Learning how to carry out a compelling conversation with your non-tech-savvy client is a crucial skill that all freelancers must possess, especially if you want to keep a steady cash flow.

This article will go through some strategies on how to talk jargon with your clients so you can maintain their attention and give an accurate picture of what they really need to understand.

Fish for an estimate of their expertise

So you know how much explanation is needed for certain terms, you must first try to determine the clients starting knowledge. This can be done indirectly by using “fishing techniques”.

For example, you could bring up in an early conversation a generic question related to your industry. For example, if you worked in the web design industry you could ask your client in passing “Hey, what is your preferred web browser?” or “What operating system do you use?”.

What you are trying to find out is if they know the basic terms of the industry, if they have a knowledge of the industry, if they have any experience with it, their tech savvy-ness and how they relate with the topic at hand.

Some more questions could be:

• If you worked in the graphic design industry… “Do you use Adobe Photoshop or any other image editing software?
• If you worked in the programming industry…”Do you subscribe to any RSS feeds?”, “How familiar are you with the programming process?”
• If you worked in the writing industry…”What are some websites / authors you read regularly?”
• If you worked in the illustration industry…”Have you ever worked with an Illustrator before?”

Don’t Underestimate Their Knowledge

Let’s imagine that you are a blogger and you’ve just asked another blogger if they knew what RSS feeds were? They would most probably laugh in your face or worse, get offended and that is what you must avoid. You can do this by not underestimating their knowledge. Don’t patronise them.

As quoted in Freelance Switch’s 12 breeds of clients and how to work with them make sure you balance the playing field by asking for their input in the areas they know about – their business. This will keep them happy and stop them feeling the need to weigh in on your area of expertise – which can waste everybody’s time.

If you’re unsure of their grasp on a particular subject, don’t assume they don’t know anything, ask fishing questions and judge by their reactions whether or not you’ve explained enough. This is even easier if you are in a face to face interview.

Keep It Simple & Slow

Once you know their level of knowledge you’ll start to gather an understanding of how deeply you must explain the job at hand. Explain in plain English, use examples, keep it simple, keep it slow and don’t overwhelm your client with technical jargon or over-the-top explanations. There is no reason to explain how you are going to do something, you should be telling them why and what it will do for the client.

Just think about it when you visit a doctor and he speaks with unfamiliar medical terms, don’t you hate that? But when he slows down, provides a good explanation in plain English and shows you diagrams from a book, he accomplishes his task of communicating with you more effectively. This is what we need to do as freelancers, slow down, provide examples and talk in familiar terms.

Talk In Terms Of Results

As mentioned above, explain to them why and what you are doing for the client not how you are doing it. Talk in terms of results - this will keep them listening and they will be more appreciative of the job you are doing for them.

For an example, trying to describe the importance of standards-compliant XHTML, you could say: “Standards-compliant XHTML ensures that the website’s mark-up is valid and supported by most modern web browsers which in the end means less maintenance and fewer customer support enquiries due to browser-rendering issues“. It is still technical but it gives them the results of your efforts.

You could also go for a more simple approach and say “I will optimise the code so that you will get the best Google rankings possible and make your site viewable for as long as possible into the future, by the widest possible array of users.”

Pause or Ask for Questions

If you leave pauses in between your explanations this will encourage your client to clarify or ask a question. Behave as if that you’re always willing to answer any question, no matter how simple or stupid it may sound. If they ever seem confused or remain silent, ask them “Should I explain further?” or if you’re writing via email, tell them that you’re “happy to answer any question that you may have”. Never make your client sound stupid. Period.

Put Things In Writing & Share Resources

Non-Tech-Savvy people like things in writing as they can read and re-read it at their own pace and get familiar with the terminology and even research the topic themselves. This is a great time to share with your client any resources that may be relevant. For example, you could provide a link to the Wikipedia explanation of unfamiliar terms or even provide an eBook on the topic at hand.

Use Familiar References

A great way to relate information to clients is by using scenarios and situations that are pertinent to their background. Be creative, make analogies funny, and most of all, use analogies to relay complex concepts. To illustrate with a satirical example: if you were talking to a photography enthusiast, you could say “using tables instead of div’s for a page layout is as bad as a decision as using Photoshop filters on your photos.”

Be Honest

Being honest with your client is a no brainer so try to be honest, sincere and upfront with everything that you do. If they ask you a tricky question, don’t pretend you know everything. Your client will appreciate it if you tell them the truth and that you will “get back to them later with a full solution.”

Conclusion

You may want to impress your client with the vast amount of knowledge that you have, however, if they do not understand it, then all of your effort is lost. Try to think of the doctor analogy I mentioned earlier… when explaining a concept, slow down, provide examples and talk in familiar terms.

Have you got any other tips on how you effectively communicate with not-so-tech clients? You can also check out Freelance Switch’s post for more tips from Freelance Switch readers.

*The owner of this blog, Jacob Cass is currently on holidays and will not be able to reply to comments until July 20th however the author and the community should be able to answer any questions you may have.

• Dudes and Dolls and Design Decisions (20)
• Client Testimonials (1)
• 20 Worst Habits of Clients (0)

In this guest article Kristine Sheehan* talks us through her experiences of setting up and running an online based business with some tips on the way.

Taking on an entrepreneurial spirit and making an online design business a reality is a challenge to say the least. With so many design professionals out there, competition is paramount. But once you choose to forge ahead and create an ‘ink spot’ of your own it is not as difficult as it first appears. Here are some tips that I learned while starting my business, ‘The Merry Bird…pen, ink and design’.

Get out there

Utilising the web was the first step at bringing my online business to fruition. Blogging, building a website, and most importantly, offering customised ink works was how I really got my business going.

Become an expert in the field

Read, read and read some more… keep up to date on what’s going on in the technical arena as well as industry trends. Socialise with other businesses and swap idea’s. Borrow and buy books. Attend local work shops and shows. Read Just Creative Design.

Fly around the world wide web

Regular social networking is easy and fun to do. I fly into social networks such as Myspace, LinkedIn, Ryze, and other online venues to gain exposure for my business. It is here that networking with entrepreneurs and others got the word out about The Merry Bird.

Find your target market

Customers are everywhere, but the ones that are drawn to The Merry Bird are those that like something “real”, nostalgic or customised - ie. Mothers to be, Brides, and women between the ages of 25-50. Finding a target market is crucial to the success of your business and after you find out your target market you should find out their needs.

