Graphic Design Blender

Keeping clients motivated throughout the design process

Preston D Lee — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:18:07 +0000

Meeting with a client for the first time is invigorating. Both you and they are excited about moving forward with a new project that will help reach business goals. You set milestones together and work toward accomplishing the goals you have set, but sometimes clients tend to burn-out at some stage throughout the process. They go from wanting the “best work” to “whatever works within the time frame” or even adopt the attitude of “we can’t afford to do it all” or “let’s just get this project done by doing the bare minimum”.

As a designer, this can be frustrating because you understand the potential that the project has. You aren’t blinded by the fact that funds or time begin to be more limited than anticipated and it becomes difficult to understand why your client (who was so excited when the project started) has now fizzled out and left you to tie up the loose ends.

Solid tips on keeping clients motivated

So how can you keep a client motivated throughout the entire design process? This article explores a number of ways you can help your clients stay motivated, maintain excitement for the project, and push through to the end of a successful project.

Stay motivated yourself

The first and most important aspect of keep a client motivated throughout the design process is to stay motivated yourself. If you are becoming discouraged, lazy, or complacent, your client will feed off of your attitude and react the same way. Conversely, if you are motivated, excited and focused, your clients will reflect the same attitude. Motivation is contagious.

Keep a positive attitude

No one likes to work with someone who has a negative attitude. Along with staying motivated as a designer, you need to keep a positive attitude. It’s okay to get frustrated with clients, a project, or some other aspect of your design business, but never show this discouragement to your client. Even if things aren’t going perfectly, keep a positive attitude around your clients and the excitement for the project will spread.

Be a pleasant person to work with

One of the most common errors I have seen new designers commit is to be arrogant and a pain to work with. Yes, you are talented. But you don’t know everything, especially about your client’s line of work. Be humble and understanding when your clients want to make changes and help them understand your feelings on issues such as design changes or project changes.

This doesn’t mean you need to be a pushover, but it does mean that you need to be an enjoyable person to work with. Make it easy for your clients to get along with you or you just might find your client requesting that you “just finish up” the project “as quickly as possible”. It may not be that they don’t want to continue with the original plans, they just can’t stand to deal with an angry designer any more. Be pleasant.

Set reasonable goals together

Another vital part of keeping your clients motivated throughout the design process is to start the process off right. After agreeing upon a contract, sit down together and set reasonable goals. Determine who will do what, when these tasks will get accomplished, and how they play a role in the completion of the overall project.

When you reach the goals you have set, be sure to celebrate those victories with your client. Help them see the success and the progress you are completing together. (A sidenote: this always works well as a time to bill them too. It’s great to be able to send them an email with a subject line that says “Phase two Completed!” and the body of the email congratulates them for completing a step in the process and then gives them a bill for that portion which has been completed.)

Remind them of their excitement

Everyone gets trodden down with work. Believe it or not, you aren’t the only one who has to deal with people not answering their phones, not paying their bills, or being rude to you. Your clients also run a business, and you know as well as anyone how difficult and demotivating that can be at times.

If you see your client slipping into demotivation, take time to remind them of the excitement they had when they began the project. Help them regain the vision that you created together when the project started. Sometimes all they need is a small reminder in order to get that flame of excitement burning bright again.

Keep them updated on your progress

Along with reminding them of the excitement they had when the project began, be sure to keep them updated on the successes of the project along the way. Clients can often feel left out of the loop when you are working on a design project for them. Don’t just show them the completed project, include them in the actual design process and help the understand where you are in relation to the goals you have set.

As they stay updated, they will be excited by the progress they see.

Work quickly and efficiently

You’ve probably experienced the feeling of frustration when your client just won’t hold up his end of the bargain. Whether he was supposed to get you images for your site, copy for your brochure, or pricing for his billboard, nothing is more frustrating than being at a standstill because of someone else’s failure to work.

Your clients feel the same way. Don’t continually put their project on the back burner just because you have other “more fun” projects. Make sure to set timely goals and follow through with them so that the project gets completed on time or ahead of schedule. If you procrastinate, your client is more likely to adopt the attitude of “just getting the project done” instead of getting the best final product. Work quickly and efficiently for your clients.

Your turn to talk

What else would you add to these suggestions? Have you had similar experiences with your clients? If so what have you been able to do in your design business to keep your clients motivated throughout the design process? I’d love to hear what you have to say about it.

Seeking out new design clients vs. Waiting for them to come to you

Preston D Lee — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:14:15 +0000

“All of my design clients were not cold-call clients. They weren’t a result of any serious marketing or advertising campaign. They came to me.”

The last week or so, we have been discussing the importance of having a stunning portfolio to attract more clients. We also discussed the art of writing an effective project proposal in order to win over your next potential client.

But, the question still arises, “Should I actively seek out new clients, or wait for them to come to me?” Instead of jumping to a conclusion and answering the question, let’s explore the pro’s and con’s of each scenario and then make an educated decision.

Seeking out new design clients

First, there’s the option of actively seeking out new design clients. Actions that help you find new design clients might include cold-calling, knocking on businesses’ doors, sending email requests, going to fairs or conferences, speaking at local business gatherings, distributing direct mail, business cards, or flyers, or anything else that you actively do to bring in more clients. The question is, are these activities worth the time you put into them? and do you find the kind of clients you are looking for when you actively seek them?

Ultimately you have to consider your return on investment when client-hunting. Do all the brochures, emails, hours dedicated to finding new clients, etc. justify the influx of new clients you receive?

