As salespeople as well as designers, we often feel like we should be bowing to our client’s every need. We might especially do that in this economy, where it feels like a person has to scramble for every penny and pittance they can get. However, at times this can lead to wasting good time that can be put towards development work.

But what are the warning signs of a bad client that’s going to put us in a slippery position? Or maybe you’re really asking should I really go with this client, despite their demands? Let’s explore the types of problem clients, and how to explore them! Read more »

Today, I got my New Every 2 phone from Verizon. For the last two years after deciding to get a plan with Verizon, I have used the free Samsung phone that came for free at the time in which I purchased my plan. My little phone was okay aside from horrible sound and its inability to properly recognize its voice, not to mention the occasional lost message and the occasional lost text. All in all, though I tried to remain positive about its prospects, my old phone did not treat me properly.

I discovered this today whenever my fiance and I decided to purchase a twin set of Motorola Droids with the New Every 2 and Verizon’s current “Buy One get One Free” marketing campaign; the guy even threw in some accessories for 20% off.

At first I was very critical about smart phones and could not imagine that they actually had the impact on small business as they would, until I began to discover the worth of my Droid. Read more »

Most of what you’re about to read may or may not come off as “common sense.” If you feel this way, then look at your life. Are you applying these steps to your life? Do you feel you need a set path for becoming a great designer? Then keep reading.

The rule of thumb has always been “practice makes perfect.” Then we’re told that we will never be “perfect,” but our imperfections are our true perfections – we just need to find a way to bring out our best. Read more »

The essential energy of a design is created through the spacing. Spacing is not only important for defining elements and setting them apart, but also for creating the overall tone and energy of a piece; unequal spacing catches the eye, and adds the general flare to a design. With this in mind, it is essential that even the most novice designer learn the importance behind placement in a design, and through practice, develop an understanding that placement cannot just simply happen, just like good design doesn’t simply happen. Through nature and experimentation, the novice can best learn to use the placement and division of a piece in order to convey a proper message, and understand how it is used in the media around them. Read more »

Today, I am trying something a bit different. I’ve put up a premade site under my portfolio; depending upon how much popularity this theme and the others I plan on posting receives, I will be considering creating a page dedicated to premade web templates.

Normally I charge $20/hour for a project; for a full project, this amounts to around $400+, though I’d say my average is around $500 depending on the amount of programming and changes requested. I allow clients to have an unlimited amount of requested changes, but at the same time, I do not work for free.

This theme in question is very flexible; its navigation can be requested to be placed anywhere (though I would suggest horizontally), and it can have contact information placed opposite of the logo. The image can be edited or left as-is, and because it is content rich, not only will it have a greater amount of SEO, it will also show flexibility for what one might wish to put in there; RSS feeds, social networking links, or even just more content about your company in general. Read more »