As a ‘noob’ to the freelance design industry in what I would consider a truly professional manner; I was somewhat naive as to how hard it would be to find clients. After the initial shock, I found myself confronted with one monumental competitor that seemed like Goliath; leaving me feeling like David (without his slingshot).. However, I soon found that the structure of the powerhouses that are graphic/web/media studios and agencies, actually makes my life somewhat easier.

Price Point

your quote is substantially lower than who we previously had contracted….

Large agencies, studios, advertising companies are well set up…. They are well setup to handle large projects, spanning months on end, that require many multitudes of work, research, development and application. This however, results in them being nowhere near as efficient when working outside those parameters.. i.e small business startups, one-off small jobs, quick turn-around projects etc. All this extra fluff means graphic design agencies as businesses must charge a premium of sorts. Per head they have to cover electricity, wages, rates etc and then charge for the design work itself and then add a little profit margin.

Me and my little studio. As a freelancer, I have a wonderful smile knowing that I am free from the majority of those things and as such I can explain that my prices are lower as they have no reason to be higher. By imparting the fact that they will receive the same if not better quality for cheaper to the client.. they have a somewhat easier decision to make.

My Big Company Ltd

Assuming you a running a proper business (you want it to grow) and not a lifestyle business (pay my rent and bills); you are going to want big clients. Big clients are the chance to get more money, recurring work, monthly retainers and the ego stroking prestige. To satisfy this type of client’s want for an all encompassing service, (i.e they not interested in having to actively seek out 5 different freelancers to complete their product launch or re-brand) then you can position yourself as a freelancer with a network of freelancers at your disposal. Alternatively, wonderful terms like freelance partnership / freelance collective can be thrown around here. Once again, we see the importance of social networking – by having a network of fellow like-minded talented individuals around you – you can have the confidence to pitch for the bigger clients and therefore, the bigger payoff.

The key here is to never promise what you cannot deliver. You do not want to find yourself in over your head. It takes an astute freelancer to put their hands up and say this is far out of my reach. Never get blinded by numbers – as you’ll find come the end of it; you wont see any of them in your account! Furthermore, one of every businesses most valuable assets is it reputation.. don’t play roulette with it.

Customer Service, Personal Touch

In any industry, the bigger the company the worse personal customer service often becomes. Nameless e-mails and phone calls in different countries are some defining factors! You must as a freelancer, have impeccable customer service. 75% of our work, comes simply from referral. As people promote they’re their business, they are invariably networking with other businesses and inevitably if you have gone that extra mile, your clients will have no problem passing on a business card or contact detail. Even when positioning yourself with larger companies, shoot out phrases like:

My company is a smaller collective of talented freelance professionals, this enables us to give you a faster and cheaper turn-a-round with the highest level of innovation! Plus, you will be talking to and working directly with who is in charge of your project!

Expertise, Niches, Specialisation

Another strategy, is to find a niche or offer specialised services. A jack of all trades is a master of none. It is up to you through your marketing and promotion to position yourself in this way. Thus, the client will see that you and not the multitude of agencies are a genuine expert in this field. This strategy, you may find you actually getting outsourced work from agencies/studios. This is a fairly widely applicable concept. Are you going to launch another design blog spewing top 10 lists and attack powerhouses with 30+ people writing articles and 20K subscribers? or would it be smarter to launch a niche blog that specialises in something? Of course, as with every niche in terms of business – it is only a good idea if there is an actual demand.

Another key closing point is to remember, we are all out searching for clients and that competition is fierce. I personally work on the basis that: quarterly I want to get 50% of all jobs pitched/enquired for/about as a good average. I read somewhere… (someone tell me if you know) :

In large, successful businesses are based on averages and not on any one single client…

Competing for jobs is the way! You must… If your conversion rate is above 50% – your lucky in that either your competition is weak, or you are failing somewhere (pricing?) – If it is below 50%, market yourself harder and promote yourself harder!

Do you guys out there think competing with agencies is a possibility? How do you advise you do so?