HOW’S YOUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT?
Take a real mathematical approach to this one: sit down with a pad and paper and a calculator (or an Excel sheet if you like). Write down all the expenses you incur when actively searching for new design clients. This might include printing costs, copywriting costs, and the time it takes you to work on all your marketing material. Factor in how much time you spend multiplied by how much you usually make per hour as a designer.

Next, try to identify how many clients such activities bring in. (If you are new to the freelancing scene and haven’t had many clients, try to determine how many new clients you would need in order to fully justify engaging in these activities and spending these funds.) If the total amount of work you bring in is not proportionally greater than the time and money you are spending on actively seeking new clients, perhaps you either need to rethink your marketing strategies or find ways to encourage clients to come to you instead.

WHAT IS THE QUALITY OF CLIENT YOU GAIN?
Let’s face it, not all clients are created equal. I know that someone is going to be offended by that statement and inform me that all clients are people and deserve our attention and respect. I agree. But when it comes to running a successful design business, we all know there is a varying quality of clients. Some are easy to work with, pay on time, and trust your understanding of design. Others tend to be time-suckers, always want the lowest price and the highest quality (which they just can’t have), or are terribly hard to get a hold of during the design process.

Again, with a pad a paper (or your preferred brainstorming tool) sit down and determine what sort of clients you hope to work with. Be optimistic but realistic at the same time. Determine the demographic attributes of your clients such as age, income, business type, business size, etc. After determining what kinds of clients you are aiming for, adjust your marketing strategies appropriately.

It may be difficult in the beginning, but as you gain more momentum in your design career, you will feel more comfortable turning down clients that just aren’t a good return on investment or don’t match your working style. Remember, when you are actively seeking design clients, you are looking for clients that are a good fit as much as they are looking for a designer who is a good fit.

Waiting for design clients to come to you

Now that we have explored option one, let’s consider the opposite side of the coin. Is it possible that instead of actively seeking out new design clients, you can just sit around and wait for them to come to you?

Sort of. But there’s a catch.

If you don’t currently have an active client pool and you aren’t working on any client projects, what is it that you are doing to get your name out there so that clients will come to you? Many of the clients I am currently working with were not cold-call clients. They weren’t a result of any serious marketing or advertising campaign I have run. They came to me. So what is it I have been doing to get clients to come to me? Here’s what I do:

PERSONAL PROJECTS
I have a number of personal projects that I am always working on. Whether I decide to do some pro bono work for a local charity, design my family blog in wordpress instead of blogspot, or impress my professors (I have graduated now, but this used to work wonderfully and I can highly recommend it for any student-designers), I make sure my work is constantly in front of people. I make sure they know, if they want a site designed well, or a logo created for their company, they know right where to turn.

The interesting thing is, most of the time the people who are closely involved with these projects never hire me. But when a friend or acquaintance comes their way asking for recommendations on who to hire for their web marketing, guess who they suggest? And it’s all because I have made myself visible to the right kinds of people.

Put your best foot forward to the people that influence others.

THE PRO’S OF WAITING FOR CLIENTS TO COME TO YOU
Here’s what’s so great about waiting for the right clients to come to you instead of actively seeking them out. When they come to me, I know they are dedicated to the project. They want to get the project done, they have made a conscious effort to seek out a professional to help them, and they are motivated to work together to achieve a successful design.

Also, when they come to me, I have the opportunity of accepting or rejecting their proposal for work. I don’t look needy or desperate for work because they came to me instead of the other way around. This way I can choose the kinds of clients that fit my target audience and will help me grow and progress as a designer.

THE CON’S OF WAITING FOR CLIENTS TO COME TO YOU
This method of finding new clients doesn’t come without a few problems, though. There is the obvious problem of client dry-spells. There will be times when no one is searching you out. You can either have other money-making opportunities (online businesses, a design blog, etc.) readily available for such times or you can revert to actively seeking out clients (see above).

In addition, while deciding which clients you’ll work with and which you won’t can be a privilege, it can also be a painful game. I try not to turn down too many clients, since you can never judge a book by it’s cover. I also require each potential client to sign my contract and terms of agreement so that if they decide to get flaky or refuse to pay, there is something legal backing me up. But it’s never easy to decide which clients can stay and which should go. Turning down a client is never easy.

Now it’s your turn to talk. What do you do?

You’ve heard my side of the story. That’s how I handle the art of finding new clients. I usually wait for them to come to me. But what do you do? What has been successful for you? Share your insights with us and help us all build our client base.

This article brought to you by:Next Day Flyers is an online printer offering incredibly quick turnaround times. Their variety of products includes custom printed tickets tickets, color flyers, and printed menus.

Design and code an elegant social media menu for your portfolio site

Preston D Lee — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:30:25 +0000

Lately, here at GDB, we have been learning a lot about one-page portfolios. We started off this miniseries with a great list of essential elements of a successful one-page portfolio, then we explored 8 excellent jQuery tutorials to help you build a nice portfolio page. Today, I would like to offer a tutorial on building an elegant jQuery social media menu for your portfolio site.

Why a social media menu tutorial?

WHY A TUTORIAL?
Before getting started with the tutorial, it’s important to understand why I’ve chosen to write a tutorial dealing with social media here at GDB. If you’ve been to the site before, you know that we focus primarily on the business of design (freelancing, business tips, client advice, etc.). So why did I stray from the beaten path and attempt a tutorial today? Two reasons: I want to change it up a bit (which is a decent reason, right?) and I also feel like some solid and tangible application to the principles we learn here at GDB can be beneficial for all of us.

