The Boring details.

In January, I started to feel that I needed to express my thoughts online in more than 140 characters . I knew that the rabbit hole I was about to go down would be like a Charlton Heston movie, long and confusing. I no longer needed a website to sell my services as a designer because I have an amazing full-time job working for a really neat start-up based in Nashville. So what would the site be about?

• My experiences as a freelance design professional with my own cynical twist. -Check-
• Show off my work in case someone wanted to see it. -Check-
• Broadcast the fact that I would work on really small interesting projects on a individual basis. -Check-

The New Look

“We are taking retro to its logical conclusion.” – The Mighty Boosh

The look for the revamp started with an old science textbook dated from 1958. I looked through at some of the illustrations and had the idea for the new look. When it came down to the technology behind it, I went for HTML5.

What does the future hold?

I plan on writing every few days on my tumblr account. Once every week or so actually on this site. I may write a guest article every now and again. I plan on re-releasing some of my older articles after they have “freshened” up as well.

Adopt a Task System.

Call it GTD, action plans, or simply a to-do list. Whatever you call it do it! Don’t buy into a philosophy, just look at what works for others and adapt it to your needs. Personally I use Omnifocus to get my GTD on but I like to call it DGTD or ‘Dad gets things done’. My normal day consists of working a normal 8 hour day at my day job. and working a few nights during the week designing. With a schedule like mine, I need a task system just to keep my head straight!

I am very granular about the tasks I set. I use standard GTD stuff you can find in a million places online, but I tweak it. I don’t use a tickler system or multiple inboxes. Just jot down things as they come to me and put them away in their projects at various times during the day. I have an errands category and a ‘honey do’ category.

Dad means “Designing Around Diapers”.

The kids come first. I schedule all client calls around the kids television time and during my commute from my day job to home. That way they get primo daddy time and I don’t get crying during my client meetings.

Naps and night-night time means work in super overdrive. They sleep, you work everybody wins. The only times I have set aside dedicated solely to designing are Tuesday nights, Thursday nights, and Saturday morning. That keeps everyone happy including the misses.

Notate Everything.

Whether I am playing with the kids, cooking dinner, or watching a movie with the misses. I constantly make notes on things that I could use later during a free period to design. For example, the color or the way light falls on a toy, a font during the title sequence of a movie, or the shade green the kids colored on the wall.

One way I have found works great for documenting is starting a posterous blog and snapping a quick photo with the trusty iPhone. That way it’s documented and I don’t have to keep up with it. One thing I do like to keep up with is a moleskine. I jot down ideas, taglines for logos, where the kids left the wii remote, and much more.

All in all this is the system that works for me. I thought I’d post this because out of all of the productivity stuff one sees I never even see them mention the word ‘diaper’ or see the sample task ‘clean the entire bottle of shampoo from the kitchen floor.’ on an example task list.

The process is pretty simple on the most basic of levels, but the more imaginative the design; the more elaborate or down right tedious the process can become. On the simple end of the spectrum, mirrored metal or polymer letters are inked and pressed into paper. The force of pressing the letters adds a indention to the paper, either imbueing the design with rustic charm or regal sophistication.

Most letterpresses died out with the advent of offset printing press technology. Just as with Britney Spears, letterpresses have made a comeback (albeit without shaving it’s head or showing off it’s girly parts).With Martha Stewart as one of the main backers of the letterpress movement, young brides all over the world now wanted what Martha recommended… Letterpress wedding invites!

The more intricate designs such as the one above, mix old printing techniques with new. Utilizing the new techology that once made it obsolete, the new style has been called digital letterpressing. Instead of using metal letters and lining up the letters on the chase. Designers are using polymer sheets like those made by the guys and gals over at boxcar press. This allows for a more thorough design detail and more control over the outcome of the finished design.

I hope enjoyed this peek into the world of letterpressing. I only found out about this amazing art form by chance while looking for inspiration. So remember to examine the world around you for inspiration. You never know what could inspire you next.

The examples of the letterpress shown here are from Beast Pieces, a great letterpress blog. For those not in the know, Hatch Show Print is a Nashville based letterpress studio located on Second Ave.

Be Organized.

When you are approached by a client, instead of saying “Sure, I’ll be your indentured servant in exchange for greenbacks (pesos, rupees, or whatever your native currency may be)”. Give the client a bid! I know it seems like common sense but how many projects do you think get green-lighted without any sort of “paper trail”? Answer: A BUNCH!!

Keep all of the information on the client in digital AND paper form. I keep a paper file on every client I know how “green” of me? I’d like to think that every time I land a client, a tree screams somewhere. This keeps me from going print crazy near tax time and keeps my CPA from punching me in the face. Give your client a copy of everything that you’d keep in their file (except for the blueprints of their home. Those are yours to keep.)

