Randa Clay Design

New site: SolutionsforWP.com – How to do it in WordPress

2010-03-09T15:54:40Z

For quite a long time, I’ve had an difficulty keeping track of all the cool, interesting, and useful WordPress solutions I read in posts and forums. I bookmark things, put them on Delicious, etc. but just end up forgetting where I put them and then spend time Googling around for that thing I read about 6 months ago. Finally, I got the bright idea of using a WordPress database to keep track of them all, and pretty soon I ended up with another website, in the hopes that others might find it useful as well:

I know there are lots of WordPress tips and hacks kinds of sites out there. This site is designed to aggregate and categorize the solutions I find, and contains some original content as well. If you know of a post that should be included, you can submit it via the form at the top of the sidebar; particularly if you’ve posted a “how to” on your site- you can never have too many incoming links right? This site is somewhat inspired by CSS Globe, which is a great resource for web developers, linking out to all kinds of great tutorials, tips, hacks, etc…

So, check out SolutionsforWP.com. Submit your WordPress solution posts and bookmark it for the next time you’re trying to figure out a way to make something happen in WordPress.

*Props to ElegantThemes.com for the site design. I didn’t have time to do a custom theme for this site, and one of my favorite sources these days for AWESOME premium themes is Elegant Themes. You get access to all his themes for only $19.95 and they are not only beautiful, but have some great options on the back end, and I have found them to be easy to customize as well.

Thinking of using a design contest site? Think again.

2010-02-18T04:49:13Z

Let me tell you a story…

Once upon a time a running group decided they wanted a new web site design. They thought that going to one of those “crowdsourcing” sites would be a great way to go because they could hold a design contest and get lots of ideas and then take a vote on which was the best. This is what they ended up with (go ahead and click on the image so you can see it in it’s full glory):

One of their group is a former client of mine who has good design sense, and she thought the site was sort of awful. She had taken the reins with the project and sent the Photoshop file asking me to keep the same basic design (since the group liked it), but to “fix it” so it looked and worked better. I realize most designers would have probably said no to the request, but I wanted to help her out and I had time in my schedule for some extra work, so… here’s the site after I spent some time on it:

It’s still sort of awful in some ways, but in several important ways it’s a much more effective site.

Fonts

There were WAY too many fonts used and almost none of them were web safe. Much of the text had drop shadows and outer glow applied which interfered with legibility. A good rule of thumb when designing a site is to keep the number of fonts to 3 or less and make your main font a web safe font so everything doesn’t have to be a graphic element. Also, be very judicious about effects applied to fonts as they can interfere with legibility.

Graphic Elements

The site was plainly over-decorated. Everything had a gradient, strange shadows inside and outside of containers, extra borders and pictures. The eye does not know where to look. Clean visual elements allow the visitor to easily process what they’re seeing so they can interact with the site in a productive way. When in doubt, keep it simple.

Clarity of message

Visitors should be able to take in a site in just a couple of seconds and have a decently clear idea of what the main message is and what you want them to do about that message. If fonts are too small, illegible or hidden within visual clutter, the message is lost. If the message is lost, it does not matter how “pretty” the design is.

And the moral of the story is…

You get what you pay for. This organization paid for a design that would have been a big, bloated, ineffective site. The person who did the original design likely didn’t know any better. When you’re just starting out, you make mistakes- it’s just part of the process.People who participate in these kinds of design contests are almost always inexperienced and mistake-prone, and the mistakes they make will often cost more than the money you saved by using a design contest site in the first place.

You can read more about crowdsourcing/spec work sites in this interesting article about design contests at Web Designer Depot.

Free Blogging Icon Set Part 2

2010-01-28T16:21:45Z

Finally, I have the second part of the Monster Blogging Icon Set! This is a new set of icons designed for Randa Clay Design readers by IconShock! This is the first installment of a set of 15 created for use in blogging websites. The icons are completely free for personal or commercial use, you may use and adapt them as you like. You may post the preview image on your site, but please link back to this post for download.

The set includes the source vector files and the following sizes: 256px, 128px, 64px, 48px, 32px, and 24px in two color variations.