In any regard, please let me know what you think about this tutorial and if we should try to incorporate things like this into the GDB writing schedule in the future. Our goal is to help you grow as a designer and a businessperson, so please let us know the best way to help you do that.

WHY SOCIAL MEDIA?
With that explanation out of the way, let’s explore the reasons why every designer should include some sort of social media menu on their portfolio site. Firstly, social media allows potential clients, fellow designers, and potential employers to be able to contact you, learn more about you, and see you in your element. By making yourself available via social media, you not only make yourself more personable and more approachable, but you also help your clients connect with you and your design work on a more intimate level. Imagine, for example, a portfolio that contains a selection of completed, polished work. Imagine the additional insight your clients can gain into your design process and professionalism by viewing your work on dribbble. Imagine how conforte they will feel when they see you are reading and sharing up-to-date information about design techniques on twitter and facebook.

Social media isn’t new. And I don’t have to tell you how important it is. As you work to market yourself as a designer (whether you prefer the freelance route or run a design firm) you can’t disregard the importance that social media plays in your marketing mix.

On to the tutorial!

With that said, let’s move forward with this tutorial. Before reading through the entire tutorial, you can get an idea of what we are trying to achieve by viewing this LIVE DEMO. Or you can take the easy way out by downloading the SOURCE FILES. The following is a screen shot of our final product:

WORKING IN PHOTOSHOP
Before we start to implement the HTML, CSS, or jQuery animation, we need to set up a few small things in photoshop. They won’t take too long and they’re fairly simple, but it’s the attention to detail that make this menu so elegant.

First, open a new photoshop document that measures 400 pixels in both directions. Using the paint bucket, fill the entire canvas with a light grey color. Any color will do, but the lighter the better as it will help with the contrast later on. (I used #e0e0e0)

After filling the canvas with a light grey hue, access the main menu and choose Filter > Noise > Add Noise. Set the amount to 1.5% and click OK. Save the image in your images folder. This will give you a nice, subtle texture for the background of your page.

Next, we need to design the speech-bubble-like object that floats in when the social media icons are hovered. While we could do this using CSS3 rounded corners and CSS triangles, I have decided to use a simple image since the size of each speech bubble will be uniform throughout the example and such a small image will not take long to load. Feel free to use more advanced technologies as you like.

Create a new document that measures 200 pixels wide by 98 pixels high. Just inside the canvas area, use the Rounded Rectangle Tool to draw a black rectangle with rounded corners. Remember to leave enough room below the rectangle for the “tail” of the speech bubble. Next, using the default Rectangle Tool, draw a black square by holding shift and dragging. Rotate the square to create a diamond and then overlap the diamond halfway with the rounded rectangle. Click both the rounded rectangle and the diamond in the layers palette, right click and choose “merge layers”. This will give you a solid black speech bubble.

I, however, wanted the texture to show through the speech bubble slightly, so I reduced the opacity of the speech bubble to 60%, hid the default white canvas background and saved the image as a transparent png. Lastly, find and download your favorite social media icons. Save them in your images folder as well.

We now have all the images we need in order to design our elegant social media bar.

XHTML, CSS, AND JQUERY
Now to the fun and exciting part of the tutorial: Making your social media menu a living reality. Start by opening dreamweaver (or your preferred code editing software) and open a new HTML document. Save the document in your root folder. Normally, we would also save an independent CSS file and link to it from the HTML page, but for ease of demonstration, we will write the CSS within the HTML page itself.

START WITH XHTML
Within the tags create a

with the ID of “smbar”. Within the div, create an unordered list followed by a number of list items which contain images that link to each social media site you wish to include. After each link, include a tag that contains the text you wish to appear above each image (this will be the text found within the speech bubble and will not be displayed unless the icon is hovered). Once you are finished, your code should look something like this:

Friend me on facebook

Follow me on twitter

Join me on foursquare

Watch me on YouTube

Join me on StumbleUpon

View my photos on Flickr

Check out my work on Dribble

ADD SOME CSS
Next, you’ll want to add come CSS to make your unordered list look pretty. Right now, it’s probably vertically oriented with some bullet points. To make your menu bullet-free and horizontal, add the following CSS to your page (or link to an external style sheet):

JQUERY
Lastly, add some jQuery to spice things up a bit. Open a new javascript file and paste in the information from the jQuery library found here. Save the javascript file to your root folder and include a call to the library in your HTML page by including the following code in the of the HTML document.

Lastly, include these piece of jQuery animation code:

The code found above was adapted from the menu hover tutorial by WebDesignerWall.com mentioned in the previous article here at GDB.

Success!

If you’ve done everything right, you should have a fully functional, elegant social media menu for your portfolio site. It will make a great addition to any one-page website portfolio.

Your input is needed…talk to us

Being the first tutorial-style article here at GDB, we really need to know if you found it useful. Please leave a comment letting us know what you liked, what you didn’t like, and what we can do better next time. Should we write more tutorials or stick to articles? Also, share your links with us when you get a social media menu up and running on your site! We’d love to take a look at what you’ve done!

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Designing a successful one-page portfolio

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8 Awesome jQuery tutorials to make your one-page portfolio shine

Preston D Lee — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:55:23 +0000

Recently on GDB, we discussed some simple but necessary elements of a successful one-page portfolio design. To add to those insights, I thought today would be a good day to include a collection of some simple yet useful jquery tutorials, demos, and snippets that will help your one-page

portfolio really stand out. Designing a one-page portfolio is unique because you have a limited amount of space, essentially lose the use of forward and back buttons on your browser, and have to really think hard about unique usability. These simple jquery tips will help you as you begin to design your one-page portfolio.

