Internships – What They Are And What They Aren’t.
Jun 9th
Internships are a hotly contested topic among designers. In certain situations having an intern is ok, and other times, it’s not. Here is a little info on what an internship is, and more importantly what an internship isn’t.
AIGA defines an intership as follows.
Checklist to success.
Jun 8th
How many of us have just pooped out a project to get it over with? You’re tired of your client, you’re tired of the project and you just want to get it off your plate. Well, it’s less about the project and more about how the project has been managed.
Here is a quick list of things you can do to ensure your quality won’t get sidetracked and you begin to hate it. More >
Big Fish…Small Pond.
Jun 8th
There are few things that I think that are cooler than Mutton Chops. Men that carry large hooks are a close second, but enormous old fish are up there as well. This photo covers my bases pretty well. Sorry, I got off track.
The question at hand here is this. Do you want to be a big fish in a small pond, or a little fish in a big pond? More >
Picky Clients: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
Jun 8th
We’ve all had one before. The client that takes too much control of a project and squeezes the life out of it. This is a quick guide as to how to deal with them, and how to make, what can be a nightmare into a dream. More >
To: Bonarroo camera person.
Jun 7th
I spend a lot of time on the internet. I’ve actually almost finished it. It’s good, it just falls off towards the end. Anyway, back to my point. I spend a lot of time on the internet. In doing this, I’ve come across a TON of bogus deals for designers and photographers. A few years ago, there was this program I went to that offered a free lunch. FUCK YEA I want a free lunch! I go, and it starts talking about schemes to make it big in online sales. Long story short, you pay them a few thousand bucks and they’ll give you a shopping cart ready to start making you millions! More >
Let’s Make A Deal!!!
Jun 3rd
The problem with haggling is that it typically comes back to you…but not in a good way.
Firstly, when you haggle with a client on the front end, you know that this client is “cheap.” Meaning they want to spend the least amount of money possible. This can be a hassle down the road when you are doing printing. They want to use the cheapest printer, and don’t wanna do ANY add-ons that will help make the project better. If you’re doing business cards for this person, expect to probably send them off to some internet printer that will just throw together some sort of digital card on a standard stock.
Second reason you don’t want to cut a deal is if they do pass you along to another client, they’ll pass along the fact that “they’re cheap” which isn’t a precedent you want to start. When you get into bed with a cheap client, it’s tough to get out. My advice would be to just get out.
When it’s tight outside, you’re bound to get a few people that want to cut a deal with you, but BE CAREFUL.
Better learn to juggle!
Apr 20th
If we are in the same boat, you work either completely on your own, or a couple of people that you rely on to do certain tasks. Being able to juggle a number of project, who’s doing what, who’s been billed, who’s paid, and so on, is a lot to worry about. Not to mention the fact that while you’re doing ALL of this, you still have to find new projects. It’s VERY easy to let something fall through the cracks.
So what are some good ways to stay organized and on top of things? I have a number of little tricks that I use to help me manage my business without going insane. More >
Cut the fat.
Apr 12th
I’ve had some great clients over the years, but I’ve also had more than my fair share of bad ones too. There is a saying that goes something like
“90% of your problems come from 10% of your clients.”
The key is making sure that the 90% of your clients aren’t being negatively effected by the 10% of problem makers. So instead of trying to make the 10% happy, just drop them. Check out the video on the Indian Lunch Carriers and see the keys to their success. If you have a client that’s giving you more problems than you feel like you should deal with. Get rid of them. They’re just slowing you down, and not letting you service your other clients that aren’t bringing you down. More >
Want a job? Get in line!
Apr 1st
Have you looked for a new job lately? It’s pretty bad out there. There aren’t many jobs available, and the ones that are available aren’t very good. Many of the jobs are asking for so many different skill sets, it’s tough to even get in the door. Maybe I missed something, but a graphic designer isn’t also a programmer, animator, photographer, videographer, and a sandwich artist. More >
How Many Hats Do You Wear?
Mar 25th
Alright, so I’ve been doing the job search thing for a bit now….to call it frustrating is a HUGE understatement. But I’m starting to see a pretty big issue here. For one, there are almost no design job, secondly, the jobs that are out there want you to be able to do a dozen different things. So instead of a well written, insightful post, today, I’m going to asking you a question. (it’s not like any of these are well written anyway, notice my misuse of commas?)
So, the question, what do you think are acceptable skills sets for an employer to ask you for. Assuming that this is a graphic designer job, is it ok for them to want you to be able to do the following?
Copywriting
Proof Reading
Programming
Event Planning
Marketing
Photography
Is there something I’ve left out? Let me know.
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