Question:
What do I need to know about my audience?
Know Your Users
To please both your client and your client's users, you'll need as much information as possible about the client's customer base:
- How old are they? (Older users are more likely to feel intimidated by the Internet, and to need larger font sizes and friendlier navigation.)
- What kinds of Internet connections do they have? (If most have broadband connections, you can make your pages a little larger and include more multimedia content.)
- What do competing sites look like? (You don't want to produce a clone of a competitor, but they may give you ideas about what does and doesn't work for this audience.)
Freelance Design Frequently Asked Questions
What does it take to be a great freelance graphic designer?
What are the skill levels of beginning graphic designers?
What are some typical freelance graphic design jobs?
What is the artistic talent of a successful graphic designer?
How do I know what talents good freelance graphic designers should have?
What computer programs should a graphic designer know?
What should I be wary of when hiring a graphic designer?
How can I promote my business online?
How can I increase my freelance print design work?
Should I use a placement agency to fill my print design needs?
What is an important aspect of good print design?
How can I take care of my print design clients' needs?
Is direct mail advertising obsolete?
What kind of software should I know to be a good web site developer?
How can I build my web development portfolio?
Should I have my website custom developed?
What is a challenge facing web developers today?
Where can I find other web developers?
How much does a web developer charge?
Will a web developer manage my website once its up?
Is there a community of art directors out there?
What is the difference between an Art Director and a Creative Director?
Can I afford an advertising team?
What should I put in a job description if I want to hire an advertising art director?
Where else can an art director work besides advertising?
What are the skills of a freelance creative director?
What else does a creative director need to know besides the technical aspects of a project?
What is the job description for a creative director?
What should I look for in an entry-level creative art director?
How can I get regular work as a freelance illustrator?
What should a freelance illustrator's home office have?
How can I jump-start my freelance illustration career?
How important is it to hire a graphic illustrator for my advertisements?
Will I need a storyboard artist for my commercial ad?
Are there artists who specialize in scientific drawings?
How can I protect my online illustration portfolio?
Are there other names for web designers?
How much should I get paid as a web designer?
Do web designers have to know HTML?
How can I be a better web designer?
How do I know if a web designer is right for my company?
What else can a web designer help me to do?
Can I do anything to assist the freelance web designer I am hiring?
Who owns the copyright to my website?
How well do copy editors need to know the language?
How much copy should be in an ad?
How can I improve my skills as a copy editor?
How important is meeting a deadline as a freelance copy editor?
Should I hire a web copy editor for my site?
What is the difference between a copy writer and a copy editor?
How important are headlines in the copy editing business?
What if I have a lot of copy to be edited but cannot afford two copy editors?
Do I need to update my website content?
What tools to proofreaders use?
How can I become a freelance proofreader?
Do I really need to hire a proofreader?
How do I keep track of my proofreading jobs?
What can I expect from a proofreader?
Which proofreading style should I use?
How should I pay my proofreader?
What do I need to know about taxes and freelance work?
When should I start a freelance career?
What is the best way to build a good career as a freelance programmer?
What do I need to know about hiring a freelance designer?
Why is it called "freelance" work?
What about health insurance for freelance workers?
How can I build my client base?
How many freelance jobs should I take at once?
What is electronic cold calling?
Can I get into freelance desktop publishing?
Will my proofreader edit as well?
How important are contracts in freelance work?
How much work should I put in my graphic arts portfolio?
Can I study graphic art in school?
How can I be a better graphic artist?
How do I keep my freelance graphic arts career going?
Where can I find a graphic artist?
How important are computer skills and print skills in graphic arts?
How can I make sure my graphic artist does what I need him/her to?
What else can I do with the designs my graphic artist has created?
How do I get started as a freelancer?
How can I shift from freelance to full-time?
Am I stuck working nine-to-five?
Can a job placement service help me find an employee?
Where can I find a temporary employee?
What can I do if I run out of freelance work through my regular clients?
When exactly do I have to pay my web design firm?
What can a graphic design firm do for my company?
Should I join a web design firm?
What's so important about a company logo?
What does my design style say about where I should apply for work?