Revealing Photo Slider

This beautiful piece of jQuery by Chris Coyier allows you to turn thumbnail images into full-size images in one simple animation. Since one of our tips from the previous article was to create a simple portfolio, I thought this script might help achieve that goal.

VIEW TUTORIAL – VIEW DEMO

Sliding Door Effect

Another option for your portfolio is to have thumbnails of the images with a sliding-door effect to reveal more information about the project. This method can be used to achieve that task in a beautiful and effective way. (Also, take note that there are many CSS3 and HTML5 effects that can achieve these same results. Depending on your target audience, you may want to consider using a few more modern techniques. Perhaps we can explore some of those options on a later post here at GDB.)

VIEW TUTORIAL – VIEW DEMO

Smooth Scrolling

As mentioned in the comments on the previous post, a “to top” link/button can be extremely useful for a one-page portfolio design. Not only that, but any navigation using anchor tags can help the user navigate your one-page site. One way to help them realize where they are on the page in relation to where they came from is by using a Smooth Scrolling jQuery snippet. There are many smooth-scrollers out there; I enjoy this one because it automatically turns all the anchors on the page into smooth-scrolling anchors.

VIEW TUTORIAL & DEMO

Fancy Navigation Menu

This simple yet attractive navigation menu provided by NetTuts+ offers a sleek, non-distracting look for any sidebar navigation. Perhaps using this menu with a fixed position in CSS would make for a beautiful portfolio style.

VIEW TUTORIAL – VIEW DEMO

Another attractive sliding door technique

This tutorial, offered by Timothy van Sas, is another very professional alternative to the sliding doors example mentioned above. Simply cause an image of any project in your portfolio to rollover to a description of the project.

VIEW TUTORIAL – VIEW DEMO

Simple Dropdown Menu

This jQuery tutorial is extremely simple-looking. There’s not really anything too fancy about it, but it offers one solution to a more attractive dropdown menu and it’s easy to execute. Perhaps it’s the space-saver your one-page portfolio needs.

VIEW TUTORIAL – VIEW DEMO

Tool-tip Style Animated Hover

Brought to us by WebDesignerWall.com, this article contains a variety of extremely useful jQuery animation tricks for designers who are new to the jQuery neighborhood. One particular effect that might prove useful in a one-page portfolio, is the tool-tip style hover animation effect. Essentially, you hover over a button, some text, anything you choose, really, and a speech-bubble appears with further information. This can come in useful when you want to include more information without taking up the precious (and limited) real estate on your one-page portfolio site.

VIEW TUTORIAL (scroll to 5a.) – VIEW DEMO

Content Slider

There are millions of content sliders available out there. If you are pressed for space, but have a lot of content you want to display, a content slider is an excellent solution. They allow you to have multiple panes of content and a navigation that lets you scroll through that content. The following slider is easy to use and quite effective.

VIEW TUTORIAL – VIEW DEMO

What else would you add to the list?

Have you used a really cool piece of jQuery in your portfolio? Have your written your own snippet that might come in handy for the rest of us? Please share your thoughts, experiences, and resources with us!

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Designing a successful one-page portfolio

Preston D Lee — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:00:21 +0000

If you enjoy this article, check out the next article in the series: “8 Awesome jQuery tutorials to make your one-page portfolio shine“

There are countless approaches you can take when creating your own design portfolio. Every designer is unique and should, therefore, have a unique portfolio. But when it comes to designing a successful one-page portfolio,

there are a few key ingredients you’ll want to be sure to include. After reading through a few of my suggestions, be sure to suggest your own tips, share what has worked for you, and help us all be better and more successful designers.

Reasons why you might want a one-page portfolio

First, it might be good to answer the question of designing a one-page portfolio versus an entire site dedicated to your work. (Keep in mind, when we say “one-page” here, we are referring to your online portfolio. A one-page print portfolio is just an overcrowded resume.)

There are multiple reasons you may want to design a one-page portfolio. Some of them include:

It doesn’t take as long. Working as a designer, you have clients, you have paperwork, you have other projects that, sadly, take precedence over your personal material. Sometimes it’s hard to find the time necessary to craft a perfect design portfolio web site extraordinaire. When you feel swamped with other work, designing a one-page portfolio can be sufficient to satisfy your business needs without destroying your other projects.

It’s simple. There are thousands of design businesses out there. Imagine how your potential clients must feel when they are searching the web for a designer. If they happen to stumble on to your one-page portfolio site, think how refreshing it could be for them to not be overwhelmed with a bunch of fluff. They can get all the material they need in one page, contact you from that same page, and be on their way.

Conversion rates increase. In conjunction with the point mentioned above, it’s much more likely that a potential client contacts you if your contact form is on the same page as your portfolio, testimonials, etc. Every time you make a user click through to a new page (clicking the “contact me” or “get a free quote” button, for example) you risk losing potential clients.

While a one-page portfolio site may not be ideal in all situations. It definitely offers some clear advantages. Stay tuned to GDB (RSS, Email, Twitter) for an upcoming article on the disadvantages of one-page portfolio sites. Once you have all the information, you make the call.

Elements of a successful one-page portfolio

I’ll not attempt to create an exhaustive list of essential elements here, so please feel free to add to the list and make it better. There are a few elements that I have seen on one-page portfolio sites that really make them stand-out. They say to your client, “Although there’s only one page of content here, I am serious about design and I am anxious to help your business grow”.