Click here to download

Get Set #1 – click here

Coming next in the series:

Set #3 - Sponsors, Plugin, Theme, Author, Home

If you need professional icons, custom designs or
even free icons, you need to check out IconShock!

Business Card Giveaway

2010-01-20T16:33:29Z

Anyone need some business cards? Here’s your chance for some free ones! AllBusinessCards.com is offering SIX lucky winners 1,000 business cards each! The cards can be single or double sided, printed on thick 16pt card stock, and have a Glossy UV finish or a Silk Matte finish.

How to enter:

Just leave a comment on this post before midnight November 17th (US eastern time). Be sure the email address you leave in the form is valid so I can contact you if you win.

Shipping is free to the US or Canada, and if you live somewhere else, you’d just need to chip in for the shipping.

Need some business card inspiration? Check out CardObserver.com, this set on Flickr, or this post that’s full of ideas.

Top 10 Favorite Free Fonts

2009-11-11T12:28:40Z

There are so many great free fonts available. These are my 10 favorites:

Free Blogging Icon Set

2010-01-11T19:32:18Z

I’m happy to release a new set of icons designed for Randa Clay Design readers by IconShock! This is the first installment of a set of 15 created for use in blogging websites. The icons are completely free for personal or commercial use, you may use and adapt them as you like. You may post the preview image on your site, but please link back to this post for download.

The set includes the source vector files and the following sizes: 256px, 128px, 64px, 48px, 32px, and 24px in two color variations.

Click here to download

Coming next in the series:

Set #2 – Blogroll, Article/Post, Email, Twitter, Archive
Set #3 - Sponsors, Plugin, Theme, Author, Home

If you need professional icons, custom designs or
even free icons, you need to check out IconShock!

Ask The Experts: How Do You Get a Project Off On The Right Foot?

2009-10-21T02:14:12Z

Installment #2 in the Ask The Experts series is focused on best practices as a designer as you’re beginning a project with a client. Thanks to my panel of experts for their input on this interesting topic.

When you start a project with a client, what are your first steps? Do you use a questionnaire? Have a phone call? Do you use a contract? What do you think is key to getting started on the right foot?

Char Polanosky:

While I would love to have a questionnaire in place, I still find that the most effective way for me to start a project is to spend 30 minutes or so on the phone with the client. Since each project is different, I can tailor the questions to what I already know and what I still need to find out in order to make the project a success.

I always use a contract that spells out the scope and terms of the project. I learned the importance of the contract years ago – it just protects everyone’s interest the most effectively. Also, using a contract helps manage client expectations which I feel is the most important part of starting off the relationship on a good note.

Vivien Anayi:

It depends on how I’ve been approached or contacted by the client. If I get an email, then I reply with a list of questions to get as much information about the project and the client as possible. Usually my questions are specific to each project & client. Currently I’m re-designing my business web site and considering to put up a PDF questionnaire for clients to download before contacting me for a quote. This should streamline my research and planning process and make it less time consuming.

If I get a phone call or meet in person, I usually ask a few important questions, then ask the potential client to give me additional information by email, after that I either email with more questions or put together a project proposal. I’ve been burnt a couple times for doing business without a contract, so now I always get clients to sign a contract (or rather in my case it’s a Statement of Work) and asking for a deposit before proceeding with any work.

If I’m working with local clients, I usually like to meet with them in person before embarking on a journey of working with them.

The important things to keep in mind when getting started with a client on the right foot are to get a good feel for the client and the project, bring professionalism and personality to your communications with the client, set up clear and realistic expectations, under-promise but over-deliver (David Airey’s favourite mantra that I’m now trying to follow), and finally, keep asking questions until both you and your client are crystal clear about the project’s goals, tasks and deliverables.

Brian Yerkes:

In our online contact form, we ask the client if they want us to respond by “phone or email”, so our response depends on what they choose.