Ask for referrals…

Once business is in flight, I always ask my clients to give referrals. This definitely opens up opportunities to gain new clients and get more business.

The Merry Bird…pen, ink and design has been an online business for two years and I can officially say I have an ink spot of my own! How about you?

*Kristine lives in Connecticut, married with two children and has Studied Art History, Studio Photography and Graphics in the late 80’s and early 90’s. She is bringing her studies of art back into her life full time with The Merry Bird, after it being on hold for a few years.

**The owner of this blog, Jacob Cass, is currently on holidays and will not be able to reply to comments until July 20th however the author and the community should be able to answer any questions you may have.

• The Innovative One Page Resume & Portfolio (19)
• My Guest Article on David Airey.com - 5 Vital Tips For Logo Design (7)
• How To Spot and Work with Graphic Engineers (17)
• Dudes and Dolls and Design Decisions (20)

In this guest article, Alex Charchar from RetinArt discusses the benefits and his true passion of paper. It is a very well written article providing many reasons to make you stop and think next time you start a design. If you don’t have time now, print it out for the weekend or the ride home… I guarantee after reading this you will see a new light on paper and design.

The idea of paper facing it’s demise is one of the dumbest ever. As is the idea of digital ink being used as a substitute for the real thing and the magazine, novel and all other published matters becoming objects of the past, pushed aside to make room for their digital counter-parts.

Why? Because paper is perfect. Paper has a feel, a smell, a look and a vibe that cannot be reproduced, no matter how many pixels you cram into a display. It has attributes that cannot be bestowed upon any other medium. It is something that enriches our lives and minds in ways most of us don’t even realise or notice. Paper is beautiful.

Paper can be Warm & Soft

Paper can be warm. Paper can be cold. If the paper you choose is of good quality and you make it work for your project, it can help set a mood and feeling in your audience before a single word is read or a fraction of an image absorbed. A good example of a high quality publication using paper in a beautiful way is Dumbo Feather, Pass It On. If you have the chance to, it is well worth picking it up as it shows how warm paper can be. It is a beautiful little publication that has developed a loving following, which I’m sure is helped by the feel of the magazine as you make your way through the pages. The beauty of Dumbo Feather begins the second you hold it in your hands. The heavy, soft, recycled stock of the front cover makes you feel comfortable. It helps set the mood for the rest of the document—you just know that what you’re about to digest was crafted by love, with the audience firmly in mind. The stock that makes the pages is also a recycled one – a beautiful uncoated paper, with soy inks used to help round off the mood. It feels like a warm blanket for the stories it tells, like a gentle embrace. It just feels good, feel right.

Paper can be Cold & Sharp

Just as strong is the power paper can have when it’s cold and sharp. This is what should be avoided if you care about your content. Think of the trashy gossip mags the plague the shelves of newsagents and supermarkets. The cold, glossy, thin stock is like the popular group in high school. On the surface it’s awfully pretty and gets attention easily, but spend more than five minutes near this overly superficial gang and you want to blow your brains out. There is no substance to be found and you feel kind of dirty if you hang around it too much. There are of course beautiful glossy papers, mostly semi-gloss stocks with a slight weight to them. These feel like the kind of papers that are that soft mix of good looks and intelligence that are often used by publications, in which a high density and depth of colour is needed, such as art publications and, back to them, those gossip magazines that need to be saturated with colour in order to be noticed.

Paper Is Perfect

Paper is, above all, one of the closest-to-perfect surfaces on which to place your design. As graphic designers, we still look at the design of posters and magazines from 30, 40, 50 years ago in awe as their beauty and elegance bounce off the page. Paper is afforded this quality by not being a platform that is engaged in a constant evolution like that of computers, televisions and all other multimedia platforms. Of course, this is probably exactly why a lot of multimedia designers love their digital mediums – they can make things move and dance. Plus, there is always something new around the corner to wow us.

Digital Lack of Control

But for me, it’s the quietness of paper in its self that makes it special. It lets your words and your images live. It gives them a home, a couch upon which to sit, rather than a cage which is forever changing shape to be jailed within. A cage of glass, metal and plastic that it cannot escape. Digitally housed design is almost never going to work the same for the entire audience. Different monitors sizes, resolutions, internet connections, home-theater setups insure that the design process is a little more complicated when the whole audience is considered thoroughly. It is harder to give this entire audience the same experience—to view the content the same. Unless you’ve got the biggest screen in town, there is always someone experiencing what you are looking at better, which isn’t the way creative outputs should be experienced. It is the creator, the designer, who should be in control of how their work is seen, so the audience can give it it’s own life, instead of worrying about having the biggest monitor or loudest sound system. You shouldn’t have to do everything you can to squeeze the quality out of the work, especially with gadgets you have to fork out large sums of money for. With paper, we’re all on a level playing field.

The Difference of Paper

Print a magazine, it is always seen the same. Typeset a book, it’ll always be read the same. Read, study or flick through a publication in your favorite chair, on the toilet, on the train, at your desk, at the gym or at the library and, yup, you guessed it, it’ll be the same. This is an amazing insurance when you’re a designer. It means you know exactly how your work will be seen and you can control the way it is absorbed and processed by the audience to a much higher degree. Just because you can browse the internet on your iPhone doesn’t mean it’s going to be as enjoyable as reading the paper. Think about your audience and how they read. It is an awfully satisfying thing to crack the glue that binds a hardcover book or to crease the spine on a softcover novel. To get to the end of the newspaper and have it split by several cross-hatching folds. Paper remembers what it has been through, it leaves tracks that almost make you proud to see on your bookshelf, desk or bed-side table, rather than having hit up the same site on the 13th, 14th, 19th, 21st and 28th of March, as your internet history will tell you.

What you put on a page, stays on a page

An argument against our precious paper is that the elements that you put on a page, stay on a page. They don’t move, they don’t animate and they don’t make sounds—they aren’t interactive. Well yeah, of course that’s true. But most of the time, we turn off the audio and block the ads. And TV? The television does all our thinking for us. A good book that gets us to think is far more valuable to our minds than a box emitting light and sounds that tell us how to think, when to laugh, when to cry. Paper doesn’t need a source of power to do what it does. Once the pigments hit the fibers it is complete. Nothing more needs to be done. No power cables, no recharging, no monitors or keyboards. All you need is a little light and you got yourself all you need to enjoy your experience. And really, who says paper isn’t interactive? You pick it up, move it, fold it, smell it and, if something worth while is printed on it, it moves your mind around.