SIMPLE HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR BEST WORK
It’s always tempting to include every project you have ever worked on in your portfolio. After all, you never know what projects your potential clients will like the most, right? Wrong.

Avoid the temptation of including too many sample works in your portfolio. Take time to choose 5-10 of your best pieces at most. Write a nice summary of the project, include a nice image, and a link (if applicable).

A BRIEF “ABOUT ME” SECTION
Sometimes it’s tempting to write an extensive “about me” our “about my work” section. Keep in mind, the more content you have on your one-page portfolio, the more scrolling the user will have to do. The more simple you keep the “about” section, the better. Instead of writing 1,000 words on your past experiences, skillset, and prior projects, try summing it all up in 100 words or even less.

One tip for writing a successful “about me” section: Write a paragraph, then take out half the words and repeat until you can’t take out any more words. Once you can communicate who you are and what you do in the shortest possible number of words, you are well on your way to grabbing a potential client’s attention.

TESTIMONIALS
Just as with each section mentioned previously, this section should not be lengthy. Although you may have tons of clients who have become raving fans of your work, choose the best testimonials only and include one or two on your one-page portfolio. If you just can’t live without all of your client testimonials, you could always write some simple javascript or PHP code to randomize the testimonials. That way, every time the page loads, a new testimonial is displayed is random order.

CONTACT FORM
The contact form could possibly be the most important section of your one-page design portfolio. Why? Because your site is pointless unless your users convert into clients. Otherwise, you are paying for hosting, domain registration, etc. for no redeeming reason.

When designing your contact form, make it easy to understand. If you have a captcha (the image of text usually used for spam control) make sure it is easy to use and won’t deter any potential clients. Keep fields to a minimum: I would suggest only requesting their name, email address, and a message the first time around. Don’t ask them to fill out a marketing survey, or ask them how they heard about you. There will be ample time for that later.

Keep it simple! The site’s whole purpose is to get people to use the contact form.

CALLS TO ACTION
I’m going to repeat myself because I feel like this may be one of the most overlooked aspects of a successful design portfolio. Use strong calls to action. A call to action can be anything from “Follow me on twitter” to “Contact me for a free quote today!”. Good calls to action will exhibit urgency (call today! -or- get a free quote now!), should explain the benefit of acting (call now for a free consultation -or- email me today and get 10% off your order), and be easily seen and hard to ignore.

Never miss an opportunity to get your portfolio site visitors to take action.

SOCIAL MEDIA & OTHER CONNECTIONS
Lastly, but certainly not least, make sure to give your site visitors sufficient opportunity to connect with you. Provide links to your twitter feed, design blog, flickr stream, facebook account, and more. The more they feel a genuine connection with you, the more likely they are to begin a professional relationship with you.

What else makes your portfolio successful? Share with us.

I know that my list is incomplete and that you have a lot of ideas to add to the article. What other suggestions can you offer to make your one-page portfolio really stand out? What has worked for you? What hasn’t? I look forward to reading your thoughts on the matter.

This article brought to you by:Looking to redesign your printed business cards? Consider trying a vertical business card layout, or perhaps a die cut to make your business card really stand out from the others.

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Write amazing design project proposals and get more clients

Preston D Lee — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:18:08 +0000

Drafting up a design project proposal can be extremely scary. For freelance designers, every time you submit a proposal, it’s like applying for a job. Proposals determine whether clients choose to hire you, and clients are the life-blood of your design business.

In essence, your entire success or failure as a designer depends on how well you can sell yourself or your services. This article will teach you ins and outs of a successful design project proposal, and how to use a proposal to get more clients.

The basics of project proposals

Before we get started on how to write an effective project proposal, it’s important to understand what a project proposal is. Project proposals are documents designed to do three particular things:

present a plan of action

outline the reasons why the action is necessary, and

convince the reader to agree with and approve the implementation of the actions recommended [source]

Put another way, the purpose of a project proposal is to convince your potential client that you have a great solution to their problem, explain how you will solve their problem, and why they should choose you over anyone else.

When to write an amazing proposal

Now that we understand what a project proposal is used for, perhaps you’re asking yourself when the best time to write a design proposal might be. Some designers might argue that you can send a proposal whenever you feel the urge. If, for example, you are browsing through some local web sites and find a site that needs some serious help, you might just find success in sending a proposal/pitch to that company.

Designers from the other camp might argue that you should only send a proposal when a potential client requests one. This is know as a request for proposal.

Without taking sides, I would have to say the best option is simply whatever one fits you best. If you are a bold, confident designer, approach companies with proposals in a “cold-call” sort of way. If not, wait for companies in need of your assistance to come to you. There are definitely pros and cons to both of these approaches.

Writing an amazing design project proposal

Okay, now that we have gotten all of the preliminary details out of the way, let’s talk about how to write a truly amazing design project proposal that will definitely get you more clients. It’s been my experience that a solid, impressive, result-getting project proposal includes the following: (I would also love to hear what else you might add.)

PERSONAL AND FRIENDLY GREETING
Although you are managing a design business, you are still a person. The recipient of the proposal is a person. Take a second to be personable with them. Greet them professionally but in a friendly manner, and let them know you are pleased to offer this design project proposal.

BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF YOU AND YOUR COMPANY
Always include a short introduction of who you are professionally and what kind of business you are involved in. When appropriate, mention other projects you have worked on, clients you have worked for, experience you bring to the table, etc. If you have an elevator pitch for you and your company, this would be a wonderful time to use the same verbiage and details from your pitch.