Extra Resources

• How To: Successfully Launch a Web Design Startup with Social Media and No Budget
• How to Build Your Online Brand
• Customer Service: The Importance of Quality Customer Service

Related Posts:

• July 25, 2010 -- Maintaining Business Standards As A Freelancer (3)
• February 21, 2010 -- Don’t be another washed up freelancer – The Freelance Lifecycle (1)
• February 3, 2010 -- How do your organise yourself as a freelance designer? – Part 2 (2)
• December 13, 2009 -- Long Term Freelancing Success – Part 2 – Marketing (10)
• December 2, 2009 -- Does a successful freelancer have to be a good sales person? (6)
• November 19, 2009 -- Should You Find a Niche To Stand Out From The Pack? (3)

At some point you will come face to face with the worst type of client. The client who despite numerous attempts on your behalf, is refusing to pay outstanding fees on a project.

As a business you will at some point have to go after a non-paying client, and as such should be prepared for the fight; or at least be prepared to issue the threat of a fight. Personal / Business time lengths are differential between entities but as a general rule you will know when this time sets upon you or is vast approaching when:

• Any invoice is over 60 days old
• At least four attempts at contact via e-mail or phone have gone unasnwered
• A client tells you that they are not going to pay (always the easiest to identify)
• When material you have created / sold is used before payment is settled against terms of contract
• Wishy-washy promises start being issued of further work so settlement should be delayed until they are complete
• A personal favourite: ‘payment has been sent, have you not received it?’

As an efficient and well prepared business you should have a method / set of rules in place for this very eventuality. You cannot expect a client to be prompt and timely with their end, if you are not the same with yours! The best way to address this hyperthetical situation is from the beginning…

1) First invoice not paid

I am not going to go into why you should have contracts, but simply this event is one of many in favour of working with contracts. One key point is having contracts in place that stipulate to the client how quickly they are expected to pay invoices once they have been issued. This immediately gives you a date to send your first reminder. Typically for us this may be between one and two working weeks. At this stage, our eyebrows are far from raised; there is a multitude of reasons why payment may not have been received. (Benefit of the doubt is given) For us, this is simply a follow-up email with the invoice attached as a PDF.
Example:

Dear ************,

Hope you are well. We are e-mailing in regard to ( project / reference number ) and its respective invoice sent on (date). As discussed, the project has now been completed and the invoice to the amount of (£ FEE ) is now overdue as per the agreed schedule of payment. There are a number of payments methods available as detailed in the attachment.

We look forward to hearing from you and receiving payment promptly,

Kind Regards,

(SIGNATURE)

2) E-mail not answered / Payment not received
At this point for us, payment is roughly 3 working weeks late and the client has been out of contact for approximately a fortnight. At this point eyebrows are raised. Lack of contact is an alarm bell in itself. This is where our tone in following contact needs to take on a certain level of seriousness. The first invoice at this point is followed by a phone call to enquire as per the status of payment and when it can be expected to be received. After this phone call, it is good practice to shoot the client an e-mail summarising your phone call and any agreements you may have come to, as well as re-issuing any amended invoice timescales etc. If unable to reach the client via telephone or they are uncooperative then an e-mail to the following extent is sent; as well as a letter to the same effect. Remember, your a business and as such you need to conduct yourself as one, being ‘nice’ at this point isn’t a requirement; being professional is:

Example:

Dear ************,

We are e-mailing in regard to ( project / reference number ) and its respective invoice sent on (date). As discussed, the project has now been completed and the invoice to the amount of (£ FEE ) is now considerably overdue as per the agreed schedule of payment within contract (ref number). The commissioned works were completed and delivered in full on the (DATE, 2009), and its payment has now been overdue by (TIME) days at the time of this emails composure. The bill of (£ FEE) was neither settled within ( TIMESCALE) as contracted and numerous attempts to contact you have been unsuccessful.

As per our normal practices, we must at this point (in accordance with our terms and conditions) request payment within (TIME SCALE) ( 7 days) of this contact. If payment is not received by (TIME, DATE) we will deem you in breach of contract and will take appropriate action. Detailed within our contract, we also feel it important to remind you that until payment is settled in full, all works are the full legal intellectual property of (COMPANY).

There are a number of payments methods available as detailed in the attachment. Please do not hesitate to get in touch via (CONTACT DETAILS).