Remember

I do hope that you understand I’m being a little over the top here. Of course paper isn’t the be all and end all of delivering information and design. This is why radio, TV, the computer and the internet are what they are. They do things that could never be possible with paper. They give us continuously updated content at break-neck speeds, which is an even bigger step forward in our culture than that which Gutenberg gave us. But sometimes it’s nice to go a little slower. To spend a few hours here and there, enjoying the printed word over a couple of days, weeks or months. We can take our time with paper. If it’s on paper, it means someone thought it was worth designing, printing and shipping, which means it just might be worth looking at, might be worth spending a bit of time with. Not always, not even most of the time, but a nice portion of what is printed and designed with care, that ends up on paper, is something special in its own right. Remember that the next time you commit something to paper that it should be worth reading, worth taking note of and worth keeping. Otherwise you’re just creating more junk. Pick the right stock and don’t just use what your printer has in bulk. Pick something special. Something welcoming. Something perfect. Don’t cover it in inks, varnishes and cellos. Just pick a paper that already sings the tune you’re after and let those special inks be a rose in the pocket and nothing more.

*The owner of this blog, Jacob Cass, is currently on holidays and will not be able to reply to comments until July 20th however the author and the community should be able to answer any questions you may have.

• The Innovative One Page Resume & Portfolio (19)
• My Guest Article on David Airey.com - 5 Vital Tips For Logo Design (7)
• How To Spot and Work with Graphic Engineers (17)
• Dudes and Dolls and Design Decisions (20)

In this truly EXCELLENT guest article Prescott Perez-Fox* goes through the inner workings of the obsessive creative designer and shows how to effectively spot and get the most out of one. A extraordinary and must read article - trust me.

It is an unfortunate truth that in our society, engineers are underrated. Compared to the scientists, architects, and politicians they work with, the engineers remain relatively unknown and are just those behind-the-scenes ‘elves’ who hold the ship together.

Are engineers disrespected, under-appreciated, overworked? Is their role in society valued and rewarded? This debate is ancient, and it comes back into the light whenever something big goes terribly wrong. NASA scientists landed men on the moon, NASA engineers mixed up feet and meters resulting in the loss of an expensive satellite. You see my point.

What is A Graphic Engineer?

The design profession has it’s engineers too, and they are just as underrated as their sciencey counterparts. Their arena isn’t space tech or tall buildings, but rather packaging die lines and website code. I’m not talking solely about the production people, proofreaders, mechanical artists, programmers, etc., but rather those individuals who dedicate themselves to becoming Graphic Engineers. The Graphic Engineer (GE) is not identified by his job title or his skill with software, but rathey by his mindset, his personality, and his work habits. He is someone who views the world differently and approaches every problem from a slightly steeper angle of incident.

The GE is a valuable member of any successful design team, and a good engineer can make everyone’s job easier, but they’re not always easy to manage or to work with. Here’s how you might identify, and then accomodate your GE, to get the most out of him, and your team overall.

How to spot a Graphic Engineer

The Graphic Engineer:

Is obsessed with Details.

Not just the obligatory ‘detail-oriented’ that every job description in the world includes, these people go above and beyond what most folks would consider ‘a closer look’. Spotting a misused Em Dash from 30 meters is just the beginning. Editor: One of the 15 signs you’re a bad graphic designer.

Values the methodology, sometimes over the results or the time frame.

Embodying the philosophy that “anything worth doing is worth doing right,” the GE will go out of his way to ensure that any process is done to the letter, including documentation and feedback, which often go overlooked. He’s the one most likely to create immaculate CSS style sheets, even if it’s just for an internal login page. Table styles in InDesign, layer comps in Photoshop? Most likely put together by a GE. Best practices, after all.

Never accepts good enough.

Along with his obsessive nature, the GE has an overdeveloped sense of duty, and never leaves a job unfinished. For that matter, he re-defines the word ‘finished’, and will take those extra precautions to ensure quality. After all, it’s his butt on the line when something goes wrong. Just like NASA.

Lives in a world that always needs fixing.

Rather than simply striving to make the world more enjoyable or more beautiful, the GE strives to solve problems, correct errors, and iron out all manner of wrinkles in the day-to-day of our profession. It’s a very blue collar approach to graphics but show me where the leak is.

How to get the most from your Graphic Engineer

Now that you’ve identified your groups GE (raise your hand if it’s you! - Editor: You got me spot on!) , you have to understand a few things about how he works. Because GEs are unlike regular employees, a bit of tact is required to get the most out of your engineer.

Give him space.

This is both physical and metaphorical. Clearly, all GEs work better with a larger desk, larger monitor, more sunlight and square footage, and an ergonomic chair, but at the same time, I’ve never met a GE who worked better with bosses hovering and peering over his shoulder. In fact, that’s probably the easiest way to get shoddy work when you need it most. (Editor: Amen)

Ask his opinion.

Personalities aside, GEs always have opinions. And those opinions are often based on independent research, industry knowledge, trial-and-error, prior experience, and good old fashioned gut instincts. In other words, those opinions are valuable and ignoring them simply isn’t smart. GEs want to improve their general situation (they live to fix leaks, remember?), so their advice is usually constructive. Also, ignoring those opinions can lead to bitterness, depleted productivity, and the wording of those same precious opinions and ideas.

Let him rant.

Since engineers are often under tremendous pressure, they may need to let off some steam. (pardon the metaphors) So let them. Do whatever you can to get the most out of your GEs, even if that means shaking things up in your studio. Ranting often brings to light feelings and thoughts shared by many members of the team but why not let your hardest thinker explain why the current situation has gone pear-shaped.

Learn from him.

The engineer is naturally a teacher. By providing knowledge, he helps elevate everyone around him and thus feels less aliented. Also, this makes his job easier because the rest of the crew is meeting him half way (or at least part way). Considering GEs are often well versed on the latest trends, languages, software techniques, and professional happenings, you might actually learn something when he pulls out the “well, actually” during a meeting.

If you’ve never spared a thought for the Graphic Engineer, now’s the time. Next you need him to tidy up a messy style sheet, extend a poorly cropped photo, or a revive hand-me-down Mac, show a bit of appreciation and understanding. Graphic Engineers are the glue that hold together the gears of the creative industry. Imagine your life without them.

