Tag Archives: Opinions

Name-Your-Price Freelancing

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I read this article this morning, and it has my brain a-buzzing. I’d love to know any other thoughts on the matter. I am certainly intrigued by the idea of letting the client tell me what they’re willing to pay, but incredibly apprehensive as well. Yes, I can decide to which clients I will extend this billing method, but it still scares me. On the other hand, billing disputes would all but evaporate. Would it leave me licking my wounds? Or pleasantly surprised? Has anyone tried this? What do you think?

The scariest pricing idea ever. That works.

You Don’t Write… You Don’t Call…

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Ha. Actually had a college boy-interest say that to me once. There was a reason. :D

Dear blog-readers, I’ve not kept up with you – I’m sorry! I’ve been traveling, first to my family for Thanksgiving, then to Oregon to see friends and family. My Google Reader has over 300 unread items! I can’t wait to see what everyone has been up to. And I am on the hunt for Christmas table setting ideas, presently.

This is also partly why I’ve been absent. We moved into our house October 26th and the chipper bird in me offered to have the Big Family Christmas Dinner at our new house. I’ve been a tornado of painting and decorating since. It’s our first house (every wall was hospital white – ack!) and I want the Grand Unveiling-Slash-Christmas to be just perfect. Today, I will be putting the finishing touches on all the painting projects, applying the final coat on the refinished china cabinet, and rearranging the living room. Hobby Lobby & Home Depot, here I come!

On top of trying to channel Martha the last few weeks, I’ve been working. Two (TWO!) lines of Christmas cards, a few patterns, a tutorial, tons and tons of sketching and I have a major-huge project next week. No, I do not take any drugs. But I drink an inordinate amount of coffee. And I don’t sleep…much.

So my fine feathered friends, as I have nothing of my own to show you, I’d like to point out some really juicy bits I’ve seen on other blogs (no particular order, no particular category).

  1. Do You Look Cheesy, Dull, And Out Of Touch? and My Designer Sucks! Posts by the infamous Sparky Firepants. The first is an excellent 1-2-3 for why people need designers; the second is a cringe-worthy 1-2-3 why people might hate designers. Excellent information in both.
  2. These Cheat Sheets by Made In England made me laugh out loud (yes, LOL) yesterday. Fantastic concept, and I like the design. Oh, and they’re FREE.girls_cheat_sheet
  3. Cry Translator for iPhone on Ohdeedoh. I don’t have a baby, I don’t have an iPhone, but I know plenty of people who do and THIS IS BRILLIANT. But…does it work?120109iphoneapp
  4. 4 Beautiful Holiday Place Setting Ideas from Design Hole Online. I like the 4th one best!
  5. My photo shoot with Aaron Courter Photography. He’s so incredibly talented. Well done, Aaron. Very, very well done.

OK kids, I’m off to Home Depot & Hobby Lobby. (Let’s hope DH isn’t reading this.) Enjoy your day!

Who’s Runnin’ This Joint?

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I was summoned to the Blogiverse by @Sparkyfirepants and @revjabdub to discuss LLCs vs. S-Corps, and all the fun and games that entails for freelancers. I kind of went off, spewing massive amounts of detail and soliloquy (me? never!). It was suggested I post my comment as a blog entry here, as there really were some tasty nuggets in there. And then I can copy/paste and call it a blog entry! Yeah!

To get up to speed, read his post here.

Here is my reply (although you’ll see it on his blog as well):

Continue reading →

Honest Questions, Honest Answers

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A couple questions come to mind, this beautiful Friday morning. I am hoping for some honest answers from other designers, but would also welcome non-designers to lend their perspectives.

  1. You design something for a client, and after the project is finalized, you think of a better/new way to do it. Do you tell the client?
  2. You design something initially, and the client requests multiple rounds of revisions. At what point does your role change from Designer to Consultant? And do you inform the client?

My inclination on the first question is to say no. It would depend on the client and my relationship with them, but in my experience, this can depreciate my status as the Expert (in the client’s eyes). What I struggle with, as a designer, is feeling like it could always be better. Even when it’s at its best, it could be better. A tweak here, a tweak there. I lay in bed at night, redesigning things over and over in my mind. It’s just who I am, and the way I process. Ten years from now, I will still be mentally redesigning everything I’m working on. It’s not a lack of experience; it’s a creative process. But what if I have a sudden stroke of genius, late in the game (say, post-finalization or post-site launch or post-printing)? Should I tell them? Again, I think it depends. The balance is a better end-product versus your status as the Expert, which could affect potential repeat business.

The second question: I have no idea. If I present myself as a Designer, does that morph over time, or should I stick to my guns? Do I allow the client to dictate the specifics of a project, even if my own design sensibilities are in disagreement? Is there a formal switch from Designer to Consultant? Answering a question with questions: I am clearly tossed.

Would love some feedback.