If they choose “email”, we reply with a “thank you for your interest in working with Brian Joseph Studios…etc” and then we ask them a few questions about their project. I have been back and forth on whether or not to use questionnaires. My company has used both and I’ve seen the positive and negative effects of this. Lengthy questionnaires can turn a lot of people off, they see more than 10 questions, and they decide not to fill it out or get back to you. It really seems to depend on the person. Another part of me thinks that if the person is too lazy to fill out a questionnaire for their important project that they are about to spend a few thousand dollars on, do I really want them as a client?

The positive side of having questionnaires filled out by the client is it gives you a lot of information and confirms with you exactly what the client needs. Obviously this depends on the length and detail of your questions, but by doing it this way, both you and the client really understand the specifics of what will be produced. This provides a clear playing field for both of your during the project, and saves you from arguments about what was promised/asked for etc..

Currently, we mainly use the phone to discuss the project with the client. Our prices can be a little at the high end of our competitors so we always make sure to ask the client for their budget before we arrange an in-person meeting if they are local.

So, we get all of the details that we can, and if they have an appropriate budget, we will meet with them. The face-to-face meeting is really just a trust building process. If they are going to spend thousands of dollars with us, they really need to know the person or company they are giving that money to. Some clients don’t need this meeting, but I find that a lot prefer it. It’s makes them feel more secure and it makes for a better client/vendor relationship if you have gotten a coffee with them prior to the project starting.

We then get the contract ready, send it over and require 50% to be paid up front, then we are ready for the project to start.

Tracey Grady:

I try to find out as much as I can about their business or professional activities before talking with them, as it always comes across well in that first discussion if you can show you’ve already done some research.

I arrange for a discussion by phone or Skype, or in person. I have also had preliminary client meetings using IM but I much prefer being able to talk with someone if possible. I have a questionnaire but I now prefer to use this during the discussion rather than sending it out to a prospective client to fill in and return to me.

I use a contract which includes all details of the work to be carried out, and the amount which I’ve quoted for the work. I also request a down payment prior to work starting.

To get started on the right foot with a prospective client you need to be a good listener, prompt with your correspondence, and show enthusiasm for working with them. What need are they seeking to fulfill for their business by approaching you with a design query? By listening, communicating and taking an interest in their business, you’re showing the client that your top priority is addressing that question. You also need to demonstrate that you have a good command of both design and project management, as well as the confidence to see the project through in a timely and professional manner.

One more thing: after the preliminary discussion with a new client, I quickly send them an email outlining everything we covered during the meeting (and asking them to correct any details if necessary), and if it’s a lengthy project I’ll also provide a breakdown of all the stages for their design project from start to finish. Clients appreciate knowing what to expect, and it’s a great way to give a very positive first impression.

My turn:

Clearly setting and managing expectations along with a good contract to protect everyone’s interests lays the foundation for a great working relationship. I usually have a preliminary meeting by phone with a client to get to know them and their business, and gather information about the project. One of the most important questions I ask is “What is your goal for your site? What do you want the visitor to DO?” That is a really valuable piece of information to have in mind as I create the site and the answer can be very different from client to client.

Your turn:

What do you think? If you’re a designer what do you have to add that you think makes for a great start on a project? If you’ve been a client, what do you expect from someone who is providing you with design services?

Do you have a question you’d like us to answer on the subject of design, WordPress, blogging, marketing, etc.? You can either leave the question in the comments or use my contact form.

Multiple Random Image PHP Script

2009-10-14T21:25:55Z

Recently, while developing a site, I ran into a need for the ability to select 4 random images from a folder and display them in a div container. I searched around and found several scripts that would pull single random images (I’ve used this simple script from Matt Mullenweg’s site several times, for example) but nothing that would randomize multiple images. As I often do when I run into a brick wall, I tweeted about my problem and received a response from James Paden of Xemion.com* offering to write the script for me for free! The kindness and generosity of people I have met through blogging and Twitter continually amazes me.

He based the multi-image script on this single random image script, and it works great! Since I had such a hard time finding one I thought (with James’ permission) that I would make it available here. It’s set up to call 4 images, but shouldn’t be too hard to tweak for the number you need.

Click here for a demo.

Click here to get the code and instructions.

Thanks again to James for helping me out!