*Prescott Perez-Fox is a brand developer and designer in New York City. He blogs about design and branding at his site, Perez-Fox . He also happens to have a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics with a concentration in Aerospace, but that’s hardly relevant.

**The owner of this blog, Jacob Cass is currently on holidays and will not be able to reply to comments until July 20th however the author and the community should be able to answer any questions you may have.

• The Innovative One Page Resume & Portfolio (19)
• What to get a designer for Christmas or Birthday? (11)
• What Is Graphic Design? (8)
• Web Design (0)

Here are 6 Adobe Photoshop tips and tricks that you probably don’t know about (I bet you don’t know at least one). This post comes after hearing the reactions from some of my fellow students in class when they found out about some of the options available that they never knew about.

1. Refining a selection

After you make a selection in Photoshop you can easily edit the selection using refine edge in the top toolbar. You must try this out, it is very useful!

2. Hidden Options Behind Arrows

I am amazed by how many people do not know about these tiny little arrows that hold so many more options! These tiny arrows are pretty much on every tool bar across the whole Adobe Suite. I assure these arrows will open you up to a whole new world.

3. Blending Options

If you right click on a layer in the layers toolbar, and then click blending options this will bring you to a whole vast array of effects that will keep you busy for hours. Use these options very sparingly.

4. Resist The Urge to use the filter gallery, especially the lens flare.

Not so much of a ‘tip’ but more ‘helpful advice’… but yes you heard me, do not use the filter gallery. Design is not filter effects and it never will be. Also please resist adding lens flare to your work, as well as rainbow gradients, embossed type and drop shadow unless you know how to use it well. You may want to check out 15 Signs Your a Bad Graphic Designer. NB. Rules can be broken.

5. Layer Blending Modes

Once you master the blending modes in Photoshop you can pretty much ‘own’ photoshop. Open up the layers palette, select a layer and click the downwards arrow where it says Normal. Try experimenting with different blending modes on different layers, put layers above or below other layers, change the opacity and so fourth and you will be amazed!

6. The best tip of all…

Practice. You can do this by doing tutorials or watching videos or experimenting on your own. Practice, practice, practice!

In my own personal experience I have found that if I find a design piece or style that I really like, I search the net and magazines for tutorials on how to recreate that effect and try to adapt it to my own personal project and style… I find this a great way to learn. Also if you ever need help, check out Adobes Help function in the programs and also write questions on forums (or blogs)… people will be more than happy to help you out!

Is this article worthy of a stumble or designfloat? How many of these did you know about?

*The owner of this blog, Jacob Cass, is currently on holidays and will not be able to reply to comments until July 20th however the author and the community should be able to answer any questions you may have. And sorry about the horrible black and red typeface I used in the images above - I have had this article saved for many many months as a backup post.

• Top 5 Typography Resources (14)
• The best mouse for Designers and Web Addicts (30)
• The Best Graphic Design Articles from 34 Top Design Blogs as Chosen By The Authors Themselves (55)
• The BEST free colour tools & sites online (5)

In this guest article, Jeffrey Way* talks us through the problems associated with being a lone freelancer when competing against the big brick and mortar design companies. He then shows us that we can actually compete against these large design studios by providing the best customer experience possible.

Let’s face it, being a freelancer is just plain tough. In what other arena is one person responsible for answering the phones, balancing the books, paying the bills, designing the website, creating the graphics, and working with the customers throughout the entire process? Yet, despite our amazing ability to juggle all of these duties, we still face one large barrier. We don’t have that glowing brick building that somehow screams, “We are a successful company!” As a result, it can be difficult to “capture” large clients.

We Have To Beat the Big Guys

Today, freelancers are becoming more and more prevalent. Why not? It is a fantastic job. We set our own hours, we take on only the jobs that we desire, we have artistic freedom, etc. But, the biggest gripe I hear repeated time and time again is the fact that the main client pool consists of people with tiny budgets. You also may want some tips on how to get your first job.

We’ve all done the local work for far less than we would normally charge. We’ve all received the email from the guy that needs an E-Commerce website for $200.” We’ve all had the regrettable experience of taking a job against our better judgment. When our stomachs are screaming, “Don’t accept this job!”, we ignore it and must ultimately deal with the repercussions: the man with the $150 budget for business cards that expects you to work around the clock; the person who promised he would pay you only to suddenly change his mind a week later. Do you know how much the average graphic designer earns?

Quite simply, the small jobs don’t pay the bills. In order to succeed, we have to beat the big guys. Who are the big guys, you ask? I’m talking about the established design firms in those “brick buildings” that do exquisite work. But, how do you stand out when you’re the shortest guy in the room?

What can we offer that they can not?

To truly be content and financially secure as a freelancer, we must be able to grab the large clients. But bottom line, why would a financially stable company go with a freelancer when they can easily choose a more reputable firm? To answer these questions we must look at our strengths.

What can we offer that they can’t? There are a few constants. First, we most likely won’t be able to out-perform a team of designers as far as “chops” are concerned. I believe we can equal that level of quality, but won’t be able to stand out in this respect. Second, we can out-price them, but cost typically isn’t as big an issue with large corporations. So, how do we beat the design firms?

Customer Service

Think to yourself: What is my main gripe, as a consumer, with large companies? My first thought goes to my bank. I called them recently to remove an erroneous error only to be put on hold for thirty minutes. When I finally did speak with a human being, he most likely lived in another country and had little, if any, interest in my situation. They, like many large companies, have terrible customer service! We can use this to our advantage.

Nine times out of ten, a prospective client doesn’t know exactly what he wants. He doesn’t know the jargon or even how to communicate a semblance of what his company desires. This is where we can rise above the larger design firms.

Act As a Guide

It may require a bit more work, but it ultimately gets us the contract. New clients are weary about the entire process. It is foreign to them. If we act as a guide, we can take their hand from beginning to end and provide them with the comfort of knowing that someone is looking out for them every step of the way.

If they have a question, they can directly call us - no receptionists, no programmer that doesn’t know the full details, just one person. In my experience, this has been vital to my success.

I’m a firm believer that customer service is what has gotten me every single big client that I have. There will always be an individual or company that can do the job better. As much as this agitates me, I accept it. To stand out, we must focus on our unique “freelancer” strengths.