Although this may not be the “main event” of your proposal, it is still the “show opener” and needs to get your audience pumped up about what’s coming.

PROPOSED COURSE OF ACTION (SOLUTIONS)
Now to the main event. This is (if you’ve done everything else correctly so far) what your potential client has been waiting for. This is the climax of your proposal. So don’t blow it!

Take time to explain the problems your potential client is facing, but do it in a way that will not offend them. Demonstrate a genuine concern for the company or organization’s success and offer positive solutions. If appropriate offer solid research or evidence that your solution will work, why you can carry it out better than any of your competitors, and how your potential client will benefit from hiring you.

FOLLOW UP
After amazing your potential client with a stunning, solution-oriented proposal, include important details such as pricing and timeline. Make sure to include a statement about how excited you are to work with them in solving any design problems they currently face. If you feel bold, you can even offer to make a follow-up phone call a few days after sending the proposal, if you don’t hear from them.

Close your proposal be recapping the strongest details, most amazing solutions, and a promise that you can help them achieve the success they are looking for.

Welcome new clients with open arms

It’s been my experience that if you follow the few simple tactics mentioned above, you will have an increase in clientele. When any new client comes your way, welcome them, thank them, and make them feel like they are the most important client you have. Just because you “won” the proposal, you shouldn’t assume everything else will work out without a problem. Take care to treat your clients with respect and be an easy person to work with.

What if you don’t get any new clients

Lest I get sued by anyone who follows my council and still doesn’t get any new clients, I have a few words of advice. Keep trying. One thing I used to do was politely ask those who chose to hire someone else what I could have done better. Many times I found it wasn’t necessarily that I wasn’t qualified, but that I didn’t present myself in the right way. Take note of what you learn from your failed attempts and eventually you’ll get it right.

This article brought to you by:Brochures and printed postcards can be designed for mailing out to your target market.

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17 Tips for Effective Freelance Business Planning

James Adams — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:30:28 +0000

This article brought to you by:Visit UPrinting.com, the online printer that understands the needs of designers.

Freelancing can be a tough business, regardless of in which field you are attempting to freelance. Like a regular business, there are a few dos and don’ts to keep in mind; some of these tips can make your business venture a smoother transition, and some will just make your life easier in the long run. The following list are seventeen things to avoid doing prior to starting freelancing, which will make for a much more effective business endeavor.

1. Do not set up a corporation

It will not do you any good to incorporate your business. The only thing it will realistically result in is more time spent trying to fill out extra tax forms and to maintain numerous additional records. The majority of small businesses owners are sole proprietors, and they are completely content with their increasing bank account. Speaking of which…

2. Do not open a new checking account

Oh, the heresy – the IRS tells you that it is best to maintain a separate business account, and so does your accountant. However, business accounts often come with excessive fees and no other benefits that you don’t already get with your personal account. Do not believe the myths that clients will feel you are unprofessional; in fact, they just might feel even more comfortable paying you.

3. Do not get an expensive accountant

Don’t hire the guy that says you need a separate account. Not to mention, they give you advice that you simply do not need, and they can charge well over $100 for every wasted hour. Taxes can be done at a nearby service for a third of that cost. If you honestly cannot handle the task of bookkeeping yourself, then indulge a little deeper in your own industry – hire a freelance bookkeeper for a quarter of the cost of an accountant.

4. Do not pay an attorney

In a similar vein as the accountant, you simply do not need to pay for an attorney’s advice all the time. However, do attempt to maintain good relations with one in the event that you do end up needing one, though the majority of information you may need to know can be obtained by way of books or the Internet.

5. Do not get a business license

This does not include the necessary permits and licenses you must acquire to legally present your business, so also make sure that you do not fall short on these requirements. However, unless you have a business name and intend to use your given name, chances are you will not need an actual business license. This is yet another form of wasted money and time.

6. Do not buy a logo design

Even if you endeavor to become a freelance graphic designer, you do not need to spend too much time on designing yourself a logo. Alternatively, you might wish to get cheap software to help with design in the event that you lack the necessary skill to use other programs (such as GIMP or Paint.NET), or you can simply pick a good font and use your own name for a logo. This step is often overlooked by many entrepreneurs hoping to come up with the perfect, eye-catching logo to reel folks into their business. Sometimes, it is simply not the answer.

7. Do not write a business plan

Note that this does not say “do not have a plan;” simply avoid writing a business plan. This takes much time to write and chances are great that it will chance the moment you open your doors for the first time. Essentially, it is a waste of time to do something that is not certain and will not ultimately make a difference in your endeavor. If you intend to spend your time doing something, avoid writing a business plan and learn the ways to sell yourself in its stead. After all, it is selling that you are hoping to do. You may opt to do this anyway, but know that it will constantly change.

8. Know how you make money

Discover where your core competencies lie and what you do to make your money. Be able to answer clearly and concisely what you do in less than thirty seconds. Are you selling a product or a service? When you are in the thick of things, remind yourself of your core business.

9. Get your equipment

Make sure that you can perform your job as efficiently as possible. If you know that you will need an office copier, a fax machine and several pieces of software, get those items in the beginning. It will save time trying to scrounge for them when they are absolutely necessary.

10. Get an affordable accountant

Accountants know the ins and outs of corporate tax code. They can show you how your business can get along with the government. An accountant is priceless when deciding whether you wish to create a sole partnership or a LLC.

