-
All responses Most smiled responses
-
Ellie: There are so many great places to buy fonts! For free fonts I like to search http://dafont.com, and there are beautiful fonts for sale at http://veer.com, http://www.houseind.com, http://www.fontshop.com, http://new.myfonts.com, and http://www.typography.com/fonts for starters. You should tell clients they need to buy the font themselves if they plan to edit your design template or carry your design motifs through to other pieces. I don't know that you can buy resale licenses... I've never heard of that. Of course, once you own a font you can use it as you please in your own work, you just can't share the font files with others.
-
Ellie: I'm working on a Howdy Do It post on this topic, so you'll have to stay tuned tomorrow afternoon!
-
Ellie: Most of my invitation clients can't afford offset printing. I do have several printers I like to use for offset, and since I know they all deliver a quality product, I get quotes from my 3 favorites and it just comes down to price. For digital printing, it's a balance of cost and quality, and finding a printer who will do small runs (under 250) for invitations. I also appreciate working with someone local, because it saves time in shipping and if there's a problem I can tackle it immediately.
-
Ellie: To be honest, I didn't put much thought into the name Mint. My sister in law came up with it on a car ride, and I liked it enough to use. I was so anxious to just start blogging that I didn't care very much, and honestly I didn't know where the blog would go or if I'd even be blogging in a few months time! By the time I started Hello Tenfold, my goals were a little more defined. I didn't think Mint was memorable enough or unique enough, and I also ran into trademark issues (which I didn't even think about when I first began). Hello Tenfold was available, fun, and had a literal meaning that I liked since my plan was to sell mostly greeting cards (hello times ten). I think if you've already come up with a unique name for your blog, the best case scenario is to be able to carry that through to your business name!
-
Ellie: I think it's most important to have a good online portfolio. That means having good photos of your work (either learn how to do it yourself, find a talented friend, or hire someone—presentation is really important!) and a simple, easy to navigate website. I like http://www.indexhibit.org and many people use http://www.behance.net. If you're sending mailers to companies, make sure whatever you send is eye-catching and captures your individual style. When I worked for a design firm, the mailers that always got our attention either had a handmade element, some kind of toy or game involved, or an interesting structure like a book or box, for example.
-
Margot: Really? That's awesome! The reviews of them in recent our survey were mixed, so I wasn't sure if people got into 'em. I did the last one, maybe Ellie wants to throw down next? What do you say, Ellie?
-
Ellie: There are a lot of things to consider when setting your pricing. For example, project scope, whether copy and images will be provided, whether there are flash elements or a CMS (content management system), how many hours you think you'll put into the project, project timeline, and what your experience level is. The web designers I've worked with locally charge between $30-100/hour, so as you can tell there's a big range. You can read more about pricing on the HOW website: http://www.howdesign.com/pricing/
Margot: This is a really tricky question which means there's no easy answer. Definitely start doing research to see what people in your area are charging, as it can vary drastically by region. It's important you price yourself competitively, never ever undercut just to score a project. That undermines your competitors and devalues the whole profession by making clients think everyone's work is worth less than it is. And no one wants that!
Also since this sort of thing is contingent on the hours, be wary of clients offering a flat fee. You want to make sure that the hours you put into building a site makes you money. You'd be surprised how few people understand how much work goes into web design, and you don't want be in a situation where hours divided by their budget equals a loss or a non-livable wage.
This article on Design*sponge will also help you too: http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/02/biz-ladies-how-to-price-your-work.html
Good luck! -
Ellie: you'll be able to tell by the price! I'd try to get CS3 because you can probably find it cheaper than the newest version, which is CS4. You'll need to make sure you're getting InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop. Be sure to purchase it from a reputable seller, like Amazon, Best Buy, or Adobe. Or better yet, maybe you have a sibling who is a university teacher or student and can get you a discounted copy at the student store? shhh...
-
-
I was *really* lucky to be working with a client who was cool with a more open time frame alongside a reduced budget since I was still pretty green at that point. We basically agreed I would put roughly 20-25 hours per week until the bulk of it was done and once we had a fair amount done we'd set the launch and just plow it out within that. It's worth noting too that neither of anticipated it take 4 months, so that's once thing I really took from it. Websites take a lot longer. But now? Having been through that process once, I feel like I'm going to have a much easier time judging hours and giving an estimate that's more accurate...Or as accurate as one CAN be when talking about building websites. Does that help at all?