Use Deadlines to Your Advantage

What you’ll find, if you haven’t already, is that deadlines are a very real issue with corporate clients. They must have a job completed by a certain date, no questions asked. The only problem is that they very rarely have all their ducks in a row.

They have sudden changes that come from corporate which require immediate revisions. Who is going to make these changes in the middle of the night in time for that presentation Monday morning? They know that the successful Firm X designers won’t be at work until Monday morning. But, Freelancer Y is a single ring away and will be happy to fix it at midnight. Yes, I’m talking about you, fellow freelancers!

How do I personally get big clients?

How do I personally “reel” in a big fish? First, I will work on weekends when the bigger firms are closed. Second, I will give a client my personal number and tell them to call me immediately if they think that they might have a question. Third, I’ll pick up the phone on the first ring - whether that is at two in the afternoon or four in the morning. When a client knows that he can rely on you no matter what, you begin to stand out in a big way! Editors note: First ring is pretty freaky!

I will close with a portion of an email that, just a few weeks ago, secured a very large client’s business.

“I truly hope you’ll consider me. If you have not already heard from other divisions in your organization, I will be personally available to you 24/7. If you need a quick change to the site at 10:00 at night, it’ll be taken care of. If you need me to communicate with your print designer in the very early morning, it will be taken care of. Relieving you of as much stress as possible is my goal - and I always achieve it.” Please don’t hesitate to call me personally if you have any questions. I’ll hope to work with you soon.

The client called me later (without ever being put on hold, I might add) that day and said, “Let’s do it!” Was it my “web chops” that got me the job? Nah, any developer can code a site. My “customer service chops” got me the job.

*Jeffrey Way runs DetachedDesigns, and has had clients ranging from Nashville Music Publishers to Harvard University.

**The owner of this blog, Jacob Cass, is currently on holidays and will not be able to reply to comments until July 20th however the author and the community should be able to answer any questions you may have.

• What to get a designer for Christmas or Birthday? (11)
• What Is Graphic Design? (8)
• Web Design (0)
• Want to know how to design? Learn The Basics. (46)

In this guest article Jacob Share* goes through an innovative new way to display your work and CV - all on one page.

Many companies and recruiters prefer the simplicity and speed of one page resumes. As a designer, how can you have maximum impact with only a single sheet of paper? The answer…

The one page printed résumé and portfolio.

The one page resume portfolio is a 6-panel pamphlet that shows your resume when folded and your design portfolio when unfolded. You can click on the image above to view it in full.

How does it work?

The above image is an example of the one page printed resume and portfolio from a French Graphic Designer. It shows 3 different views and below is a description. From left to right;

1. Front view of the resume portfolio, slightly open.
   You can see the designer’s logo and contact information. Notice the vertical bar on the right side of the inner panel, where the text reads “curriculum vitae” with a right arrow and “portfolio” with a left arrow pointing inside.
2. Partially-open view of the portfolio.
   If you followed the left arrow and continued unfolding, this is what you’d see before you’re done. The panel with the arrow bar folds outwards, meaning that there’s actually more room for portfolio highlights inside.
3. Resume details.
   Following the right arrow will have you flip over the pamphlet, leading to the actual resume content.

Is it right for you?

Cons

• Somewhat complicated design is time-consuming to update or customise
• Uneven folding looks sloppy if done incorrectly and ruins the impact
• Usually requires costly colour laser-printing on thick paper for full effect

Pros

• More space to communicate and brand yourself
• Very memorable, especially when done well
• Design pun: lets you describe your skills while demonstrating them

Best Practices

• Have a history of school, volunteering or work projects before you use this design. Substituting with content that isn’t yours but that you’re “capable of creating” defeats the purpose and looks amateurish.
• The one page resume portfolio works best live when people can hold it and unfold it, like in interviews or at professional gatherings.
• The front panel should contain your logo and contact information at a glance.
• The front panel should be particularly eye-catching to make people want to pick it up and open it.
• An attractive image that continues off one panel will encourage the reader to unfold until they can see the entire image. Above, the French designer used that effect to lure the reader to see both resume-related panels together.
• The 2 configurations that work best are the pictured 4:2 portfolio to resume panel ratio with arrow bar and the 3:3 “resume-outside portfolio-inside” ratio.
• Use the resume portfolio to complement your “full” design portfolio whether physical or digital. For the former, you might consider a sentence about what else not pictured is in your portfolio. For the latter, give all pertinent links.

Want more resume and portfolio tips?

• The Graphic Design Resume Guide
• How and Where To Get Paid Design Work For Students
• The One Page Graphic Design Portfolio Guide - Online
• Resume-Writing Dos and Don’ts
• The 7 Deadly Sins of Resume Design
• Design Resume Style Guide

Conclusion

Great design is the best combination of trade-offs for a certain context. If you use it wisely, the one page resume portfolio could be a valuable tool in your hunt for new design jobs. What are your thoughts?

*Jacob Share created the award-winning JobMob to rally job seekers and jobfinders in getting jobs in Israel and all over the world. The blog is filled with straight-talking real world advice, lots of humour and design inspiration such as 36 Beautiful Resume Ideas That Work. Subscribe for a week via RSS, it’s free.

**The owner of this blog, Jacob Cass, is currently on holidays and will not be able to reply to comments until July 20th however the author and the community should be able to answer any questions you may have.

• Web Design (0)
• Print Design (0)
• Portfolio (11)
• Logo Design (0)

In this unusually quirky and informative guest article Kelly Erickson* goes through some tips and examples on how to design for men and women - showing how to win them over and get referrals at the same time. A really unique article that I would highly recommend to read. - Jacob Cass.d

The Sticky Realisation That We Are Not All the Same

“I am not young enough to know everything.”
—Oscar Wilde

When I was younger, I never wanted to believe in gender differences. Okay, beyond the obvious. To think that women can’t play pro ball, that men can’t enjoy an art gallery, that men can’t be good listeners, that women can’t learn where their carburetor is? No, I did not like that idea at all. I’m firmly in the post-feminist generation, believing that when we start treating our kids as plain “kids” from birth, these differences will recede.

It pains me deeply, but the older I get the more I realise there are some differences in how men and women fundamentally see the world.

As designers, we’re going to have to deal with these differences if we want to get the most business from our clients. Who doesn’t want that?