11. What’s your name?

Come up with a name that describes what you do and catches your attention. Your name shouldn’t be hard to pronounce or spell, yet it should be unique enough to obtain the domain name. Your name should not be confusing or piggyback on another’s brand.

12. Marketing and branding

You know that people don’t immediately run through the door when you declare yourself open for business. You need to create a brand for yourself, then pursue the customers that you wish to reach. Use your friends to receive honest feedback on your ideas.

13. Create a contract

Before you set pen to paper for a client, you need to have the parameters laid down in the form of a contract. The contract will spell out the services that you are willing to do and the number of hours that you are willing to work. This is one of the most important documents in business.

14. Discover your strengths

Examine yourself before you go into business. You want to look for avenues and opportunities which play to your strengths. Examine fields that you enjoy for opportunities. If you love to talk with people rather than sending email, look around for conferences and networking opportunities.

15. Determine your hourly rate

How much money do you need to make per hour to continue living in your lifestyle? Find out your average monthly expenses and then divide that by the numbers of days in a month that you plan to work. Divide that further by the number of hours that you plan to work in a day. That number is a factor in determining your rates.

16. Learn to track your time

Hours can pass while you are staring at a computer screen. Realize that all of your work is a learning process. You might believe that a job will take a couple of hours, but sometimes it can take the entire day. Track the time that you spend on your work so that you can adjust your prices and bill accordingly.

17. Run the numbers

If you are an article writer, how long does it take to write your standard article? How long does it take you to rewrite an article? Have a realistic idea of how much you can do in a day. How much do you need to make in a day? Know your capabilities to form realistic expectations.

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OPEN DISCUSSION: Long-term vs. Short-term Design Clients

Preston D Lee — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 14:27:16 +0000

Every once and a while here at GDB, we like to turn the editorial tables and let you share your ideas with us. After all, we know that some of the brightest designers/entrepreneurs take advice from us on a weekly basis, so we’re asking you to share your thoughts this time around.We did this a couple times before concerning How to find freelance design clients and Unpaid design internships and it has always been a real success.

Check out the questions below, add your answer(s) to the comments, and in a few more days, we’ll publish some of the best answers to the question (along with credit/links for the author).

What are some Pro’s and Con’s of working with Long-term versus Short-term clients?

Do you prefer to work with Long-term clients or Short-term? Why?

How long is “too long” to be working with a client? How short is “too short”?

Plus, add any other insights into the discussion you would like.

Thanks for sharing! We look forward to all your wonderful insights!

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Why designers should consider tolerating spec work

Conor ODriscoll — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:43:29 +0000

Spec Work has always been a controversial subject in the world of design. Why should you work with no guarantee of getting paid? Many designers claim that it signals the end of the industry. To me, however, it’s the future of the industry.

What is Spec Work?

Spec work, or speculative work, to refer to its full name, is the process of doing design work with no contract or any guarantee of getting paid – If the client likes it, he’ll use it and pay you for it. Often, spec work takes place in the form of design contests, such as on 99Designs.

Why it’s not as bad as you think

There are numerous complaints about spec work, many of which I will try to dispel here.

Work without pay?

One of the most common arguments is that it doesn’t happen in any other industry – You wouldn’t go to a hairdresser and not pay him if he didn’t cut your hair the way you wanted. However, there are numerous jobs where spec work does happen. For example, few artists create artwork knowing that it will sell. People starting up a business don’t know that it will succeed. It’s a calculated risk that you must take – If you feel that you can do a good job on a design brief, then take it on and hope that the client will like it. If you don’t feel you can do a good job on it, then don’t do it, and leave it to people who can. The same should apply for any work, whether or not it’s on spec.

Designing for money vs. Designing for passion

In relation to the example of the artist, he doesn’t create art purely to make money, that’s merely a beneficial side-effect. He does it because he’s passionate about art and enjoys what he does. The same should apply to design. If you’re in the design industry purely to make money, well, you’re probably in the wrong place. Design should be enjoyable, and you should take pleasure in doing it. I mean, you didn’t start your design career making money straight away – You must have been doing it for fun in the first place. These days, you can do it for fun, and have the chance of making a little money at the same time.

Sometimes, if you’re guaranteed to be paid at the end of the project, you might not do quite as well as you can. Often, this isn’t a conscious thing, and you may not realize you’re doing it at all. However, if you’re in a contest, you have to do your best in order to make sure you impress the client. In other words, you have a lot more stimulation and motivation to excel, rather than take everything for granted.

To research or not to research?

As part of a paid, contracted design job, the designer will often go and do lots of research on the company and its industry. Whilst this is a useful tool, and can often be very beneficial, in the wrong hands, it can result in an overly-analyzed and watered-down design. With design contests, you usually have a deadline of about 7 days, and therefore no time for research. This means your designs are often instinctive. I’m not by any means that research is bad, and nor is planning your designs, but sometimes, for some designers, going with your instinct produces great results.

More likely to get paid?

Although it doesn’t make much sense, you are actually more likely to get paid with a spec job. Almost all designers have a horror story about how a certain client has refused to pay. In these cases, they often have a contract, but the fee isn’t enough to bring the client to court over – They’d just end up losing money. However, with design contest clients such as 99Designs, the fee is already paid to the site, and although the fees are less than ordinary design work, at least you’re guaranteed of getting it if you win.