Put it all in your bid/contract!

Make your bid look official Your bid or contract should have several key areas. Trust me all of these areas will save time and sanity on the back end.

It may take a little time for you and the client to come to an agreement on the price and timeline but that’s what big boys and girls call “business discussions”. Put on your big boy pants and go to a client meeting. While you’re at it include you definition of what a finished product is and include the milestones in which payment should be involved. If I had a dime for every time I was going to get a “cut of the action” or -insert shady business statement here-. I’d be rich and Steve Jobs would call me boss.

Include the time you think it will take you to do the project realistically, pad a little for any unforeseen event. You never know when your computer may die, have a rush put on another project, or impromptu Halo tournament may arise. I also include a timeframe and guideline in which I am held responsible for the work. I guarantee three months time period in which I will fix anything that’s wrong or broken unless the client wanted a CMS and put content in the wrong format, or jacked around with site otherwise… It’s gonna cost them for me to fix it.

Outline to your client how you “roll” and by “roll” I mean design. Explain that in order to make their web presence look awesome, you need time and all materials (copy, logos, and photos) before the project begins. Explain that once the design is complete they then get to have “x” rounds of revisions. Define how many changes are in a round. This is crucial! Forget this and if it comes back to bite you it will leave a mark! How I “roll”, I do two rounds of revisions and allow two additional rounds to purchased for an amount that is worded into the bid. Golden rule: Your time is not precious to a client, but their wallet is.

Outline which browsers your finished product will work in, and for god’s sake please tell them IE6 is an extra charge. The entire webernet community is counting on this one. But alas that is a rant for another day.

Also get a percentage of the project upfront, explain that these are startup costs and this is a deposit on the entire project. Outline that in your bid too. Depending on the scope of the project up to 50% is advisable.

Don’t know what “lawyer speak” or official language should be in your bid? Check out the resources at the end of the article, tweak until your heart’s content.

Keep it simple.

Avoid “techiness”. Simple as that. Using jargon will only complicate things. Avoid any terms that the client may not understand. Most of the time the client won’t know his ‘Google’ from ‘Yahoo’ let alone ‘twittering’ about it. Avoid phrases like “whitespace”, “negative space”, or “design challenged money man”. These phrases will only confuse things and take you into a two hour diatribe on the effectiveness of Apple’s marketing and design.

Despite what the client says, there is not a need to have a big huge banner add on each page that says “Super stupid mega gigantic awesome sale” in blinking 36pt neon pink comic sans. Explain to them the importance of effective marketing, I use the “boy who cried wolf” technique. Explain that the “sale” will have more impact if well thought out with effective space and breathing room. If the word “SALE” is everywhere it will eventually lose its potency.

If the client has doubt, explain to them (in a nice way) that you are very experienced with design and marketing theory from the many clients and or school you may or may not have attended. And if they still think that the “Super stupid mega gigantic awesome sale” would benefit from a rainbow colored starburst animated .gif after the design is complete that could be addressed at the revision stage. Secretly pray that they love the design without it, most of the time they do, unless you are designing a website for a clown, no I mean a real clown… one that does birthday parties for the neighborhood children, and I promise you will lose that battle.

Be confident.

Be confident, wear the big boy/big girl pants! You are the designer! If you have methodically thought out your approach to working with a client and followed you plan to the teeth then everything should be fine. You’ll finish the project and get paid right? The answer: Most of the time. Now before you get your dreamweavers in a twist. The above plan will give you ammo.

If the client says “You took too long”, “I didn’t agree to this design”, “I didn’t agree to this amount of money” or my favorite “Get off my front porch, creep”. Whip out your client signed contract and explain that they signed the agreement for the timeframe, money, and design. Ask them to refer to their copy as well, this rules out a switcheroo.

If the client plays “Um.. Um.. Invoice” treat them like a third grader with a note from the principal. Send them the invoice again; email them with a read receipt on it asking if they got your mailed invoice. Also attach the invoice in digital format to the email and call them to make sure they got your letter and email. This is a very pesky tactic and I only recommend this if the invoice is 30 days past due.

So keep these pointers handy, remember nothing is fool-proof. Be brave. Be bold. Be creative. Hopefully these tips will keep your clients out of your hair and you out of theirs. Keeping a project inline is a tough job in the end it benefits you and your client, no matter how much you want to bash them with a sack of oranges, as it won’t leave bruises.

Getting to know your client.

This may seem like a no-brainer but allow me to retort. Most times we feel that googling or surfing the existing site of the company that we are working for is sufficient enough “getting to know” our client. WRONG!

“Describe your company in a few words.” and “In one sentence describe the goods or service(s) that you offer through your core business.”