Designing for the Ladies:
Stories, Details, Design

1. Women want visuals that remind them of themselves, on their best day.

Women want visuals that remind them of themselves, on their best day whether its a house, a car, or a model. Accept us: We buy from people who know how we live. We don’t have time for aspiring to future perfection we can never reach.

2. Women want stories that draw them in.

For the ladies you are going to need more content in that website or ad you’re designing. Give us concrete details we can related to: When we see or hear about Suzie’s problem that your product or service solved, we look for connections to our own issues. Connect and you’ve got a customer.

3. Women want value now and over time.

You’ve heard it a million times: “I got it for half what so-and-so paid, and I’ve had it for three years now with no problems at all!” Now and over time. It’s a tall order, but you must offer an answer for now that is also going to hold up over time. It’s not just for a product, either. That website you’re working on—if women don’t see the value on the first page they hit, they’re gone. They’re not looking for some interior page that may reward them (see #1), because you didn’t meet the value-now threshold. If the value’s there, however, they may just read it all (see #2).

4. Women love to share with others.

Remember this: Word-of-mouth is for helping the friend we’re talking to, not the business we’re talking about. Get personal with us, and we’ll chat about you. Remember our kids, our dog, our favorite charity. If you really want our help spreading the word, give us little touches that are worth discussing, and make sure we know that your business (or your client’s) can solve our friend’s problems, too.

Designing for the Gentlemen:
Proof, Immediacy, Ambition

1. Men want visuals they can aspire to.

Why do think sex sells? The house they’re not in yet, the hobby or the vehicle they can’t afford, the model who’d never blink in their direction. Men are looking to the future, and in that future she’ll be winking his way. Show that you understand their unique ambitions. And that website? If they’re half-convinced and half-intrigued, men will click through, looking for the payoff. Appeal to their sense of adventure and exploration in real life and online.

2. Men want proof, pure and simple.

Detailed stories are going to be skimmed for evidence that the herd has been this way. If you can say that 100,000 people per year use your product or service, great. If 52 people a day give you a call, you might not mention that they don’t all end up buying. If numbers are not in your favor, then go for testimonials. Prove that others like what you’ve got, whether on a package design, an ad, a website, or a brochure.

3. Men make purchases now, for their now needs.

Itch=scratch. Sell to a man quickly, visually, with awesome benefits that provide the Ideal Solution. Don’t worry men about future value, which they are not thinking about at the time of their purchase. Men are just as busy as the ladies, and the future is just so… future.

4. Men love bragging.

Word-of-mouth is for discussing the elephant they bagged. Make yours remarkable, because men don’t give recommendations as easily as women. Here’s a secret: Get personal with men, too. They love being engaged, singled out, and surprised. Remember their family, their hometown team, or their hobby. Exceeding their expectations is part of what makes your elephant stand out from the others.

But I’m Designing for Everybody!

Okay, first of all, maybe you’re not. Take some time with this. Carefully imagine that one Ideal Customer. Flesh him or her out, and you may discover you should not be designing for both sexes, after all. Trying to please everybody is not always the best idea.

Well, lets’ say you’ve narrowed it down to young, hip graphic designers (for instance ), and you aren’t going for a male or female audience. How do you keep everyone’s attention? Editor’s note: Write about all three?

1. Keep your visuals strong, positive, and make emotional connections.

Don’t go too over-the-top, you’re going to turn some people off. Keep the visuals clean. We are all easily distracted for our own reasons, and if your package or your page is too cluttered to read and make sense of, we’ll move on in a hurry. Focus the visual message.

2. Write the story in an active voice.

Describe the kinds of situations where the product or service is essential, and provide proof that other buyers agree. A well-chosen picture is worth a thousand words. Either the story or the proof may be more memorable in a photo.

3. We all want benefits.

From visuals to headlines to body copy, tell me what’s in it for me. Remember men and women want different benefits, so include appeals to both immediate and long-term needs. As the designer you may not be writing this copy but only arranging it. First, make sure the copy you’re given covers these needs. Then break things up: Use of subheads, bullet points, numbered lists, callouts, and bold type within the story. Maybe not all at once; that violates Everybody #1.

4. Call it sharing, call it bragging.

We all want to spread the word. Be remarkable. Be valuable. Demonstrate it in your graphic design. Exceed our expectations. When it comes to personal interactions, especially after the sale, delight us.

If this is work for a client, you may think that’s outside your field. Now is the time for you to exceed expectations—if you’ve thought of clever ways for your client to remain engaged with customers after your incredible work gets them the sale, talk about tie-ins with them. From thank-you notes to member websites to gifts for the wife of a top customer, if you’ve got an idea, share it. That idea may be where your next job comes from.

What are your thoughts after reading this article? Do you design differently when designing for men or women?

*About Kelly Erickson: Kelly is the owner of VisionPoints, The Experience Designers and she is “obsessed with your success.” You can read more writings about Experience Design at the Maximum Customer Experience Blog.

**The owner of this blog, Jacob Cass is currently on holidays and will not be able to reply to comments until July 20th however the author and the community should be able to answer any questions you may have.

• The Innovative One Page Resume & Portfolio (19)
• My Guest Article on David Airey.com - 5 Vital Tips For Logo Design (7)
• How to Talk to Non-Tech-Savvy Clients (0)
• How To Spot and Work with Graphic Engineers (17)

Want to know how to design? Then you should learn the basics of design. The basic elements of design include colour, line, shape, scale, space, texture and value and these are the fundamental pieces that make up any piece of work. If you ever start a design course this will be the very first thing that you are taught, guaranteed.

But what if you’re not a student? What if you’re not self-taught? What if you are a looking for ways to enhance your design skills? Then this is the guide for you.

Note from Jacob Cass: This is a guest article written by Lauren Marie who is a graphic designer in corporate America during the day and a blogger via night. I have been reading her blog for some time now and it is a great resource, which is currently undergoing a redesign.

Colour

Colour has a huge impact on the mood of the design. A predominantly red colour usually represents strong emotions—love, anger, passion—while blue can make the design feel calm, cool and peaceful. Color contributes to the unity of a series of flyers, emphasizes important information and leads the eye through a design.

