their career.

I have various ways in getting over a creative block, some are more effective than others depending on my mood at that time. One method I use of getting over a creative block is by looking at other designer’s work of similar briefs and see how they’ve tackled it. Another thing I do if the previous method doesn’t help is I’ll simply go for a walk or start painting a canvas with my spray paints. But usually I just start; I’ll do a warm up design where one thing would inspire another and before I know it I would have enough ideas for what I need to design.

I really enjoy and have a passion of martial arts and have practiced different types. However I stopped training, as my freelance career became fulltime. Despite that I managed to fit and intertwine my reflexes and martial art spirit in everyday life. What excites me about life? I kind of treat it like a game, not in a sense that I don’t care, but in a way where I progress though different levels. I set my self objectives and go out of my way to achieve them. I get a rush / buzz when I achieve one of my objectives. My next one is opening my own design studio this January.

“I love this question” my ambition is to build my own brand as big as Adidas or Nike, and be the chairman of my own clothing / design company. I was inspired by this idea 4 years ago before I started freelancing and gave my self 20 years to fulfill it, and put my self a set timeframe. Up to now I think I am pretty much on schedule.

Thanks for the interview

Yusf Ali

Dr. Damber Kumar Nirola – Graphic Designer SpotLight

mackenzie — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:07:22 +0000

Dr. Damber Kumar Nirola

I am from a small Himalayan country called BHUTAN. I was born in a village called Nainatal and I currently work as a Psychiatrist in The National Referral Hospital in Thimphu, the capital city.

I do graphic design as a pastime. I used to draw and paint as a hobby and learned a bit of graphic design on my own. I am not an expert though!

I do freelance work. I love doing graphic design but most of the time it depends on my free time which I manage after taking care of my patients.

Conceptualization is very critical and that’s what I like doing and is my favorite aspect of Graphic Design.

If given the chance I would illustrate books for children and make logos related to the Health care services. I like this because I am more comfortable in these fields. I did illustrations for a flip chart for educating people on antenatal care. I also won an award for designing a logo from a water and sanitation program for The Bhutan Health Ministry.

A word of advice to peers, make it a habit to use your art for art purposes only and don’t just make it look like a factory. Be creative and you will enjoy the outcome.

Well, I have no one person who helped me in my career path. Only myself and I!

When I need help sparking creativity I meditate!

Other than graphic design I like to stick to reality rather than dream about something unattainable. I make sure to give enough time to my family and I meditate daily.

In the future, as mentioned earlier, I don’t dream, but I would be happy if I could design for some big company, maybe even Microsoft!!!

Thanks,

Dr. Nirola

Jörg Goncz – Graphic Designer SpotLight

mackenzie — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:07:00 +0000

Jörg Goncz

I’m from Germany and still living in a little Town named Nienburg. It is near Hannover and I grew up there.

I have always liked working with Computers and that’s the way I show my “creative” side. That’s how I got into Graphic Design.

I do freelance work for the most part. So far I’ve done a Website for my Brothers Store and some Web graphics. I do love my work, and continue to improve my skills

My favorite part of Graphic Design is simple, Being Creative

If I have an opportunity I would like to finish my new Homepage this Year. Then I would like to create some Homepages of unknown or not Famous Dj´s, cause that’s the way to put my 2 “Hobbies” together. Which are making Music and being Creative.

My only business advice would be to always be Creative and Break Rules!!! The best Design is that which stays in ALL minds.

There is not one individual who helped shape my career but actually a lot of people. Twitter — so many people with so many Ideas.

I like writing down the Things I know and have to find out about the Project when I need to spark creativity.

I am very passionate about making music. Life is exciting to me because every day is a new day.

In the future I would like to work in the States and Travel around. Maybe even open a little Design Store there.

Thanks,

Jörg Goncz

Gina Yap – Graphic Designer SpotLight

mackenzie — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 19:37:27 +0000

Gina Yap

I am a graphic designer and writer that is currently based in Malaysia. I grew up here in the multi-racial country where I get to learn various ways of communications between different races and cultures.

I started off with graphic designing as a freelancer during my college days when I needed money for my studies. When I graduated, I felt more passionate about graphic design because I had been doing it and learning so much about it throughout my student days. So I still am doing this path today. And my inspiration behind it is humans; the world around me inspires me to do all kinds of things with graphic design.

I am currently a fulltime freelancer focusing on both graphic design and writing, and I am totally in love with my job. It doesn’t feel like a job when I really enjoy what I do, it’s like getting paid for doing something I love and there is no stress to it.

My favorite part of graphic design has got to be the conceptualization part where I get to think and brainstorm with others on ideas and concepts to best bring out the message a brand would like to send out to its audience.

It would be Juwita Suwito if I could choose one project to do. She is my music inspiration. I get inspired through her music to do a lot of things. I want to be able to design her next music album so that I can contribute back to her the many great ideas she has given me through her songs.

One piece of advice, never undercharge yourself. Many designers tend to under charge themselves so that they will not lose the job to someone else, which is a wrong way to begin with. As a designer, you are selling your service, skills and knowledge. And if you can’t charge a price that you can live with, why accept the job at all? First, know what you are worth. Second, charge your clients for what you are worth. For example, my uncle quote $1000 for a project by his client. When he heard his competitor offered $500, he threw in another quotation of $400 to win the job. In the end, he didn’t get the job because the client thought with such a low price, the quality was sure to be bad. Lesson learnt: ever under-charge yourself.

