Freelance Design Tips
When it comes to Freelance Design, we've been there, done that, now serving 290 tips in 16 categories ranging from Art & Creative Directors to Working with Freelancers.
Know Your Users
Artisan Talent Tip: When you work on Web design jobs, you are working to please not only your client, but the users of your client's site. It's helpful to know as much as you can about that audience as you begin designing a site for them. For example, who is the target market and what kind of demographic information is available about them? (For instance, a site appealing to men in their 50s will have a different look from one appealing to women in their 20s.)
Graphic Designers: The Difficult Client
If you are going to be a freelance graphic artist, eventually you will encounter a difficult client. Having a plan in place to deal with this type of person can really help minimize aggravation and conflict. Here are some great tips for keeping things cool:
- Recognize the warning signs. If you are getting multiple voicemails with last-minute details or unreasonable time-frame requests in the beginning, pay attention to this and try and head things off at the pass before the situation worsens.
- Realize that the situation is temporary. Even if a client is being impossible, eventually the project will come to an end. Keep that in mind.
- Prepare yourself for interaction. Make sure that before you talk to the client, you have the project specs in front of you so that you can refer to them if needed.
- Build in a set amount of revisions for your projects. A client that can endlessly revise your work can be a real problem. Set a certain amount of revisions and then charge for those that go over.
- Avoid losing your temper. This can be hard to do, but even if the client is totally off-base in his requests, losing your temper is unprofessional. Take deep breaths. Work out before your meeting. Do what you need to do to keep your cool.
Finding Web Design Jobs
Artisan Talent Tip: If you're serious about a freelance Web design career, you want clients who are serious about their Web sites. Many of the prospective clients out there are people who want the cheapest possible product, and don't have a good understanding of how much a quality designer can help their sites.
Job Search Tips for Freelancers
If you're one of the many freelance artists out there looking for work, try to approach the search in an organized, methodical way. First, register with any talent agencies that represent your career field. Next, attend some networking events in the area to see if you can make any connections. Make sure you bring plenty of business cards and pass them out to everyone you meet. This is actually a good practice in general—you never know when someone is looking for a designer.
Another way to find clients is to utilize freelance job boards. It may take a little time to sift through the ones out there, but when you connect with a good one, it can bring you a lot of work. You may also want to join your local chamber of commerce and any industry-related groups in the area. This can be a great way to expand your reach and meet new people. With freelance work, you can often find clients just by asking around, so the more connections you make, the better your chances are of finding work.
Mockups and Prototypes
Artisan Talent Tip: At the mockup stage, it's easy to add features, switch elements, and even redo the whole look of the product. These changes get a lot more difficult when you're working with the real product. A team of Chicago designers might use a standard contract that includes at least one round of alterations at the mockup stage, to emphasize to the client that now is the time to change one's mind.
Art Director: Creative Or Practical?
People think of art directors as the creatives who bring concepts to life through imagery. While this is true, they must also be able to do things that are not as "right-brain" oriented. For art directors, jobs change depending on the task at hand. They often have to manage people such as layout artists, designers and copywriters, which requires attention to detail. It also means that art directors must have good communication skills. Generally speaking, the higher the art director's position, the more people she will be in charge of managing.
Many art directors will also handle meeting with clients and creating presentations for them to review as a project moves toward completion. Again, this requires organizational and people skills. A good art director can easily switch between being creative and practical, depending on what is required at any given time. Although this position isn't for everyone, those who thrive on a fast-paced environment with new challenges will do well.
Getting Paid for Graphic Design Work
Artisan Talent Tip: To protect themselves and get proper compensation for their work and skills, many designers recommend a series of milestones and payments. For instance, a partnership of New York designers might bill 30% of the final fee on completion of the prototype, 30% on completion of the first draft, and 40% after two rounds of changes. Only after the invoices are paid are the final files provided to the client.
Creative Directors: Leading A Team
Creative director work is extremely stressful—you are responsible for bringing projects together as well as setting the direction and tone for them. In order to do this well, you'll be relying on a team of people underneath you to perform to the best of their ability. How can you do your best to motivate these people? Here are some good tips for keeping your creative team on track:
- Provide specific feedback. People need feedback in order to improve. Try to be specific and non-judgmental when you speak with art directors or copywriters about things they could be doing better.
- Accentuate the positive. Be sure that you aren't only communicating the things that your team can do better. People perform well when you notice the good work that they do and comment on it.
- Listen. If you truly listen to those working for you, it can be beneficial to everyone involved. Sometimes the best ideas come from people who are brand new, so keep an open mind.
- Be clear. The better you communicate your expectations to the people you work with; the more likely they will be able to execute your projects.
Elements of a Freelance Design Contract
Artisan Talent Tip: A good contract protects the freelance graphic artist by setting out the work to be done, the schedule of work to be delivered, and the schedule of payments to be made. A graphic designer should have a standard contract available for clients to sign, and should not do any work without a signed contract. You should also include a clause reserving the right to display a copy of the completed work as part of your portfolio.
Corporate Identity
Artisan Talent Tip: Larger organizations seek graphic designers to develop visual styles that will permeate every aspect of the company's work. Freelance graphic designers seeking New York design jobs, or jobs in other sophisticated markets, may be asked to demonstrate proficiency with corporate identity work.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Carma Spence-Pothitt |