We look forward to hearing from you and receiving payment promptly,

Kind Regards,

(SIGNATURE)

3) E-mail / Letter not answered / Payment not received

At this point you should revoke the use of any systems you have made available to the client if possible. (e.g a website). At this point you have several options. Our personal normal action after this is to simply to refer the matter to our solicitor. Solicitors will issue the following contact at a fee ( around £30.00 GBP ) per correspondence and keep us informed accordingly. Why get the law involved? Psychological warfare! Many people / small businesses will magically arise from the shadows and a ‘troublesome email server’ or an ‘office move’ when they receive a headed; formal; debt notification letter from a solicitor. One of these wonderful gems, contains diplomatically worded threat as to the consequences of further non-payment and absence of contact; it also establishes a deadline beyond which this threat will be acted upon. it is also advisable to discuss the matter in full with your solicitor, as in reality you do not want to word your letter threatening full civil action in regard to a bill of £1.00 GBP. Extreme example but you get the point. It often also states how the fee is likely to increase with interest / debt recovery fees should time pass by a further set time limit. You can also, simply send a similar letter yourself but we feel the fee is worthit. We also copy and type the letter as an e-mail to the same effect to the client.

4) Contact and Resolution / ‘Walking the walk’

At this point, fortunately for us in the two honest occasions this has happened, the client has paid in full with an e-mail summarising their ‘circumstances’ within days of receiving the solicitors lawyer. The key for us, was simply responding in a professional manner:

Example:

Dear ************,

Hope you are well. We are happy to confirm receipt of payment for (project / ref number) and its invoice (number / reference). Please find attached the statement of accounts and receipt of payment. (Relevant files / services will be re-instated/sent) to you within 24 hours. We wish you the best in your further endeavors and would hope you would not hesitate to contact us in the future for your design projects.

Kind Regards,

(SIGNATURE)

However, not everyone’s tale ends in a fairytale happily ever after. The client may offer to compromise, in which case you will have to decide, in consultation with your solicitor upon the terms of that compromise. Sometimes, settlement for an agreed fee is the most economical and beneficial resolution to the matter.

If after setting upon the following process, and going out of your way to accommodate your client, then you have to decide if you wish to pursue the matter and carry out your diplomatically worded threats….

How do you deal with non-paying clients?

Related Posts:

• January 4, 2010 -- Referrals – Freelancing Dreams (3)
• December 7, 2009 -- What Should You Include In A Design Project Proposal? (5)
• November 25, 2009 -- Factors To Consider When Pricing For A Project (6)
• November 11, 2009 -- 10 Ways To Score and Evaluate A Client (6)
• November 6, 2009 -- When Your Client Wants To Become The Designer (0)
• November 5, 2009 -- 11 Articles To Stop You Making Designer Mistakes (7)

Every now and then you receive a client who gets involved in your end of the deal, and is questioning / making firm suggestions about directions to take. This could be due to their eagerness, misunderstanding of professional boundaries or personality; but it needs to be addressed when they begin to intrude too much upon the design of your project; to its detriment..

I have found, the best way to approach this niggle in la backside and take control is to explain why you are the designer and they are the client.

Experience

Make sure you take the time to explain that you are the designer and as such have a wealth of experiencing designing and they well… don’t. This is often a hard point to word without being antagonistic but make sure it is seen as a simple statement and not a call to argument.

Professional Skill

This is the point that you should be itching to use in your arsenal. You have reasons behind your madness – explain them. Explain why comic sans and neon green is not the correct brand colour for an emerging accountancy firm. Explain why that subtle flick on the tail of a character of text is a key element to the design. Explain why flash should be used sparingly when it is not appropriate etc

Homework

Another great approach is to validate your concerns as to why for instance a huge flash splash page is not necessary, is by letting the client read up o the issue. We have a great design community full of loads of little articles explaining many issues you may come to loggerheads over. Take the time to source something relevant and send it over to them.

On the flipside

It is also important to approach the situation from a professional standing, and ask why you object to their suggestions?

Pride

With every project, it is essential to maintain a professional distance. This distance is what allows you to evaluate their suggestions and to be objective. You need to ask, are you opposed to their intrusion because they are going to break the site’s function or logo’s fitness for purpose? Or are you opposed because you really think doing a certain something in a certain way will look great in your portfolio?

Contracts

This situation amongst others is another wonderful example of why having a detailed and pragmatic contract is essential! Ensuring that design revisions, what constitutes a revision, extra fees for extra revisions & how many revisions are included cemented within the contract protects both of you. Controversial to say, but if your client is adamant and set upon their course – remember two of the key points here are to provide what the client wants and that you are a business and such are being paid. If the client wants to delay proceedings by a month to see how a new web design will look, or to receive 4 more logo concepts, GREAT… show me the money.