By asking your client to describe themselves or services in a few words you’ll be allowing the conversation flood gate to open. If you ask them a hard question right out of the gate you open the conversation up to being one word answers. By asking creative questions first you soften the blow of later questions. This also will arm you with fuel, if you have the daunting task of writing the copy for their site (and I pity you if you have to…I really do).

Getting to know your Client’s Goals and Expectations.

Now that the floodgate is opened, guide the conversation to the next logical place. No, don’t ask if the client has a beanie baby collection because you are looking for the pink teddy bear beanie baby and that would make your collection complete. Ask them about their hopes and aspirations (for the project that is).

“What are you hoping to accomplish with this site?”, “What business goals do you hope to achieve through this project?”, “What brand goals do you hope to achieve through this project?”

By asking this set of questions you’ll be finding out the ultimate goals for the project that may have not been obvious from the get go. For example, the client may want to setup a web store in the future to capitalize on the success of their site for widgetX that you are currently designing. Knowing things like this will allow you to design around future e-stores, apps, or newsletter formats for simplicity, or may even broaden the scope of your project and mean more “Apple-Fat” paychecks in your future. That means more cash to spend on your beanie baby fetish.

“What sites do you think are awesome?” and “What sites do you think suck?”

These questions are worth their weight in platinum! This allows you to gauge the client’s “design eye” It will also allow you to see if they are looking for a flash site or standard (x)Html site, and if they think that minimalistic or grungy designs are the bee’s knees.

Matching designs already in progress.

“Do you currently have any marketing material?” and “Do you have any corporate guidelines for style?”

Asking these questions will save a lot of time. If I had a dime for every design I have made only to have re-do it just because Brenda down in marketing forgot that the new campaign is being rolled out in tandem with the new site. Brenda with her dumb hair and stupid… um, sorry; I digress. Asking for any collateral that coincides with your project saves time, lowers stress, and solves some elemental design questions. Ask also if there are any mandatory fonts, color palettes, images, or logos that need to be used that were designed previously.

Updates and Training.

“Do you need to update the site on a regular basis? If so, how often and with what kind of content?” and “Does any employee(s) need to be trained on to use the website?”

To CMS or not to CMS that is another question. Depending on how the client answers this question you can gauge the CMS that will or won’t be needed. If the client is updating on regular basis find out who will be updating the site and to speak with them ask them simple questions regarding their computer knowledge. WordPress doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to update but you need to make sure that that Billy down in the mailroom can handle updating the site, if not it’s going to be like a monkey trying to figure out an upside down Sudoku puzzle in the dark.

Getting to know the end user.

“Who is your target audience?” and “Are there any special needs users in your online audience we need to consider?”

Some would say that this question isn’t always needed. I would definitely disagree! Sure you think you know who the target audience is for “super-hip-teen-site” but what if you are confronted with just a product name? This question needs to be answered just to cover the bases. “We need to work smarter not harder” as some famous 1980’s infomercial said. By having this answered and written down to be referenced later if needed, saves design time and creative energy. From an accessibility standpoint, the second question is one of the most important questions you can ask! If you are designing the site with teens in mind keeping the information fun and engaging will keep there attention or if your are designing the site for the elderly keeping the fonts larger and having an inviting interface will engage this sect of end user.

Time is precious.

“What is your timeline for getting your website online?” and “Do you have any supporting media that requires delivery by this date (e.g. Print / Press campaign)?”

Having these questions answered will let you know your timeframe. It’s May 25th, do you know what your deadline is? Sometimes you will get a client who knows nothing or little about web design and will start a project well before its intended go live date. If you get one of the clients kiss them on the forehead, tell them you love them, and read them stories before you tuck them into bed. These clients are the greatest. On the other hand, there is the “rush client” who knows nothing or little of the ways of interweb design and doesn’t care because they needed their site to be complete twenty five minutes before they spoke to you for the first time. In my experience there are 1:7 ratio, one being the dream client and seven being the rush client.

Wu-tang said it best “CREAM: Cash Rules Everything Around Me”

Has your budget been established?”, “What is your budget?” and “Who else is involved in this decision?”

I always save these money questions for last. “Why?” you ask… Simply because this will help you come up with a final price if one hasn’t been ironed out and it gives you full on rights to levy the asshole tax if need be. By establishing the budget has been set and you know what that amount is this will allow you to close this meeting with the client with a dollar sign. Honestly, both you and the client have been wondering what numbers were going to follow that dollar sign. By asking if anyone else is involved it will let you know if Bill from accounting should have been in this meeting, or if you are dealing with only one person. This will help later if the client stalls to ask someone else’s opinion of a design before you can get sign off on that design.

So hopefully you will have enjoyed this foray into the dark seedy underworld of client management, I know I have. We have had some up’s and down’s, we both said some things that we didn’t mean, and I know we are both stronger from having lived through this. So until next time… Stay Classy, webernet.