Several years ago, I worked as an in-house copywriter and designer for a prominent marketing firm. When I first applied for the job I didn’t have any of the credentials my employers were looking for,…
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Addison Duvall (37 Posts)
New Flavors: Design and the Unique
Quick, how many flavors are there in food? We’ve all probably heard that there are four: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. But what would you say if I told you that someone had discovered a…
Talking Cash: Preventing Future Client Burn
It seems like every designer has a horror story or two (or seventeen) about getting ripped off by a client who refuses to pay. Once it happens, there’s not too much you can do. It…
Don’t Over-Crowd The Plate! 4 Ways To Simplify Your Designs
You probably know that putting too much food on your plate is usually a bad idea. Since research indicates that you’re more likely to overeat if you fill your plate, it’s not a good thing…
Refusing Bad Business: A Luxury You Can’t NOT Afford
As someone who’s worked on both sides of the freelancer-client fence, I give a lot of “insider” advice to designers on dealing with their clients. One of the most common problems I hear is that…
Be the Mom: How To Avoid Design By Committee
Here’s a scenario for you: a woman has three young children, each armed with a handful of crayons. They’re happily drawing on a large sheet of paper, cooperating and sharing colors. The woman leaves the…
The Dangers of Flexibility: Should You Stand Your Ground With Clients?
Okay, freelance designers. Stop me if you’ve heard this one: you’re working on a project for a client, and all of a sudden there’s a discrepancy with your payment. Perhaps it’s because of scope creep,…
3 Ways Designers Can Provide Unique Value To Clients
If you’ve ever purchased organic food from a grocery store or farmer’s market, you know that it can be, well, pricey. Some people report as much as a 300% increase in their grocery bill when…
Networking For Designers 101: How To Network Properly
Ah, networking. Every creative freelancer’s favorite thing ever. Going out to events, shaking hands, plastering on a fake smile, getting paper cuts from passing out hundreds of business cards, dodging flakes and crazies galore. Or…
When Bad Jobs Happen To Good Designers: How To Market Your Way Out Of Mediocrity
We’ve all heard the saying “a designer is only as good as his/her clients.” Some designers, regardless of skill level or experience, seem to always have the most interesting assignments that are creative, challenging, and…