Outside Perspective
There is no harm in seeking outside perspective… ask a fellow professional and if applicable ask a somebody who is not a design professional. Maybe your judgement is off and maybe this may be one of the rare situations where you will have to hold your hands up and say… ‘I was wrong’

Inspired by a thread on WDF

Related Posts:

• November 25, 2009 -- Factors To Consider When Pricing For A Project (6)
• July 25, 2010 -- Maintaining Business Standards As A Freelancer (3)
• January 4, 2010 -- Referrals – Freelancing Dreams (3)
• December 2, 2009 -- Does a successful freelancer have to be a good sales person? (6)
• November 19, 2009 -- Should You Find a Niche To Stand Out From The Pack? (3)
• November 18, 2009 -- Long Term Freelancing Success – Part 1 – Dedication (9)

It is inevitable and if it hasn’t happened to yourself yet, it is not far round the corner especially in the economic times were in. Quite often, a potential client will challenge you on your pricing. i.e your rate per hour, total price etc

The first time it happened to us, we were hit with this painful urge to almost apologise, back-track and revise our quote…. Don’t. Handling a pricing objection well will help present yourself as an experienced professional.

When pricing and developing a quote, it is self-defeating to believe that it will be too high. If a client challenges you, the trick is to act genuinely surprised but not to apologize or automatically decrease your fee. No other company would do this! The sad truth, is many people simply do not know what quality professional design services should cost them or their business and are often hit with a quote they never envisaged.

Firstly, respond to the client reassuringly and explain why you have costed the works as you have. (time involved, skills required, your expertise, general industry reasons as to why you are a design professional )

Secondly,; You should impart the feeling that with your experience, level of expertise – the client is getting value for money and that your pricing is actually very competitive.

Thirdly, those wonderful little marketing and mind game sentences that serve many so well. Sentences like:

‘If you hunt around, I am sure you will find it hard to find similar quality and level of work for cheaper’

By saying something like this, you put the ball back on their court and subtly ask them in a friendly way to think again. Cost – benefit analysis. Introduce the idea that low price is not as important as good work and high value.

‘My price may seem high, but you’ll find I am very easy to work with and highly dependable’

Emphasise the value of less physical benefits that you can offer and how they should factor into a client decision.

If all else fails, and the client will not budge or they simply cannot afford your quote. You then must make the decision whether to pass up work or set into motion the unfortunate:

‘Lets see what I can do to meet your budget’

This is a position we have all found ourselves in right from day one. Be attentive, be helpful. Let the client know that you are going to take some time to see what can be done for them. Respond by describing how you can maybe offer a less expensive option that still delivers near enough the same result if done correctly. ( 2 colour printing vs 4 colour printing / innovative brochure packaging etc ).

If the client, does not wish to have any change to their specification and you still wish to take the job on, emphasise that doing the job at the lower price than normal is a one-off exception and it is almost certainly not a trend for projects to come. Give a blanket reason for your kindness:

- Interested in your project / cause
- Filling up your portfolio with this type of work

Te key is never to appear that you are just desperate for work!

Reference: The Business Side of Creativity by Cameron S.Foote

Related Posts:

• December 7, 2009 -- What Should You Include In A Design Project Proposal? (5)
• December 2, 2009 -- Does a successful freelancer have to be a good sales person? (6)
• November 25, 2009 -- Factors To Consider When Pricing For A Project (6)
• November 9, 2009 -- How To Deal with Non-Paying Clients (29)
• November 6, 2009 -- When Your Client Wants To Become The Designer (0)
• April 6, 2009 -- When Meeting A Client as a freelance designer… (8)

Whilst searching the web for a comprehensive resource to help me to decide what monitor to buy, I came across this great thread on the AnandTech Forums:

Best Monitor for Purpose

The thread is segmented into different purposes you may require monitors for. Here is the section related to Design:

PRINT-TARGET MEDIA PROCESSING (print proofing/Adobe RGB photo editing, Publisher/PageMaker)

o High contrast at medium brightness
o Accurate color/gamma curve
o Good text reproduction
o Wide gamut (92% W-CCFL or >100% LED) preferred for CMYK/print matching

1. 25.5″: NEC MultiSync LCD2690WUXi-BK, 1920×1200 (16:10)
o Panel: soft anti-glare H-IPS w/ A-TW-Pol, 92% NTSC, 16.7M colors
o Inputs: DVI-I, DVI-D (HDCP), VGA
o Scaling: Full, Aspect, 1:1, Custom
o Input Lag: 40.33 ms, avg (In House)
o Ergonomics: Height Adjustment, Swivel, Tilt, Pivot, VESA Mount