Select articles on color:

• Using Colour: Real World Examples
• The Colour Wheel and Color Theory
• Pantone Swatches on Squidoo
• Colour: Meaning, Symbolism and Psychology on Squidoo
• The Best Colour Tools Online

Line

Are your lines straight and slim, or thick and squiggly? The quality of the line (hand drawn to precise) can say a lot about the mood you are setting with your design. Hand drawn or thick lines tend towards juvenile themes, where as straight and thin lines are more refined, corporate or intelligent.

How lines interact with each other is important, too. If they are straight, thin lines, but are colliding at all sorts of crazy angles, that is going to be chaotic. If they have a hand drawn quality to them but are more or less straight and orderly, this can give a much needed personal appeal to a design.

Select articles on line:

• Using Line: Real World Examples
• Artist’s Toolkit: Line
• Introduction to the Elements of Design: Point and Line

Shape

Did you know that shapes can convey a mood just like any other element of design? Angular shapes like squares and triangles tend to indicate masculinity, while smooth and curving shapes like circles are more feminine. Squares are very familiar to us (think of your monitor, a piece of paper or the TV screen), so they are secure, trustworthy and stable. Circles very pleasing to the eye and are organic, whole, peaceful and exude unity.

Select articles on shape:

Using Shape: Real World Examples

About.com Shapes in Design

Scale and Size

Bring balance, proportion and contrast to your designs with scale and size. Just for reference, size is the actual dimensions of an element on the page, scale is the element’s relation to its original (like putting a person on a billboard—it’s going to be “larger than life”) and proportion is the relation of all the elements on the page in terms of size and scale. Use scale and proportion to indicate the actual size of an object or to emphasize the difference in the sizes of two objects (a child’s hand against its mother’s is a common use of size).

Select articles on scale/size:

Using Scale: Real World Examples

Space

Space is often referred to as white space, and gives the design some breathing room and the eye a place to rest. An ill use of space (or perhaps a very well planned out use) can make the design feel crowded and claustrophobic. Too much space, however, and the design can seem unfinished, like it’s missing something. Once you know the rules (for any of these elements, really), you can also experiment with breaking them in order to push a different emotional response.

Select articles on space:

Using Space: Real World Examples

A List Apart: Whitespace

Texture

Texture is a fun element to experiment with and use to bring realism to your designs. It can be effectively used to add visual interest and it really helps make a design unique. Textures are not just applied in the computer; you can take into consideration the materials used in the final printed pieces, too.

Select articles on line:

Using Texture: Real World Examples

Value

Value can really add unity to your designs if you pay attention to this neglected element. It is also a great way to create a focal point and guide the viewer’s eye through the layout. This little element can bring together parts of the design to make them balanced; using elements similar in a high intensity value (light, towards the white end of the spectrum) can create a subdued tone, where values lower in intensity (darker, towards black) can be ominous and foreboding. Using values on either extreme of the spectrum has a very dramatic effect.

Select articles on value:

ArtLex: Value

The Purpose of Graphic Design

The purpose of graphic design is communication. As you go through each stage of your design process, ask yourself how you are using each of these elements of design to enhance the delivery of the message, affect the mood of the piece and relate the product or message to the target audience. Remember that these elements apply to everything in the layout, from composition, to photos, to typography.

The owner of this blog, Jacob Cass is currently on holidays and will not be able to reply to comments until July 20th however the author and the community should be able to answer any questions you may have.

• How to get your FIRST Graphic Design Job (14)
• Featured Articles (3)
• 2008 Semi-Permanent Design Conference Review (12)
• 16 Designer Job Descriptions (5)

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a vital component of any website. As a web designer or blogger, it’s important you understand how SEO works. Here are ten easy rules that will immediately improve the SEO on all of your web sites.

This is a guest article written by Joshua Jeffrey’s who describes himself as a “busybody in the local and national design/web world” - you can read more about him on his blog.

Rule Zero: Do Not Cheat. Period.

If you walked into a room full of genius scientists with PHDs, do you think you could outsmart them all? No. Google has hundreds of rooms full of genius scientists with PHDs, and their job is to work 60 hours a week to make sure you can’t fool Google. You can’t outsmart them. Ever. Ignore any advice on trying to cheat the system and focus on making great web sites with great content, and your sites will show up fine in searches.

Rule One: Stick to Your Keywords

Pick a few keywords or phrases that describe your site. Use them, and words related to them, whenever it’s natural to do so. Repeating them uselessly is no good (rule Zero), use them in sentences, headlines, and links.

Rule Two: Content is King

Users don’t search for design, they search for content. If your site doesn’t have content people want, no one will look at it.

Every page on your site should follow the Inverted Pyramid. Each page should lead with a relevant H1 tag with one of your keywords, and the first paragraph of text should be a summary of the rest of the page.

Rule Three: Clean Code is Searchable Code

Build your sites in a text editor, and write clean, human-readable HTML. The HTML should follow the conceptual structure of the page, navigation first, followed by the H1 tag, then the first paragraph, etc. Try to use descriptive tags when possible. Use UL for lists, P for paragraphs, H tags for heads and subheads, and STRONG for bolded text. Don’t overuse Divs.

Your site can still be artistic and cool, that’s what CSS is for.

Rule Four: The Home Page is the Most Important Page

Your home page is the key to your site being found by search engines. It should summarize the rest of the site, and give a clear, compelling reason for a user to look at the other pages in the site.

Rule Five: Links Have Meaning

Search engines pay a lot of attention to the links on your site, and the words used in those links. Never use “click here” or “see more” for a link. The link text should describe where the link will take the user, such as “more examples of CSS web design” or “learn how we can improve your SEO.”

The more relevant the links on a page, the more findable the page becomes. Don’t go overboard, and don’t link to anything irrelevant. If your page is focused on minimalist web design, a link to the Design MeltDown page on minimalism will boost your SEO. A link to a hilarious picture of a cat will not.

Rule Six: Title Tags for the Win

Every page in your site should have a title with the site name and a short description of the page. About 60 letters total. Include a keyword. Remember that the page title is what appears in search results, it should give users a clear reason to click on it.

Your navigation links should have title attributes that match the titles of your pages. This looks like <a title=”name of page” href=”link”>. It’s a small thing, but it will give you a significant SEO improvement.

Rule Seven: Alt Tags Matter

Every image on your site should have an alt tag. Especially images that are relevant to the page. If your page is focused on CSS tricks, labelling a screenshot “example of rounded CSS corners” will improve your page’s findability. Labelling it “screenshot” or “image” will do the opposite.

