29 Mar 2010
By Jon Bergan (@jonbergan)
We’re business owners and we’re damn good at it, right? We love what we do and we pour buckets of blood, sweat and tears into our businesses each and every day, right? We feel so confident about what we’re doing that we wouldn’t change it for the world… well, mostly.
But what happens when you have clients or questioning the way you work? Do we falter and try to do everything we can to make the other party smile or do we stand up for ourselves for a change to do what’s right for us?
17 Mar 2010
By Jon Bergan (@jonbergan)
Imagine this. It’s a Saturday morning, you’re sitting in your favourite arm chair, feet up and relaxing knowing that there is absolutely nothing you have to do today. No work. Nothing. You might have a hot cup of tea in one hand and your iPhone with Tweetdeck open in the other. You’re content just tweeting to friends, maybe catching some early morning television and simply letting time pass by. Stop imagining. You can do this. I do it every weekend.
It was during one of these relaxing weekend moments when I noticed a few of my fellow designers grumble about how they have to work on the weekend. Why work weekends when you don’t have to? Why shouldn’t you be 100% happy if you can be?
If you love working weekends – that’s awesome! If you don’t, then stop – now.
11 Mar 2010
By Marnie B (@marnieb)
Even before I began designing professionally, I was always very offended when someone criticized my work. Whether it was a wallpaper design I put up on DeviantArt, a sketch in my A3 sketchpad or a painting on my wall, I took it personally when it was suggested that I could have done something better.
When I started getting paid for my work, it got much harder. Us designers pour our heart and soul into our designs, wouldn’t you agree? We spend hours researching, even more hours sketching, and once the design is finished, we spend just as much time working on the way we’re going to present it to the client. So it’s no wonder it’s hard to hear, “It’s just not what we’re looking for.”
Unfortunately this is just part of the job.
5 Mar 2010
By Jon Bergan (@jonbergan)
Hi folks! I’d like to introduce you to DesignLuv – a blog about design, development and being your own boss.
It’s our absolute pleasure to finally unveil this fabulous new project of ours to the design community. We’ve been planning this little gem for a few months now and we’re really beaming with excitement to watch it finally get off the ground. Now we just have to give it some time to really stretch its wings and find its place within the blogosphere.
3 Mar 2010
By Jon Bergan (@jonbergan)
I was reading an article written by Brian Hoff of The Design Cubicle titled Marketing Calendar for Beginner Freelance Designers and it got me thinking. Inspired designers are always popping on to the scene starting their own freelance business or creative design firm, but how many of them actually succeed? How many of these great individuals make one too many mistakes and are forced to close up shop before they’ve even had a chance to show the world what they’re capable of?
It is widely known that a huge percentage of start up businesses end up closing permanently within the first two to five years of operation, however I am a firm believer that if you have a high quality product/service, a nice dose of perseverance and some good old fashioned elbow grease, just about any idea can flourish into a successful and thriving organisation.
23 Feb 2010
By Jon Bergan (@jonbergan)
For many new freelancers and even many existing design firms, it seems to be the norm to simply plod along designing logos, websites and other works without spending all that much time focusing on their actual business. To me, this is ridiculous. After all, there is a huge difference between simply designing logos and getting paid for it to running a successful business and one of the biggest differences is actually taking notice of what you’re doing and how well you’re performing.
The best way to keep track such information is to conduct some data tracking. This essentially involves the tracking of numbers (whether it be hits to your website or hours spent on a project) to determine how well both you and your business are performing. This practice can often be neglected by many business owners due to the large amount of time that must be invested into it or simply due to the change of workflow for most designers. It is important to note though that this simple task can play a huge role in your business by determining key areas that need improvement.