2. 30″: NEC MultiSync LCD3090WQXi-BK, 2560×1600 (16:10)
o Panel: hard anti-glare H-IPS, 85% NTSC, 16.7M colors
o Inputs: DVI-D DL (HDCP), DVI-I
o Scaling: Full, Aspect, 1:1, Custom
o Input Lag: 40.5 ms, avg (prad)
o Ergonomics: Height Adjustment, Swivel, Tilt, Pivot, VESA Mount

3. 30″: Dell UltraSharp 3008WFP, 2560×1600 (16:10)
o Panel: hard anti-glare S-IPS, 117% NTSC, 16.7M colors
o Inputs: DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI-D DL (HDCP), VGA, Component, S-Video, Composite, 4-Port USB Hub, 9-in-2 Media Card Reader
o Scaling: Full, Aspect, 1:1
o Input Lag: 33 ms, avg (Estimate) (inferred from prad, BeHardware, and HotHardware’s findings)
o Ergonomics: Height Adjustment, Swivel, Tilt, VESA Mount

4. 30″: Dell UltraSharp 3007WFP-HC, 2560×1600 (16:10)
o Panel: hard anti-glare S-IPS, 92% NTSC, 16.7M colors
o Inputs: DVI-D DL (HDCP), 2-Port USB Hub, 4-in-1 Media Card Reader, CF Slot
o Scaling: None
o Input Lag: 28 ms, avg (Source)
o Ergonomics: Height Adjustment, Swivel, Tilt, VESA Mount

5. 24″: HP LP2475w, 1920×1200 (16:10)
o Panel: soft anti-glare H-IPS, 102% NTSC, 16.7M colors
o Inputs: DisplayPort (HDCP), HDMI, DVI-I, Component, S-Video, Composite, 6-Port USB Hub
o Input Lag: 33 ms, avg (prad)
o Ergonomics: Height Adjustment, Swivel, Tilt, Pivot, VESA Mount
o Scaling: Full, Aspect, 1:1

6. 25.5″: Planar PX2611W, 1920×1200 (16:10)
o Panel: anti-glare H-IPS, 92% NTSC, 16.7M colors
o Inputs: DVI-D (HDCP), VGA, 4-Port USB Hub
o Input Lag: 16 ms, avg (ToastyX)
o Ergonomics: Height Adjustment, Swivel, Tilt, VESA Mount
o Scaling: Full, Aspect, 1:1

7. 25.5″: DoubleSight DS-265W, 1920×1200 (16:10)
o Panel: anti-glare H-IPS, 92% NTSC, 16.7M colors
o Inputs: DVI-D (HDCP), VGA, Component
o Scaling: Full
o Input Lag: 16 ms, avg (Estimate)
o Ergonomics: Height Adjustment, Swivel, Tilt, Pivot, VESA Mount

8. 27″: Dell UltraSharp 2709W, 1920×1200 (16:10)
o Panel: anti-glare S-PVA, 110% NTSC, 16.7M colors
o Inputs: DisplayPort, HDMI, 2 x DVI-D DL (HDCP), VGA, Component, Composite, 4-Port USB Hub, 9-in-2 Media Card Reader
o Scaling: Full, Aspect, 1:1
o Input Lag: 47 ms, avg (prad)
o Ergonomics: Height Adjustment, Swivel, Tilt, VESA Mount

9. 30″: Samsung SyncMaster 305T, 2560×1600 (16:10)
o Panel: hard anti-glare S-PVA, 92% NTSC, 16.7M colors
o Inputs: DVI-D DL, 4-Port USB Hub
o Scaling: [Unknown]
o Input Lag: 29.3 ms, avg (DigitalVersus)
o Ergonomics: Height Adjustment, Swivel, Tilt, VESA Mount

10. 24″: Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP, 1920×1200 (16:10)
o Panel: anti-glare S-PVA, 102% NTSC, 16.7M colors
o Inputs: DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI-D (HDCP), VGA, Component, S-Video, Composite, 4-Port USB Hub, 9-in-2 Media Card Reader
o Scaling: Full, Aspect, 1:1
o Input Lag: 33 ms, avg (gorobei)
o Ergonomics: Height Adjustment, Swivel, Tilt, Pivot, VESA Mount