Rule Eight: Ignore Most Meta Tags

A long time ago meta tags were the secret to SEO. Those days are gone. The only meta tag that really matters now is the description tag. Search engines may use it to provide the text under the link to your page in their results. Make sure it describes the page in a way that explains why a user searching for your content would want to look at your page.

Rule Nine: Have a Site Map

Make sure you have a site map. This is an xml file that describes the structure of your page. Make one, and give it to Google.

Rule Ten: Design for Humans

Search engines are designed to find what humans want. That means the best way to make your site findable is to design it for humans. Your job as a designer is to solve a problem, not make art, prove a point, serve your ego or break a boundry. In this case, your problem is to provide your users with a site that is easy to use and full of what they’re looking for. If you can do that, the search engines will find you.

For further reading I recommend this SEO Guide for Designers.

Have you got any more tips for SEO tips for designers?

*The owner of this blog, Jacob Cass, is currently on holidays and will not be able to reply to comments until July 20th however the author and the community should be able to answer any questions you may have.

• Web Design (0)
• Portfolio (11)
• How does your website look in different browsers? (0)
• Hire Me (1)

Tomorrow I leave for my super duper 44 day holiday / Contiki Tour around Europe and Hong Kong but never fear, Just Creative Design will be going full steam ahead during my time away. I have, with the help of you, made the blog self manageable for the time that I am away.

Sneak Preview

I have 12 EXCEPTIONAL guest articles and 2 of my own scheduled for you while I am away of which you can see a sneak preview of the headings below. Click here to subscribe to Just Creative Design so you don’t miss out!

• 10 SEO Rules for Designers
• Want to know how to design? Learn The Basics.
• Dudes and Dolls and Design Decisions
• A Guide On How Freelancers Can Compete Against Large Design Studios
• 6 Photoshop Tips and Tricks That You Probably Don’t Know About
• How To Spot and Work with Graphic Engineers
• A Passion For Paper
• FREE Lucky Dip Draw - Comment and Win
• An Ink Spot of One’s Own
• How to Talk to Non-Tech-Savvy Clients
• The Innovative One Page Resume & Portfolio
• 7 Female Graphic Designers That’ll Rock Your Socks Off
• Freelancers: Inspire Yourself, Vary Your Work Environment
• Designing An Accessible Website Without Losing Your Mind

Exciting huh?

Community Love

I am also going to be brave and leave comment moderation off and hopefully the community and authors will respond to each others questions while I am away. I just hope Akismet does its job, it has been pretty good so far - if you do notice any spam please email me using my comment form.

I will also be stopping by JCD every so often (maybe a comment or two) just to see how things are going and to catch up on important emails but this will be very limited - I am on holiday after all.

Anyway for now… over and out.

• Want to guest write on Just Creative Design? Now is your chance! (31)
• Win A Free Logo Contest + Our Achievements So Far (67)
• Personal Photography from Fiji and Cruise and Plans For The New Year (14)
• On Holidays (But Still Posting) (2)

Well the time has come to announce the winner of the free professional logo design competition. After reading through 53 entries I have finally narrowed it down to just one and let me tell you, it was no easy task.

Surprise Bonus!

Before I announce the winner of the free logo design I want to let you know that there is also a surprise bonus to everyone that commented on the original post…

For those who did comment I am offering you a professional logo design for only AUD$300. This is an extremely generous price because of what is involved in my Logo Design Process. For $300 I will include 2 logo design concepts and 2 revisions, along with all files and copyright. If interested, please fill out this logo design questionnaire (PDF) and send it back to me.

I thought that a huge drop in price like this may finally get some of those people needing a logo, to finally invest in one. I hope you take advantage of this opportunity!

Congratulations!

And the moment you have been waiting for… the winner of the free professional logo design goes to…

Janette Toral from Influential Blogger who wrote:

“I’m joining! I want a free logo (or badge) that the top 10 emerging influential blogs 2008 winners can post in their site.

Cheers to your blog success!” - Janette Toral

This short and simple sentence really got me intrigued because the logo could be used by many bloggers rather than just one individual. Now even more can share the logo design love.

Congratulations Janette and also the top 10 emerging bloggers of 2008 (to be announced July 26th) who will be able to grace the badge on their own blog in the short future.

Thank you everyone else for your entries - it was not easy to choose just one!

PS. Want to know how to create a PDF form like the one I mentioned above? David Airey wrote a great post on how to create a pdf form.

• Why logo design does not cost $5.00 (78)
• The Logo Design Process of TOP graphic designers (36)
• Portfolio (11)
• My Guest Article on David Airey.com - 5 Vital Tips For Logo Design (7)

As usual I round up the best design articles from around the web however as I leave in 4 days I am extremely busy trying to get everything sorted before my trip around Europe so instead of going through all of my feeds I have scoured the net for the best round up posts and combined them here on this page. The sources come from Vandelay Design, Noupe and Smashing Apps. This post will keep you very busy.

Tutorials

1- Create a Spectacular Grass Text Effect in Photoshop

How to create a rather cool looking grass-text effect using a photo of grass, the pen tool and a bit of patience. Checkout the Tutorial

2- Creating geometric patterns in Illustrator

It’s just not always that simple to create perfectly seamless patterns, especially with geometric forms. Veerle shows us how to create a geometric pattern shape and fill a background with it using the method described in this tutorial

3- 15 Amazing Photoshop Icon Tutorials

Ever wondered how the great icon designer do it? Well, here are 15 Photoshop Tutorials that lets you peek behind the curtain and get you started. Check it out.

4- Nice ‘n’ Simple Subscribe Badges

In this Photoshop tutorial you’ll be making those cool supermarket-style badges, then you’ll be turning them into subscribe buttons for your website, a must-have for any blog! Visit Tutorial.

5- Amazing Retro Rainbow Curves

In this tutorial, David Leggett will show you how to design some amazing vector based Retro Rainbow Curves using Adobe Photoshop. These retro artifacts have become a popular trend in modern design! Visit Tutorial.

6- Pastel color menu with dynamic submenu using CSS

This tutorial illustrates how to design a nice pastel color menu with a dynamic submenu which appears when you select a link in the main menu, using CSS and some lines of javascript code. Checkout the demo here.

7- Three Simple Uses For The ‘Clouds’ Filter in Photoshop

Here are t