Why your designs are falling behind and what to do about it
Do you ever feel like all the designers around you are somehow a notch above you when it comes to talent? Do you ever wonder if you’re one of those “dime-a-dozen” designers that we, as a community,...
View ArticleNailing it the first time: how to dramatically improve your design drafts
Accepting a first draft can save you a great deal of time and energy when you are working to a deadline or have other designs that you should be working on. Bbut to accept a draft and develop the...
View ArticleHow to give constructive criticism without being a jerk
Have you ever been asked to critique a fellow designer’s project that needs more than a little bit of work? You don’t want to come off as snooty or rude and you certainly don’t want to hurt their...
View Article15 Workflow tips that took my design business to the next level
As busy freelancers, time is one of your most valuable assets. The more time you can save, the more money you can make. However; you can’t just spend less time on your client work and let the quality...
View ArticleWhy you’re designing for the wrong audience (and how to fix it)
Do you have a dribble account, share all your work to social networks or constantly ask for critiques of your work from other designers? Non of those things are bad in and of themselves. They could...
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Why you’re getting responsive design all wrong (and 8 ways to rock mobile)
Remember those silly mobile themes that used to be popular a couple of years ago? You know what I’m talking about… Awful, ain’t it? This is beyond me … why would anyone put such a thing on their site?...
View Article6 Places to find creative inspiration without wifi
Designers and freelancers in general need a little help staying inspired from time to time. We all have places we like to browse while brainstorming; you never know what’s going to spark the perfect...
View ArticleWhy I never design the home page first (and which page I design before...
I’m in the middle of a huge redesign for a web site that gets hundreds of thousands (and sometimes millions) of monthly visits. It’s a big deal. And it’s pretty stressful. But if you’ve ever done any...
View ArticleWhy you should design your next website in one weekend
Just about anything worthwhile can be created in one weekend. That was basically the message I got from a recent Fizzle interview with Gumroad founder, Sahil Lavingia. Sahil used to work as a designer...
View ArticleBusiness tips from 4 creative pros who are crushing it
As I mentioned before in this post, recently I interviewed 9 amazing veteran freelancers, each on a different challenging topic they have personal experience excelling in. From hiring employees to...
View ArticleAre client emails binding contracts?
A couple weeks ago, Karol wrote a great post about not getting cheated by your design clients. In that post, we recommended (as we always do) that you have a signed contract with most of your clients....
View ArticleNo one taking you seriously? Here’s how to position yourself as an expert for...
Back in the early days of our creative marketing business, Clients from Hell was a gift from the universe. It kept me sane, reading all of those stories from fellow comrades in arms. Now, however, I...
View ArticleBack to the cubicle?! 6 Reasons to work in-house (at least part-time)
A design manager recently told me that he has a hard time finding good freelancers who are willing to work in-house. This is at a very well-respected marketing communications firm in Portland, Maine –...
View Article11 Free must-have WordPress plugins that make client customizations super simple
Fellow WordPress designers and developers: Doesn’t it just make your day (week) when you find the handiest new plugin?* Something vetted by someone who has used it before. Something that wraps up a...
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Simple InDesign tricks to speed up workflow (and get you paid faster)
Like many designers, I learned InDesign by leaping headfirst into it and figuring it out as I went. (In my case, I transitioned from the Illustrator-centric package design world to the InDesign-centric...
View Article5 Graphic design tips to shave hours off your work week
If you work in graphic design, you’re probably only too well aware of the value of good time management. Graphic designers are required to work tight deadlines and navigate around very busy schedules...
View ArticleReboot your holiday brain with this fun 5-minute creative exercise!
Like many of you, I’m just starting to emerge from the mayhem of the holiday season, when we’re all attempting to wrangle an even taller tower of spinning plates than usual. Maybe you finished up 2014...
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How to create a killer branding questionnaire
Walking with your eyes closed is pretty tough, right? Designing without adequate information is fraught with danger, too, and this is why every designer should develop a branding questionnaire. So to...
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8 Extremely simple ways to save money & time in print design (Pro tips from...
I’ve been a print designer for nearly all of my design career – and that means I’ve spent hours sending things like: package design B2B print collateral business cards posters fliers and a jillion...
View Article55+ Questions to ask when designing a logo
Knowing which questions to ask when designing a logo can be difficult. You don’t want to look stupid by asking the wrong kinds of questions. You don’t want to overwhelm your client by asking too many...
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