PHOTO EDITING/WEB DESIGN (classic sRGB/web-target photo editing, or web design)

o High contrast at medium brightness
o Accurate color/gamma curve
o sRGB (72% NTSC) gamut for better screen matching

1. 24.1″: NEC MultiSync LCD2490WUXi-BK, 1920×1200 (16:10)
o Panel: soft anti-glare H-IPS w/ A-TW-Pol, 72% NTSC, 16.7M colors
o Inputs: DVI-I, DVI-D (HDCP), VGA
o Scaling: Full, Aspect, 1:1, Custom
o Input Lag: 33 ms, avg (Estimate)
o Ergonomics: Height Adjustment, Swivel, Tilt, Pivot, VESA Mount

2. 21.3″: NEC MultiSync LCD2190UXi-BK, 1600×1200 (4:3)
o Panel: anti-glare S-IPS, 72% NTSC, 16.7M colors
o Inputs: DVI-D, DVI-I, VGA
o Scaling: Full, Aspect, 1:1, Custom
o Input Lag: 16 ms, avg (Estimate)
o Ergonomics: Height Adjustment, Swivel, Tilt, Pivot, VESA Mount

3. 20.1″: NEC MultiSync LCD2090UXi-BK, 1600×1200 (4:3)
o Panel: anti-glare S-IPS, 72% NTSC, 16.7M colors
o Inputs: DVI-D, DVI-I, VGA
o Scaling: Full, Aspect, 1:1, Custom
o Input Lag: 16 ms, avg (Estimate)
o Ergonomics: Height Adjustment, Swivel, Tilt, Pivot, VESA Mount

4. 21.3″: NEC MultiSync LCD2190UXp-BK, 1600×1200 (4:3)
o Panel: anti-glare S-PVA, 72% NTSC, 16.7M colors
o Inputs: DVI-D, DVI-I, VGA
o Scaling: Full, Aspect, 1:1, Custom
o Input Lag: 16 ms, avg (Estimate)
o Ergonomics: Height Adjustment, Swivel, Tilt, Pivot, VESA Mount

5. 19″: NEC MultiSync LCD1990FXp-BK, 1280×1024 (5:4)
o Panel: anti-glare S-PVA, 72% NTSC, 16.7M colors
o Inputs: DVI-D, VGA
o Scaling: [Unknown]
o Input Lag: 16 ms, avg (Estimate)
o Ergonomics: Height Adjustment, Swivel, Tilt, Pivot, VESA Mount
o Notes: S-PVA panel. Not supported by SpectraView II, and not quite as high caliber as other NEC 90s series monitors, but still a good photo editing candidate. Not the best monitor for fast motion, but perhaps adequate. Info about the similar LCD1990SX is unavailable.

6. 22″: Dell UltraSharp 2209WA, 1680×1050 (16:10)
o Panel: hard anti-glare e-IPS, 72% NTSC, 16.7M colors
o Inputs: DVI-D (HDCP), VGA, 4-Port USB Hub
o Scaling: Full, Aspect
o Input Lag: 20.6 ms, avg (8 – 20.6 – 30)
o Ergonomics: Height Adjustment, Tilt, Swivel, Pivot, VESA Mount

7. 20.1″: HP LP2065, 1600×1200 (4:3)
o Panel: hard anti-glare S-IPS/AMVA, 72% NTSC, 16.7M colors
o Inputs: 2 x DVI-I, 4-Port USB Hub
o Scaling: [Unknown]
o Input Lag: 33 ms, avg (Estimate)
o Ergonomics: Height Adjustment, Swivel, Tilt, Pivot, VESA Mount
o Info: official specs | prad
o Notes: Panel lottery between S-IPS/AMVA panels. Both panels have their good merits. Aggressive anti-glare coating might be annoying to some.

Use these panels for non-critical work only. If you work for a professional design company, use the ones above this line.

8. 24″: BenQ G2400WD, 1920×1200 (16:10)
o Panel: anti-glare TN, 72% NTSC, 16.7M colors
o Inputs: HDMI, DVI-D (HDCP), VGA
o Scaling: Full, Aspect, 1:1
o Input Lag: 1.9 ms, avg (Inferred from G2400W)
o Ergonomics: Tilt, VESA Mount
o Info: official specs | prad
o Notes: Better quality than Samsung 245BW, cheaper. Less scaling lag than 2493HM and better out-of-the-box colors. 1:1 support. You can use the G2400WD as an alternative to other pricey models for photo editing, but it does have problems with viewing angle stability due to the TN panel and you’ll want to be aware of this. Don’t use it for mission-critical work.