Is there a book I can pick up for help with my freelance career?
How can I get more involved in my career as a graphic artist?
What is the difference between a proofreader and a copywriter?
How can I get started as a freelance writer in my community?
How can I feel like I fit in as a freelancer?
What's the best way to stay fresh in my freelancing field?
How can I find a reputable freelance agency to do business with?
How can I optimize my Web illustrations?
How does a Web developer keep his or her pages looking fresh?
How do I get started as a freelancer?
What should be in my freelance portfolio?
How can I stand out from the competition?
Am I a freelancer or a contractor?
How can I create an effective electronic portfolio?
What if an employer wants something I haven't done yet?
How can I reach prospective clients in faraway places?
Should I work for free when I'm just getting started?
What information will I gather as a brand manager?
What's the best approach to the human side of brand management?
Is there a creative side to brand management?
What can I do to make a new product launch successful?
What are some ideas for reviving a tired brand?
What is the role of emotions in branding?
What is the difference between a copy editor and a proofreader?
What are the skills I need as a copy editor?
How can I get started as a freelancer?
What should go in my freelance editing portfolio?
How can I find organizations that might hire me?
What people skills do I need as a freelance copy editor?
What does a content writer do?
What do I need to know about Search Engine Optimization?
What are some first steps in understanding how copywriters work?
How can I learn more about my target audience?
What are some characteristics of great headlines?
What kind of language should I use in copywriting?
Should my copy be more logical or more emotional?
What needs to be in my portfolio as a copywriter?
What skills do I need to be a creative director?
What do freelance creative directors do?
What does a freelance art director do?
How can I generate ideas for a client's project?
What do I do with the ideas generated in a brainstorming session?
How can I gain the business knowledge needed to advance as an advertising manager?
I'm not a designer. How can I judge a person's design portfolio?
What programs do I need to know as an art director?
Which is more important, design or copy?
What if I find I don't enjoy marketing my design skills?
What should I look for in an agency?
What kinds of graphic design agencies are there?
What's the best way to hire a graphic designer?
What kinds of jobs are there in graphic design?
I'm doing fine as a freelancer. Why would I want to work with an agency?
Will I have to pass a test to work at an agency?
What is it like to work for an agency?
My agency is offering training courses. Are they worth it?
What do I need to know to design a good logo?
What are some very basic principles of Web design?
What are three questions I need to answer before designing an ad?
What are the design challenges in an annual report?
What happens after I design a logo?
How can I design an effective catalog?
What do I need to know to design good packaging?
What do I need to do to design good video?
What should go in my contract for freelance design work?
How can I make sure I get paid for my work?
What should a mockup accomplish?
Should I bother the client while I'm working on a job?
Should I get a partner for my graphic design business?
How can I bring up the subject of price with a new client?
How can I decide how much to charge?
What if I need help to get a freelance job done?
What do production artists do?
What does a production artist need to know about type?
What is preflighting and why do I need to know about it?
What do I need to know to do revisions?
What is a press check and how do I do it?
What is Quark and do I need to learn it?
Do I need to learn Adobe Illustrator?
How can I find good Web design jobs?
What if a client just wants a small, cheap site?
What graphics formats work on the Web?
What do I need to know about my audience?
What is "user experience" and what do I need to know about it?
What are some guidelines for effective Web navigation?
How can I design pages that work on any browser?
What can I do to make my sites more accessible to disabled people?
My client wants me to design ads for the Web. What works?
Should I bring a freelance designer onto my work site?
How can I be sure a distant freelancer is doing my job?
The kid next door can use Photoshop. Why should I pay a pro?
What do I need to know before I hire a freelancer?
What should be in a freelance design contract?
How often should I check in with a freelancer?
My freelancer wants a testimonial, but I don't want to give one. What can I do?
How can I prevent problems with freelance payments?
What if I want to a freelancer to fill a permanent opening?
When would I want to train a freelancer?
How can I get more involved in my career as a graphic artist?
How can I get started as a freelance writer in my community?
What's the best way to stay fresh in my freelancing field?
How can I find a reputable freelance agency to do business with?
| Guru Spotlight |
| Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D. |
