Design and the Art of Freelancing - AWDG April 2009

Design and the Artof Freelancing

Atlanta, March 2009

Dan RubinSidebar Creative

©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com

Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009

Me, according to nGen works @ http://happywebbies.com/

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http://sidebarcreative.com


http://happywebbies.com

http://happywebbies.com



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The weather inFort Lauderdale





The weather inAtlanta





Q:What is design?





A:Design is problem solving.





Non-virtualExamples:





Waste Reducing Exfoliating Body Cleanser (aka “soap”)Granted, this may leave you with smaller bits of waste, but it’s a creative solution we can learn from.

Successful.





Faucet FAILIf your interface requires instructions, it needs to be redesigned.

Not so much...





Fitts’s Law:





The time to acquire a target is a function of the distance to and size of the target.





Big buttons are faster.





This:

is harder to click than this:

Button

Benjamin Button





A right-handed user is known to be within 10 pixels of the exact center of a large, 1600 X 1200 screen. You will place a single-pixel target on the screen that the user must point to exactly. List the five pixel locations on the screen that the user can access fastest. For extra credit, list them in order from fastest to slowest access.

Warm-up Exercise:





1

2

3 4

5





Let’s expand Fitts’s Law:





Big typestands outmore than little type.





Large content areas are easier to see.





Size explains hierarchy.





H1H2H3H4H5H6

Headings Layout





✓ Bigger targets are easier to click✓ Larger areas are easier to recognize✓ Hierarchy communicates importance

Size matters:





Enough with the lesson already, let’s have some fun!





Simple Trick:Light Effects





Almost any image can create an effect





Random image





Select a single pixel line





Stretch to fill





Create a solid colorlayer below the image





Use layer blending modes to modify the colors of the gradient.





Darken





Multiply





Luminosity





Look to other mediums for inspiration.





Use texture to elicit subconscious tactile reactions:





Now let’s talk Business.





Business:The Basics





Decide whether you want to be a great business owner or a great designer, developer, or creative…





…for that decision will define what kind of life you lead.





Words matter: Clients treat “consultants” and “agencies” better than “freelancers.”





Spec work: Don’t do it.





Get an accountant.





Always require a deposit — if a client wants credit, there are banks for that.





Estimating gets easier over time — track your hours and make each job more accurate than the last.





Set invoice milestones so clients know what is expected financially.





Business:Projects





Project management is the key to sanity — get someone to help if needed.





Use software meant for projects: Basecamp, Backpack or something you build yourself.





Business:Clients





Choose good clients who share your passion, whatever that may be.





Trust your instincts with new clients(this will get easier over time).





Bad clients can destroy your soul(fire them if you have to).





Discussion(this is the part where you’re all onthe couch telling me your problems).





fin.



Design and the Art of Freelancing - AWDG April 2009

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Transcript of Design and the Art of Freelancing - AWDG April 2009