Full credit to those over at the AnandTech Forums who created this list.

Related Posts:

• January 6, 2010 -- A Monitor for Every Budget – What Monitor for Photography and Design? (5)
• November 13, 2009 -- QuickGamma – Calibrate Your Monitor Free (1)
• April 23, 2009 -- How to Calibrate Your Screen/Monitor for free (6)
• August 18, 2010 -- 30 Stunning Black and White Photos (16)
• August 5, 2010 -- WorkSnug – Finding Places To Get Design Work Done On The Go (3)
• August 3, 2010 -- Polishing Photos Off With Shadows & Sharpening (Video Photoshop Tutorial) (1)

Hi all,

While surfing forums and the like found a great free contract resource , over at WDF.

This is a contract that I came up with several years ago, with the help of a lawyer [personal friend]. I didn’t want anything too technical or full of legal speak. Just wanted something simple, straightforward, that made sense and didn’t confuse or intimidate in any way. So there are no major legal terms in the document at all…it simply does what it’s meant to – lay out the information that client has supplied [the brief], say what you’re going to do for them and how much your going to charge and what deadlines there are…

A few pointers though:

1. When the terms ‘client’, ‘job’ or ‘your company name’ appear in your text always use a capital letter ‘Client’ – ‘Job’ – ‘Eskymo’ as these are terms that have been defined at the beginning of the document and this is the proper way to refer to things.

2. I generally send clients a contract via email – I export the document as a PDF [so they can't edit it in anyway] and email it to them. They then have the option of printing it out and signing it and sending it back to me via the post, or they can ‘digitally’ sign it and email it back, or I just ask them to respond to the email with a formal acceptance of the contract – I then print out this email and keep it on file. Always make sure you get an agreement either in writing or an email – an agreement in a telephone conversation is no good as there is no way of referring back to it.

Contract, PDF download

Contract, MS Office Download:

Contract, Open Office Download:

Don’t forget to pop on over to the Web Designer Forums for more great resources. As a web designer and logo designer their forum’s are a great place for advice.

Related Posts:

• March 15, 2010 -- 50 Freely Available Professional Fonts For Your Designs (34)
• May 11, 2010 -- How to Avoid Over Working Yourself As A Freelancer (5)
• January 30, 2010 -- 5 Free Non-Disclosure Agreements (8)
• January 6, 2010 -- 5 Free Web Design Proposal Contracts (0)
• December 31, 2009 -- Factors To Consider When Pricing A Project – Part 2 (4)
• December 13, 2009 -- Long Term Freelancing Success – Part 2 – Marketing (10)

How essential is a design degree to a designer?

Having gone through the process of formal education in graphic design and illustration (and paid the accompanying expenses) Many designers have often had to ask themselves the question: ‘was it worth it?’

The simple fact is that, with the evolution of the internet to a level where intellectual and technical resources are freely available, those wishing to break into our industry have at their fingertips the necessary tools and know-how to make a start. Fortunately, the majority of professional designers aren’t selfish with their knowledge, and a huge number of blogs and articles will address issues such as common layout mistakes, and advice on getting work print-ready etc. So the theory of designing can be ‘self taught’ relatively easily, and it’s not just a case of accessing the necessary tools online, but not knowing what to do with them.

However. Something to be said for formal training is that you can learn a lot better by doing. You tend to remember methods of design practice if early on in your education a tutor has been able to drill it into your thinking. One good example being when I was studying for a foundation degree we had many sessions focussing only on principles of hierarchy. Nothing but old school cutting and pasting and enlarging on a photocopier. Ultimately these methods, which may have seemed tedious at the time cemented an understanding of hierarchy in my thinking that would never have stuck so well had it just been some advice that I read say, in a blog post. (think the karate kid, painting the fence.

Of course there’s a middle way between being completely self-taught and investing thousands of pounds and several years in a design BA. Many institutions offer short, part time courses or evening classes that can really be useful as they equip you with technical skills to make a success in the design world, but most importantly they provide the mentoring aspect that can help to establish good practice early on in a designer’s career.

Extra Links:

http://www.lcc.arts.ac.uk/courses/further_education.htm

http://www.chelsea.arts.ac.uk/shortcourses/

http://www.gold.ac.uk/icce/shortcourses/

Do you think you need a degree to freelance?