-
Ellie: I'd recommend looking in your area for classes on the Adobe Creative Suite, or basic web design. They're usually pretty easy to find at community colleges or art centers. If you're computer savvy, just buying the Adobe Creative Suite and doing online tutorials or playing around with the programs will teach you a lot. Some of my favorite design books for beginners are Making and Breaking the Grid by Samara, The Non-Designer's Design Book by Robin Williams, Thinking With Type by Ellen Lupton, and Grid Systems by Elam may be helpful, too.
-
Margot: I break it down into phases and chunks. First, I usually like to define content areas & get copy before I do anything regarding the design. It's impossible to build a good site without knowing how and what's going on there. So a sitemap, outline, and wire frames are sooo very helpful in getting that mapped out. Like you have to have a blueprint for the foundation before you can start slapping on paint colors, you know? Once the client signs off on that, then I start brainstorming and building design ideas in Photoshop. That's really the same process that most print projects go though. But only once the design is complete do I start coding; it's way way harder to go back and forth and designing it as you code. You'll find yourself second-guessing your work too. Once rough code is up, then de-bugging and testing and LAUNCH.
-
Margot: My background is actually in printmaking, so I know exactly how you feel...And I still miss the tactile when being stuck on the computer on a web project, but I do think overall it's made me a better designer. Web forces you to be super detail-oriented and translates well to other projects later. I'm much more conscientious in my work overall because of it. Plus, I like being able to whip up a small site or email blast, it's proven very helpful if you're trying to get press on anything.
-
Ellie: Mine sort of began by accident! I was laid off from my job last Fall, and didn't have anything else to fall back on except designing, blogging, and Hello Tenfold. I had freelanced before through jobs I got from friends, so I was confident I could take projects on by myself. For me, it was vital that I had 2-3 years of experience before I started freelancing (and, keep in mind I wouldn't have become a freelancer in this bad economy if I hadn't been pushed into it). I learned a lot by working with design firms both as a designer and as a project manager. So, if you've just graduated, my advice would be to try to get a job and not freelance just yet. I know that's really difficult right now, but if it's at all possible, the experience will be a huge help to you down the road. But, most freelancers I know get work mainly on word of mouth. My work mainly comes through local friends (or friends of friends), or through my blog and shop.
Margot: I lost my job too. Without notice, my company slashed almost all the employees in 2008. I was totally unprepared, no website, no organized portfolio. I was and still am very lucky to have a super supportive community of freelancing friends, including my boyfriend, so that's what's convinced me to try and make it happen after being laid off. I get work from them occasionally, or I will work on-site at a design firm every so often (that's actually the best way to make money fast). I also have a part-time job at POST 27, but everything else comes from referrals usually. If you're new and just starting out, I would suggest you check out some head-hunting agencies first. But also I would say it helps a TON to get involved in something. AIGA, design events, find some friends who are doing/making/playing something - anything - that you can get behinds and get involved! At the very least it will build your book and they can pass on your referral too. It's a process too, smaller cheapy projects will eventually grow if you keep at it. -
I took this class from Digital Bootcamp: http://digitalbootcamp.com/course_outline.cfm?course_id=1258121858. They're a non-profit that teaches software classes to adults and they have ALL SORTS of programs/classes. Wonderful teachers, small classes, very hands-on. Can't recommend them enough.
-
Ellie: I actually outsource all my work to a professional printer! I couldn't find a home printer that would fit my needs and budget, and in the long run, knowing that my jobs will be beautifully printed each time, no hassles, is worth the extra expense.
-
Ellie: I do, actually! Not that often, but if I meet someone and they ask what I do, it's nice to be able to hand them something so they can check out my sites. I also leave them around town sometimes, little stacks at the coffee shop and art galleries... I don't know whether any one picks them up or if they get thrown out, but they're always gone the next time I visit! I refuse to spend much money on my business cards though, because as much as I love letterpress, I couldn't bring myself to leave a stack at a coffee shop :)
I made my own (http://www.mintdesignblog.com/?p=4081) but I also like moo cards. -
Ellie: I work with a paper rep in my area for some things (Mac Papers) but I believe they are only in the south east. If you call a printing company in your area, they can direct you to a paper rep.
http://www.macpapers.com/locations.php
I also like xpedx
http://www.xpedx.com/Locations/default.aspx
-
Loading...
margot & ellie’s Bio
Howdy Do It came from “how do you do It,” the question Ellie & Margot found themselves asking about their freelance lifestyles, and so Howdy Do It was born, a weekly column about the things we do to keep ourselves organized, inspired and on track.