Mr. Wong from my previous agency helped shape my career. He was the most particular Creative Director I have ever met. He picked on little things like alignment, balance, etc. and this has taught me that the little details in graphic design matter the most.

When I experience designer block I pick up my laptop, drive out to the mall, buy a can of coke, choose a quiet corner, sit and watch. My greatest inspiration comes from the every day life of everyone else. I love to watch people, – how they talk, walk, act, etc. And it inspires me! Almost every time I face a designer’s block, they unblock me and breathe fresh air into my thinking process.

Besides designing I love Writing. I spend a lot of time writing. When I find my designing engine running dry, I turn to writing. And vice-versa. To me, writing and designing are tools which I used to manifest the most exciting thing in the world: LIFE. There are always stories to be told, and I love telling stories through my designs and writings.

I used to dream big; needed to climb the ladder and reach the top of the Career Game. But now, all I want to do is design and write every day. I don’t have to be a CEO to do that, I just have to be me. My biggest goal in life is to be able to do the things I love to do in the comfort of my own home. And I am doing it now! My first novel will be published next year, and that is one step to me reaching my dreams. And I hope to publish more books and design more interesting visuals to share with the world.

Thank you,

Gina Yap

Harry Martawijaya – Graphic Designer SpotLight

mackenzie — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:53:14 +0000

Harry Martawijaya

I am from a city called Bandung, located in western part of the island of Java, Indonesia. This is the city I grew up, and I still live here with my family.

I love visual arts in general, as a child I always liked to draw and watch movies, even collected nice looking packaging. When I learned about computers, my main interest was the art-related software (including music & sound), and by that time, the easiest way to use an art software is to create graphic art, and I began to be involved in this field as I went to a university to earn my degree in visual art.

Yes I do freelance work, mostly from an Ad agency in my city. I also have my own design firm with corporate clients. I love my job because it’s my interest and my hobby. I have he passion in it, a kind of labor of love.

As far as my favorite part of graphic design I have many of them. If I had to pick one it would be the creative problem solving, I love when my artwork solved the problem of others (and mine!)

I would like to do a work for culture-related event, as I would like to learn more about people, their interests and environments. I designed a brand for a charity organization. I also designed their book, a discount book actually, to be sold to parents of international school’s student. The money raised went to the school and other charity bodies.

A piece of advice it to always make proper planning and preparation, it will save you in a lot of cases, money, time, effort, etc.

One person who helped shape my career I think would be Mr. Ricky Dadan, the director of the advertising agency I’ve been working with for the past 5 years. He helped me to focus more on graphic design work, since I am also a multimedia designer, animator and an illustrator.

When writer’s block happens, I will leave the project for a while. I will do other things such as playing with my children, watch movie, take a walk outside, anything that doesn’t require a lot of thinking. Somehow the sparks will appear in the most mysterious and unrecognized way.

My family of course I am passionate about. I love to see my children learn and grow, and I want to make sure I am with them in most ways, and by that we together can learn a lot of things in this world.

I see myself in the future in my own place, as an culture icon, because I have created many masterpieces in art and design.

Thank you,

Harry Martawijaya

Agus Primakusuma – Graphic Designer SpotLight

mackenzie — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:31:39 +0000

Agus Primakusuma

I come from Indonesia. I was born, grew up and live in Jakarta which is the capital city of Indonesia.

After I graduated from the university, I applied to an audio visual communication agency as a computer graphic designer. Honestly, I did not really know anything about graphic design. That is where I learned for the first time computer graphic tools. I Learned such items as: Draw Applaus, CorelDraw, Photoshop and several graphics tools. I give my inspiration thanks to my first boss. He gave me a great opportunity to learn the graphic design world from ground zero. And I thank God for giving a talent to me through my parents. My father is from Bali, the exotic island where the most creative and talented people live.

I have been doing freelance work for about 2 years. I love design and creating nothing into something. I’m very happy when my ideas help people find the path and growth for their business.

I believe the actual process is my favorite aspect of design. I follow all aspects of graphic design from brainstorming, brief design, sketch, creating it digitally, sending it to the client, discussion and finalizing the work.

If I had the opportunity to work on one event or project I would want to dedicate my work on a cultural event or multi media project. What I have realized is I love to meet and work with people from different places, different backgrounds, different languages. All together for one purpose or goal.

I’m not expert in this area of giving business advise. But according to my experience, give the client more than their expecting. Yes, we do freelance for a living but money is not the main objective point. Give our big efforts to their needs. I believe this is an effective way to make a long lasting relationship with our clients.

Hmm the one individual who helped shape my career, I think would be my first boss. He gave me an opportunity to get started in the graphic design world even though he knew I did not have any knowledge, skill or degree in this field.

When I get writer’s block or need help sparking my creativity I take a short break and wash my face with cold water.

Besides graphic design I like traveling, art, culinary. Life is exciting because everyday we wake up and we face a different moment and situation from yesterday. That’s why we have so much knowledge from our past.

In the future I see myself here, making a design everyday. I want to share my little knowledge to everyone.

Thanks,

Agus Primakusuma