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When we first began, a friend sent over some very nice business plan, asset, balance sheet, started up expenses etc type templates. You can use, edit these at your own discretion. Unfortunately, I do not know and cannot ascertain who created them, so am unable to give credit, where its due as these templates are life-savers. The files are in PDF/ Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel format.  You can download them in a ZIP file by clicking the link below:

 Download Business Templates

Inside the Folder contains:

- Business Plan Template

- Start-up Expenses Template

- Projected Balance Sheet

- 12 Month Cash Flow Statement

- Non Disclosure Agreement template

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As website designers , we know all to well how difficult it can be to competitively price your work; we compiled the following list of resources to help us in our endeavors.

1) Design Talkboard: ‘How much to charge for Graphic Design’

in reality, freelance designers will need to research carefully and develop a pricing structure most suited to their own business.

2) About: Graphic Design – Hourly Rate vs. Flat Rate

A common decision to be made when starting a graphic design project is whether to charge a flat or an hourly rate. Each method has pros and cons, as well as ways to work towards a fair deal for both you and your client.

3) Sitepoint.com: ‘Pricing Web Work’

You’ve used every trick in the book to get visitors to your site, encourage enquiries from prospects, and land that sale… but it’s no good if you sell your services for next to nothing. If you’re a freelance Web designer, or you own a Web design shop, your business survival may rest on the development of an appropriate pricing model. Here’s how.

4) Creative Pro: ‘Setting Rates for Your Small Design Firm’

When you’re a freelancer, setting rates is relatively simple; you fill in a few cost numbers, find a comfortable profit margin (if you can), and divide the cost of business by the number of hours you want or need to work. As a result, most freelancers have a single rate card.

5) Advertising About: ‘Freelance Rates’

There’s no cookie-cutter method to magically set your rates. One copywriter may charge $350 for a direct mail piece and another may charge into the thousands. However, there are several factors you can consider to help you build a strong rate schedule that won’t scare off any potential clients.

6) All Freelance Work: ‘Small Design Business Pricing’

Now that you have all the information related to the project, it’s time to start the estimation process. It takes time and discipline to calculate the figures accurately. The most effective way to prepare an accurate estimate is to map out the entire project and all of its components in a Flow Chart.

7) Graphic Design.com ‘Advice on Pricing’

Many people price from the hip and really haven’t gotten a handle of what it’s actually costing them. Read my lips:
You will never know how much to charge for your work, until you know how much it costs you to do the work!

Freelancing, like any other business, should have standard accounting practices applied. This helps you establish how much it costs you — leading to how much you should charge. It’s simple math.

8.) Creative Public: Graphic and Web Design Pricing

Determining how much to charge for your services is often one of the biggest challenges for a new freelancer. If you charge too much you won’t get hired and if you charge too little you’ll starve. Take the time to read this article and you will figure out what you need to charge to thrive.

9) All Freelance.com – : Pricing Amongst Other Freelancer’s

When running a business, there will be many factors you will have to consider on a daily basis. One such concern which needs to be addressed from time to time relates to pricing and positioning amongst others. Since there are often a great deal of competitors on the consumer market in a variety of business fields, it is important to ensure that your prices and offerings are fair when compared with others yet still fair enough to yourself as a business owner. There are a few factors you should consider when contemplating pricing and positioning amongst others.

10) Vandelay Design – 12 Realities of Pricing Design Services

Unfortunately, there’s no right or wrong way to price your services. Every designer needs to develop his or her own method for pricing, and even then, you probably won’t be able to follow the same formula on every project. Because each job will be different, it’s difficult to develop a method that will work well every time.

Related Posts:

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• July 25, 2010 -- Maintaining Business Standards As A Freelancer (3)
• December 2, 2009 -- Does a successful freelancer have to be a good sales person? (6)
• November 19, 2009 -- Should You Find a Niche To Stand Out From The Pack? (3)
• November 13, 2009 -- Competing Against The Agency – The Freelancer’s Epic Battle (21)
• November 11, 2009 -- 10 Ways To Score and Evaluate A Client (6)

To quickly create a simple sepia effect in Photoshop, do the following:

1)Import your photo and then select the adjustment layer “Hue & Saturation”

2)Check colorize and enter the following values and hit ok! Done.

You can play with the Hue slider and the Saturation slider to add/decrease the intensity of the effect.

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