*Xemion.com is a great resource for small business owners and managers to both find web designers and learn how to best hire and work with design firms.

Show and Tell: Business Card for Deb Ng

2009-09-26T13:09:05Z

I was excited when Deb Ng of the Freelance Writing Jobs Network approached me about creating a business card design. I knew Deb would be fun to work with, and I also don’t get the chance to design business cards as often as I might like. Deb is a writer and social media consultant and wanted a unique business card design that would reflect her business as a freelance writer, professional blogger and social media consultant. As we discussed the design, she indicated she’d like something with a slightly retro feel in font and color and that was not the standard rectangle shape.

I had one of those middle of the night inspirations about the back of her card and was pleased she liked the idea of covering the card with words, along with the tagline “the power of words”. In order to get an idea of what kind of retro color palette might appeal to her, I asked her to look through the retro designs in this Smashing Magazine post of retro web designs. I used one of my all-time favorite fonts, Chalet (the Tokyo variation) to continue with the retro feel and I also loved the way the shapes of the d, b and g mirrored each other in her name.

She used UPrinting.com to produce the cards. I have used them in the past with good results and they provided a high quality product for Deb as well, for a very reasonable price.

Are you one of those who is wondering, why does a blogger need a business card anyway? Check out my post on that topic here, and then take a look at a nice collection of business cards of bloggers at Brian Yerkes’ site. Ready to create a card of your own? Don’t miss David Airey’s post on what makes a good business card.

Ask the Experts: Do you get what you pay for?

2009-09-19T13:47:31Z

I’m excited to announce a new series of posts at Randa Clay Design! I’ve asked 4 colleagues to join me in discussing a different topic in each post in the series. These designers have years of experience in web and graphic design, blogging and marketing, and I am honored that they have agreed to participate. I will also be periodically asking “guest experts” to join the discussion depending on the topic.

I have a list of questions we’re planning to discuss, but we want to hear from you as well. Do you have a question you’d like us to answer on the subject of design, WordPress, blogging, marketing, etc.? You can either leave the question in the comments or use my contact form. On to the first question:

Do you believe you get what you pay for when it comes to web site development and other graphic design work?

Tracey Grady:

Unless a client has had extensive experience of working with graphic/web designers, they often don’t have the insight into the design industry in order to understand what makes value for money. That makes things difficult for clients and professional graphic designers alike. Unfortunately, it makes things very easy for crowdsourcing companies, who operate on the basis that many clients won’t understand value for money and will be happy to pay $60 for a logo or $100 for a basic website. On the other hand, I and many other designers know of numerous cases of people who were taken for a ride by unscrupulous designers charging thousands for sub-standard work.

This is an unregulated industry which in recent times has become a whole lot easier to enter thanks to relatively low overheads, few hurdles for setting up, and the ease of working for yourself with advances in broadband and internet technologies. It’s not unusual find pricing ranging from $100 to $5,000 for the aforementioned basic website or logo. This makes it very difficult for clients to have a clear benchmark on pricing for design services, and very tempting lately for many businesses to go with the rock bottom discount option.

It also makes things difficult for new (solo) designers seeking to built their name and portfolio: unless you have the confidence in your business skills to stand by what you believe is a fair price for your work, there is pressure to drop your prices which leads to talented people underselling their services.

I don’t like the term “you get what you pay for” so much in this context, because to me it takes on a slightly elitist tone. Like it or not, this is the state of the industry that we are currently working in, and if we want prospective clients to understand the value of design services, and therefore value for money, we have to continue providing the highest professional standards and quality whilst standing by the prices we charge. Make the distinction clearer between high calibre design and the cheapskates. Lawrence Anderson has an interesting post on how to compete against people offering dirt cheap prices for design work.

Brian Yerkes:

Definitely. This is mostly evident in web site development. Due to the fact that there is so much involved in building a high quality website, the less you pay a web designer for development typically results in lower quality.

When hiring for web development services, the price is often relative to the level of experience that the designer has. Of course this is not always the case, but more often than not, if you pay a low price for web development, it will show in the overall design and functionality of the website.