Experience is valuable

The final, most obvious reason, is that it’s experience. During the current economic climate, design jobs are becoming more sparse, so chances are that there will be times when you have no work. Why waste your time doing nothing when you could be working on spec, and having some chance of making money. Every time you design anything, you learn at least something, which in turn will make you better placed for winning further design contests, whilst also making you a better designer and more likely to attract “real” clients. If you win a design contest, the client might pass on your name to other potential clients who will come to you directly – Everything has a knock-on effect. Who knows, you could produce something good enough for your portfolio. But whether or not it has any instantly gratifying results, your hard work won’t be entirely futile, win or lose.

Some Examples

I realise that some of my reasons are minor and negligible, but the small things all add up. At the end of the day, the final result is all that really matters. Here are just a few of the wonderful designs that are out there on crowdsourcing websites:

A call for tolerance

To conclude, I am by no means saying that every designer should go and create an account on 99Designs, but at least respect it as a source of income for others. I might prefer an expensive restaurant to McDonalds, but I still accept that fast food is convenient and does the job perfectly for many people. There’s a very evident arrogance in the design world towards many things. I’m guilty of that too – I would much rather use Gotham than Arial, Photoshop than GIMP. But we still need to remember that although it may not comply with our notions of what design “should” be, design is for everyone, and everyone is just as entitled to design as professional designers. Does that reduce the standard of design? No, it merely means that the professionals have to work harder to get jobs. If anything, it is raising the standards. So for that, spec work, I salute you.

What else would you add?

Before leaving, be sure to add your thoughts, concerns, questions, or rebuttals for the rest of us to read.

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6 Questions to ask yourself before attempting a redesign

Preston D Lee — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:21:47 +0000

This article brought to you by:Visit UPrinting.com, the online printer that understands the needs of designers.

Recently, I asked all my friends* on twitter what sorts of articles they would like to read about here on GDB. One friend suggested a sort of checklist-style article about preparing for a redesign. Hence the following article. If you would like to suggest a topic for discussion and exploration here at GDB, head on over to our contact page, facebook fan page, or @mention me on twitter and we’ll try to help you out! (Also, to whomever requested this topic, I misplaced your name, so if you would kindly remind me, I’ll add your name and twitter account in here.)

With all of that out of the way, I suggest to you a list of questions you should ask yourself before attempting any sort of redesign.

1. What is the purpose of this redesign?

Generally there should be a purpose behind redesigning anything. Whether your revamping a web site, recreating a logo, or working on some print collateral, rarely should you decide to redesign something “just because you want to”. Generally redesigning things can take a toll on branding and continuity in the marketing of an organization or company, so unless the benefits of your purpose outweigh the potential problems a redesign could cause, perhaps you should consider an alternative option.

2. Who am I targeting with this redesign?

When you are establishing a specific purpose for your redesign (see point #1 above) be sure to consider your target audience. Different demographics respond differently to certain colors, shapes, textures, and other important design elements. Sometimes, as designers, we get stuck in our small box of what looks good to us and we forget that we are designing for others. Only as we take a step back and attempt to design through the eyes of a non-designer will we be able to effectively reach our target audience.

3. Why am I attempting a redesign now?

This question has everything to do with timing. What is it that made you decide to redesign you site, logo, etc. now? Let me offer a case in point: the wordpress theme I used to use here at GDB was the first theme I had ever developed and subsequently had major flaws. It came to a point here at GDB where I noticed that readers were leaving the site or spending very little time on the site and, after studying my site analytics in depth, I realized there were some major usability issues which caused traffic to go down. That was the moment I decided to redesign Graphic Design Blender. The timing was perfect, I studied it out, and then I made an educated decision on when the best time to redesign would be.

4. How many changes do I need to make?

Continuing with the scenario above, I have made a large number of changes to the site since the initial redesign. I added a navigation bar with Polls, a Job Board, your basic pages such as contact, write for GDB, etc. I have also adjusted the sidebar and footer. When I realized these changes needed to be made, I didn’t start all over from scratch with a complete redesign. I simply tweaked the design I already had.

My point? Sometimes you don’t need to entirely overhaul the logo, site, print work, or whatever design project you have. Sometimes all it takes is a little realignment, small adjustments, or rethinking of a few elements.

The fewer the changes, the better you can keep your branding and usability consistent for your users/customers. You may also want to check out this list of 10 Dos and Dont’s when redesigning a logo.

5. How long will this design last?

I have run into designers who completely redesign their web sites every 6 to 8 months. Frankly, I think this is a little ridiculous. One major question to ask yourself when redesigning anything is how long your new design will last. Are you creating such a trendy-looking logo that in years, you will need to redesign it again?

In order to make your redesign last as long as possible, consider the following:

Don’t make it too trendy, or you’ll be redesigning again real soon.

Consider the growth of company/organization involved. Design a site, logo, etc. that can grow and fluctuate accordingly.

6. What are my goals and objectives?

Lastly, establish solid goals and objectives for your redesign. What is it you are trying to accomplish? If your goal is simply to make it “look better” perhaps you should think twice about a complete redesign. Try to back up your design goals with tangible goals. If you are redesigning your portfolio site, for example, perhaps your goal is to increase the number of leads you get by a certain percentage. If you are redesigning your blog, maybe your tangible result is a lower bounce rate. Regardless of what you are redesigning, make sure you have solid goals and objectives to back up your work.

Add your tips to the list

That’s it for me. What other tips, advice, or questions to ask yourself would you add to the list? Share them with us, we’d love to hear your thoughts.

*(PS. Yes, I know that “friends” are a facebook word and “followers” are the twitter word, but I’m not the leader of a cult, and I consider all of you my friends regardless of the media of choice.)

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