I’ve checked pretty thoroughly for anything wonky in the new system and design and it should all be a-ok, but if you DO happen to see anything broken or not working, please let me know so I can get it fixed. Thanks!

Anywho, check it out:

The Vendor-Client Relationship in Real World Situations

Employee vs. Freelancer – Freelance Freedom – N.C. Winters : A succinct explanation of the difference between an employee and a freelancer. Should be required viewing for all potential clients.

Why It Costs What It Costs – The Brads – Brad Colbow : As freelancers, we constantly face the assumption that our prices are fluid and can be negotiated down to the pittance that a [grossly uninformed] client thinks a project should cost. Here’s why that doesn’t fly.

Client Types – Freelance Freedom – N.C. Winters : I have had every single one of these.

Self-Help – Freelance Freedom – N.C. Winters : Ah, the client who thinks they can work a design program themselves. I’ve had this more times than I can count.

How a Web Design Goes Straight to Hell – The Oatmeal : I’ve also unfortunately run into this in the past.

Production Cycle – Freelance Freedom – N.C. Winters : Ah, the joys of working with a print shop whose software is from the Stone Age.

And finally, to round it out, The Dreaded Word Document – Freelance Freedom – N.C. Winters : This is a way more common occurrence than it should, and is always dreaded.

Sylvia Dickey Smith Books

You can probably tell from my tone thus far that I was disappointed, and I was. It’s not that the class wasn’t good – but it definitely should’ve been marked as for beginners or novices, not anyone who already knows Photoshop really well. The instructor was engaging and easy to follow, and if I hadn’t known Photoshop at all, it would’ve been great. I did learn a few keyboard shortcuts, but even those I’m not sure how often I’ll use. There was an entire section on typography terms (what is kerning, and leading, etc.) that was a waste of time for anybody with even a modicum of design experience.

The most that can be said for my personal experience at this seminar is that it has really made me want to upgrade to CS5. Otherwise, I’m out a full day and some money, and my high expections.

Referrals (from other clients or colleagues) – 20%

Freelancing Directories (Freelance Austin, DesignFirms.org, iFreelance.com, etc.) – 31%

Craigslist Ads (that I post, or respond to) – 17%

Google (I assume in a search for ‘freelance graphic designer Austin’, or similar) – 16%

Social Networking (Twitter, for the most part) – 1%

Unknown (never mentioned) – 15%

I was a bit surprised by these stats; I did not realize so many of my inquiries came from the various profiles I’ve scattered on freelance sites around the web. And I was off on my estimate of percentage of referrals, but it’s still my second-highest source of business. It’ll be interesting to do this overview in another 2 years or so and see how/if the stats have changed.

Freelancer ≠ employee. I do business as a small business, because that’s what I am. That means any work relationship I have is on a business-to-business level, not employer-to-employee. What does this mean? Well, I do not have a boss, other than myself; I have clients. Since a client is a business partner, rather than a boss, they are not entitled to dictate hours I need to be at my desk, or pay rate, or payment method or schedule. That is up to me. The payment method and schedule are open to some negotiation with the client, but my hours and my rates are set by no one but me.

Freelancing ≠ no life. Now, that may seem a bit harsh. No one has ever really come out and said “Wow, you’re a freelancer? You must have no life.” But some people seem to have that idea rooted in their subconscious’ nonetheless. If I don’t answer a client’s email immediately (or even within a few hours) it DOES NOT mean I’m slacking or ignoring the client. What it means is one of the following: a) I’m working on a project for a different client. Yes, I DO have other clients, and yes, sometimes they got to me before you and so I’m working on their project first. It’s not efficient to break flow on one project to deal with something else if there is no urgency. b) I’m not at my computer in order to check email (no, I do not have a smart phone). This could be for a variety of reasons: I’m eating lunch or dinner, I’m out running errands, it’s past 6pm and I’m having a social life because that’s when my friends and boyfriend start to be available, I’m in the hospital, etc. Regardless of the reason, though, I do my best to answer all client emails and needs as swiftly as possible. And if the matter is truly urgent, I am always available by phone.

Freelancing ≠ always cheaper. I recently saw the following line on a project ad: “I want to work with a freelancer because I can’t afford a firm or company.” Now, this may seem correct on the surface, but the truth is the range of freelancing rates varies just as much as the range of design firm rates. Yes, you can find a freelancer who will do a logo for the low rate of $50 – but you’ll get a low-rate design. A good designer knows that their time and expertise are worth more than that, and it should be worth more to the client, too, as they are the one who will benefit. The bottom line is that if you want quality design, you will have to pay quality rates, whether you go with a freelancer or a firm.

Those are the main misconceptions I run into. If you know of any others, I’d be happy to address them, just drop me a line.

1. Pathfinder (Adobe Illustrator) – Holy moly, my work life has been a whole lot easier since I discovered this toolbar. Just for logo work alone, this is a lifesaver. Cut-outs? No problem! Merging shapes into one seamless whole? Piece of cake! If you need to somehow combine two or more different shapes, this is the quickest (and best) way to do it.
2. Quick Mask Mode (Adobe Photoshop) – This is something that should be covered in the first week of Photoshop, yet is something all too often overlooked until much later, or missed altogether. When you’re dealing with selections and outlining complex shapes, Quick Mask Mode is invaluable. If the lasso or magnetic lasso isn’t cutting it, get a rough selection, then switch to Quick Mask Mode. It allows you to edit your selection by using the paintbrush tool, which is much more exact for cleaning up edges. Once you have what you want colored in, switch back to regular mode, and your nice, new selection is ready for whatever you need to do with it.
3. Step & Repeat (Adobe InDesign) – Design is a field where patterns and [tasteful] repetition crop up a lot, but it can be a pain to create a large pattern or repeating element from one single piece – especially when they have to line up perfectly. Step & Repeat helps with that. Select whatever you want to repeat, use this tool, tell it how many times to repeat and how much to offset each repetition on the XY axis, and voila! Instant pattern. Why Illustrator doesn’t also have this tool, I don’t know.

What are your favorite tools?