A good example of this is when a client receives two quotes, and simply chooses to work with the company that quoted the lower amount. They receive a web site with table based HTML code that doesn’t validate and lacks a consistent navigational path to bring users through the site. Unfortunately a lot of clients do not realize that what they have received is of a much lower quality than what they would have received had they chosen the company that gave them the higher quote.

As a result, this client will eventually end up starting this whole process over again and will start their search for a quality web designer to develop a better web site the next time around. I receive a lot of inquiries from potential clients that start with “I had a web site built by someone else about a year ago and I really don’t like it. I don’t receive any leads from it and it doesn’t show up anywhere on the search engines…”.

Unfortunately, this shows that a lot of people are receiving a low level of quality in web design and end up spending more money when they hire another company to fix the problems.

The way clients can prevent this from happening is to research a few companies, find out if their past clients are happy with their websites, and if they are proving successful for their business.

In relation to graphic design work, if you pay a low amount there are certain problems that may arise. For example, a designer that charges a small fee may be inexperienced, and can end up supplying the client or printer with incorrect files or formats. This can result in additional charges at the expense of the client.

In addition, if you are hiring a cheap graphic designer, the final design will probably lack strength, and will be less memorable than what a more expensive designer would have created.

Vivien Anayi:

I wholeheartedly believe that you indeed get what you pay for in web & graphic design work, just like in most other cases. As a designer I will judge how much time I would spend on designing something for a client based on the agreed budget. If the budget is low, I can’t afford spending lots of hours working for peanuts and delivering a unique design that will blow everyone’s socks off. Every designer craves to work on a project where their creativity can be unleashed, where they can deliver a project that not only the client but the designer will be proud of to showcase and brag around. A mutual client-designer respect is extremely important here: be fair with the designer and you’ll get the fair treatment back.

There are thousands of details, both large and small, that must be ironed out before proceeding with any design and development work, requiring hours of communication and research, which would most likely be overlooked or barely touched upon on a limited budget.

I was just talking to a potential client who runs a music school and she was telling me about the importance of getting a high quality piano because in a long run you’ll save money buying something expensive vs. buying something cheap. She told me a story about a client of theirs who bought a relatively cheap piano and hired them to tune it. They ended up spending five times more of what they paid for it because almost every string was breaking down during the tuning process and required a replacement. Furthermore their piano will require several tunings per year vs. high quality pianos that may need an occasional tuning once in few years.

I’ve had many clients who were coming to me after their disastrous experience with existing web sites that were done by a neighbor or bought as a template. You truly get what you pay for. It takes time to produce a high quality work and time is money. Whether or not you want to save now and spend more later vs. spending more now and saving in a long run is up to you.

Char Polanosky:

When you pay more for a design the expectations are higher. You are usually working with an experienced designer who can not only give you a great design, but also adds value to the project from the standpoint that they have the experience to know what works for the web, can advise you as to why they did or did not do something a certain way, and ultimately saves you time. A higher priced designer most likely has a more defined business process and safeguards for both you and the designer in place.

On the other hand, there are many less expensive or less experienced designers who do great work. You just have to have a very clear vision of what you need and be willing to take that risk if you choose to go with a less expensive designer. This may be the case with a designer who is just starting out and wants to build their portfolio. In which case you may get a good deal and a good design, but there is risk.

My turn:

As with any product, there are opportunities to get a good deal with a new or lower priced designer, but as Char said, you’re taking a risk. This isn’t just a bunch of high-priced designers trying to justify their fees. We remember when we started out and were charging less. I went out of my way to provide great service and create great looking sites, but the reality is that I provide a higher quality service to my clients now than I did then. I can look back at some of the work I did then and groan a little at mistakes I made, inefficient code, and limited scope that I was not aware of at the time.

It does not follow however, that just because someone charges high fees, that those fees are justified and that they will be great to work with and you will get a high quality result. There are plenty of people out there charging WAY too much for what they provide. Get references, examine their portfolio, and do your due diligence in order to protect yourself.

Your turn:

What is your experience with this issue? Do you agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments.