Archive for Life as a Freelance Designer - page 2

I bet a lot of you guys have heard of the Altitude Design Summit. If not, it is a conference for design-minded folks. Bloggers, lifestyle brands and the companies that want to connect with them — get together to network, discuss theory and love on all things design. If you’re obsessed with lifestyle, food and fashion blogs, fantastic images, smart ideas and great design inside and outside — all wrapped up with a social media bow — Altitude Design Summit is the place to be!

I’m sure many of you, like me, can not make the financial commitment to attend this event (as amazing as it would be)! So, in an attempt to meet the needs of those who cannot make the trip, Alt has added an Alt Channel to make Alt Summit available to everyone, everywhere, all year long! Mind. Blown. Each week you can take classes from blogging and social media experts, the same kind of high-quality topics and content that you’ve come to expect from Alt Summit! I have attended a few of these classes and they are absolutely amazing and only $15, yep!

Alt also has a new blog! They have been busy at work building great content about business, blogging, photography, design and all kinds of useful information to help you do better, what you do! Pretty much every post on the blog is super helpful but I’d like to share some of my favorites!

12 Striking Tendencies of Creative People

Creative people can be a little … different. This article does a great job of explaining that creative people act different because they operate a little differently. Read more…

SEO: How to Start and End a Post Well

Your blog is constantly being visited by search bots (a.k.a. spiders, crawlers, robots). Their job is to read your content, and determine what you’re writing about. That information is then added to the databases of search engines, and pulled up in search results when relevant. Read more…

Setting and Styling a DIY Project

Simple styling will always lead to a successful project! Unless you are a trained stylist, focus your DIY styling to be simple, basic, and bold. Read more…

And In Related News!

I’m so happy to announce that the new Alt blog has featured three of my post, 8 Tips for Great Blogging, Design Tips for Facebook Timeline Pages and How to Manage an Effective Online Life! AND I’m currently working on a social media series for them as a guest contributor! I’ll let y’all know when those posts are up on the site! Update: Here they are!

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I’ve had a few readers ask how I developed a blog readership and for some advice on getting their names out there, so I wrote up this list with some tips and actions to take!

1 – Blog about what you know

I think the most important advice I can offer for someone wanting to grow their blog is to focus on what you love and what you are passionate about. Blogging about what you know insures that you will have valuable content.

Tips & Actions:
- determine the purpose of your blog and stick with it
- don’t feel the need to do it all or try to imitate somebody else
- post quality content frequently
- don’t post what you think people want to hear
- teach a webinar or create a blog series focused on your talents

2 – Get personal / Be real

People want to know YOU, the person behind the blog. People will read your blog if they like what you have to say, that’s all there is to it.

Tips & Actions:
- enjoy what you’re doing and don’t get wrapped up in the details
- share something personal (this can be as simple as sharing your favorite book)
- write the way you speak
- don’t take yourself too seriously
- be true to yourself and what it is you want to share with the world
- add a photo of yourself to your about page
- be accessible (either list your email address or add a contact form)

3 – Create a space worth following

Not only is your content important but your actual blog design is too! Maybe it is just the designer in me, but I am drawn to simple layouts with big pictures.

Tips & Actions:
- have a blog design that you love and that feels like “you”
- use images in your posts (preferably original imagery)
- develop your own style and have a consistency to your design, writing style, content and photography
- only have pertinent information in your sidebars (too much information tends to confuse readers and takes the focus away from your main content)

4 – Invest time for Online Networking

This is a huge one! Online networking allows you the opportunity to engage your readers in real-time conversations and let them get to know you a little better.

Tips & Actions:
- get active in online discussion groups and chats (Better Blogger Network is a great community)
- comment on other blogs (but only if you have something to add to the conversation). Those comments make people’s days, I speak from experience on that one!
– respond to comments on your blog
- never leave a mean comment (you would think this goes without saying but I have seen some mean things out there)
- get to know your readers
- blogging is a community – support one another, make blog buddies, have conversations and collaborate
- participate in blog hops (also know as link ups)
- try not to auto post – tailor your introductions for your post for each social network

5 – Learn from the best

This is something that I did in the beginning. I spent time researching my favorite blogs and I still make sure to follow other blogs that inspire me.

Tips & Actions:
- don’t be afraid to ask others for help (but be careful asking other bloggers to post something on their site – this can put the person in a tough spot)
- find 5 bloggers similar to you and study how they use networks and learn best practices from them
- reach out to bloggers you admire

6 – Guest Post and Sponsor

“Guest posting” means writing and publishing an article on someone else’s blog. There are three main perks to guest posting: it introduces you to new communities, builds relationships with other bloggers and it’s great for search engine optimization. Guest posting gives you the opportunity to give new audiences a little sneak peek into your blogging style and content. Advertising (often called sponsoring in the blogging world) is also a great way to promote your blog to new people. Many blogs offer ad spaces in their sidebar and will introduce your blog to their readers throughout the month. Some bloggers even include guest post opportunities in their sponsorship packages.

Tips & Actions:
- sponsor one of your favorite larger blogs
- sponsor a few blogs with similar readership numbers (I recently switched my sponsoring over to Passionfruit and they have a great directory of bloggers using their network)
- trade sponsor spots (this is a great option if you don’t have money to spend on advertising)
- ask a blogger that you are friends with to guest post

7 – Give your readers choices

I think this is something that is easily over looked. You may assume that everyone reads blogs the same way you do, but that is not the case! For instance, I have never followed a blog through Google Friend Connect since I’m not on Blogger. I usually subscribe to an RSS feed (and read in Google Reader). Someone else may only follow blogs on Facebook, so you need to have these options available and easily accessible.

Tips & Actions:
- give your readers more than one way to follow you and add easy to find links on your site
- starts an e-mail newsletter
- put links in your email signature and wherever potential visitors are likely to see it

8 – Network Offline

A lot of times we get so stuck on networking online, we forget that we can promote our blogs in real life!

Tips & Actions:
- conferences are great for connecting with others who have similar interest
- if you have extra time try to join a non-profit organization. A  lot of  small business owners/professionals are involved in them and you meet a lot of people out in the community
- make sure you have business cards and hand them out when you meet someone new
- find some local groups to join through MeetUp.com
- create an elevator pitch (a 30-60 second short summary to quickly and simply define your blog, business, what you do, etc.)

Great blogs are products of a passion for life and a lot of hard work! Don’t let others fool you, blogging takes time. If you write about what you love and grow yourself first, your blog will follow!

If you have any other tips please leave them in the comments!

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I am so excited to announce that I am now on the social media team for RevolutionizeHer! RevolutionizeHer is a community built around the everyday woman who is looking for a place to share her story of following her dreams. It is for the wives, mothers, students, or working women. It is for women who are aspiring to be better in all aspects of life. For women who are learning to love themselves and be comfortable in their own skin.

There are many messages out in the world telling women what they can and cannot do. RevolutionizeHer was made to challenge those ideals and to help women see that it’s okay to be who they are and reach for their goals. This community is meant to help empower and motivate women whether it be to celebrate her successes, work through her frustrations, build up an idea, get or give advice, or just to get some encouragement.

Due to the success of their partner site, Better Blogger Network, they decided to relaunch their co-authored blog over to a Ning community website. This type of site allows for easy communication, a central location to ask and answer questions, and a way for all members of the site to interact with one another in a way that their blog had not allowed for in the past.

Our hope from the beginning of RH was to create a sense of community for women wishing to live out their dreams as well as a place to discuss those aspirations with other like-mined individuals – and we think that this is going to be the best way to do this.

The launch date is set for tomorrow, July 10th, so if you’d like to join or follow along, here are the links you need to know: Main RevolutionizeHer Site, Twitter, Facebook. I will be handling the social media accounts for RH every Monday.

I could not be more excited to be a part of this community. I’m really looking forward to meeting new people so I hope to see you there! My personal RevolutionizeHer profile can be found here so you can add me as a friend or say hi once you sign up!

UPDATE: RevolutionizeHer has decided to close their doors, please join their partner site, Better Blogger Network!

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While I’m sorting through and editing hundreds of photos from my Maine road trip I thought I would share this with you guys. My desk was illustrated by the very talented Ned Harrison for the Spring Issue of the Graphic Artists Guild newsletter! When I received the proof I couldn’t stop smiling ear to ear, I was giddy and speechless and couldn’t believe what a wonderful job Ned did!

Welcome to my workspace, a desk in the attic. For me, a cluttered space equals a cluttered mind. So I try to keep my workspace a neat and inspirational place to be. Everyday it starts out neat but ends in a mess. Before heading downstairs for the night, I straighten it up to have a fresh space for the morning!

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One of my 30 before 30 goals was to spend less time online. This has proven to be much harder than expected! I have been struggling for a balance. I want to stay connected and inspired without getting totally overwhelmed. While trying to grow my blog and get myself out there in the design world, I feel like it is hard to get away from my computer. I am constantly looking to make new connections, and well, that involves a lot of online time!

There is a fine line between being productive online and getting sucked into the procrastination circle of the internet. Everyday I struggle with this, as I’m sure some of you do as well. So to try and create a better balance, I have come up with a few tips to having a fun, active online world without having it take over your life.

Make a list

I am huge on planning and list making so of course that is going to be my first suggestion. Make a to-do list of your top online priorities each day so you don’t get distracted.

Schedule

Come up with a realistic schedule of the time you need online daily. When that time is up then move on! I like to check all my social media while I drink my coffee in the morning. But if you know that starting your day online is only going to lead to major procrastination, save that until the end of the day. Setting your email to only check every hour also helps to minimize wasted time.

Just Say No

If you are using social media to procrastinate, just say no! You should use it for the reasons on your list and then get outta there!

Do it for you

Don’t feel the need to prove yourself. You know that you’re having a busy day but don’t need to update your networks each time you send an email. Share the inspiring and important parts of your day, when you publish a blog post, list an item to your Etsy shop or receive a new piece of artwork that you ordered!

Weed out the negative

Hide or unfollow people and blogs that are negative or make you feel jealous or frustrated, for whatever the reason may be. This is a good way to keep your online world positive. If you are not sure, opt out of these blogs for a few days and see how you feel.

Interact

Interact with people instead of just following. I love being able to connect with all types of people all over the world, that is what excites me about social media. Trust me, most people out there would love to have a little twitter convo or go back and forth for a while on Facebook! Leaving comments on a blog is also a great way to connect. It lets the author know the time they devote to their content is appreciated.

It’s not an easy balance and I have to concentrate on these approaches daily. I hope that these tips can help you to create a fulfilling online space with out getting stuck in an online procrastination loop! If you have any other advice or comments, please share!

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Erin is starting a new series on her blog where she interviews other designers and has them share their experiences and advice. I am so honored to be her first interview! Head over and check it out!

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A few readers have asked about my methods for staying organized as a freelance designer. Working from home can be difficult but here are some simple methods that I use. Overall, I try to keep it simple because the more difficult you make the solution, the harder it is to keep up.

No Such Thing as Too Many Calendars or Lists

I have used both Wunderlist and TeuxDeux for task management and love them both! Recently 6Wunderkinder released Wunderkit so I am in the process of switching over to see how I like it. Wunderkit helps with the grander scheme of organizing and accomplishing things through workspaces, tasks, notes and even allows collaborating with others! All three options are FREE and sync with your iphone! This is really a personal decision on how simple or complex you need your system to be.

iCal works best for my events and meeting. I really like that you can create multiple calendars, set alerts as messages or emails and it syncs right to my phone.

Last but not least, I’ll always have sketchpads and notebooks around. No matter how many lists and reminders I have scheduled on my computer, I still need to have written reminders, by my side, at all times… and I like the feeling of crossing items off. I also keep a separate paper calendar for blog post scheduling.

Easy Access for Supplies
I love using pretty cups or jars to keep my clips, washi tape, pens and office supplies organized. It keeps my desk neat while I still have easy access to supplies.

Photos At Your Fingertips
I upload all of my photos to Flickr and organize them into Collections and Sets. I also use Flickr to host most of my blog photos. It is an easy way to keep backup copies of images and a great way to search through old photographs.

Inspiration Overload
Delicious comes in handy for bookmarking blog posts or articles that I find inspiring or want to remember. I add tags to organize them into categories and personalize each link with my comments. You can choose to keep your links private or share them.

Pinterest boards are a great way to keep track of visual inspiration and pretty things in one central location.

Google Reader is where I keep track of all the blogs I follow. You can add stars to favorite posts or tags to sort them. It’s a great way to save your favorite blog content.

Files, Files, Files

On the Computer:
Folders, I use lots of them and color code like crazy. When clients hire me for a design job, it’s important to keep everything organized. If I need a file a few years from now, I will not have any trouble locating it.

Dropbox is a free service that is great for accessing your files from multiple computers and for sharing files. Anything you save to your Dropbox will automatically save to all your computers, phones and even the Dropbox website.

In real life:
I use a file cabinet and binders to store paper files. I have a basket that I drop everything in until I get to file it properly. I also use flat files for loose inspiration, reference materials, samples of work I have done and any artwork or larger files.

Get Timekeeping and Billing Straight
Billings keeps me sane. I use it for timekeeping and invoicing. If I did not have a timer running I would never be able to keep track of how long I was spending on something. Once a job is complete, I just mark the tasks as done and send an invoice right from there! I really don’t know what I would have done if I never discovered this.

Sync It and Back It Up
It is important for calendars, contacts and files to be syned and backed up! Keep your really important files backed up on TWO separate drives or an online system, Dropbox can also be used for this. I use LaCie external hard drives and Mac’s Time Machine for my backups. I just plug in and don’t need to think about it again!

This is what works for me and hopefully it can be a starting point to help you discover some methods that work for you! Is there anything you think I left out or would like to hear more about? Just let me know in the comments below!

Top left image via Poketo all others are by me.

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Note: This was published March 1, 2012. Facebook tends to update things frequently so if you see that anything is out of date, or you have any questions, please let me know and I’ll update this post!

On March 30, 2012, all Facebook Pages will get a new design, kinda scary, right? But the good news is, you can preview your page and try out the new features now! Just hit the “preview” button when prompted and you don’t need to publish it until you are ready (or March 30)!

I manage a few different fan pages on Facebook so when I saw that the timeline for pages was launching, I decided to go ahead and get the switch over with! I definitely learned a few things during this process and would love to share some tips!

Choose a Unique Cover Image

The new design includes a huge cover image (851 x 315 pixels) to immediately convey your brand to the public. Your cover photo is the first thing people will see when they visit your page so it’s important to be creative and have something unique! The photo should introduce your company and engage new viewers.

Example: I wanted to feature my workspace as well as a welcoming photo of myself, so I created a custom design. Some other examples of engaging photography might include, a new item in your shop, custom artwork, a popular menu item or a picture of people enjoying your services.

Simple Profile Photos Are Best

Your profile picture represents your page on other parts of Facebook, like in news feed. Select an image that is clear, simple and easily recognizable. Use your logo or another image that represents your company. Choose a photo that is square and scales well from 180 x 180 pixels to 32 x 32 pixels.

 Example: For the Ciera Design page I used a simple texture along with a clean font for my company name.

Highlight What’s Important

Photos, likes and apps are now larger icons located directly beneath your Cover Image, instead of the traditional tabs along the left side of your page. Photos show in the first spot, but you can change the order of everything else so people see what matters most. Four apps are highlighted so make sure to arrange them in order of importance (you can show a maximum number of 12 apps when this view is expanded).

Example: The Ciera Design blog, Esty shop and photography are the things I want my viewer to see first, so I placed those apps in the key spaces. Other apps such as Linked In, Twitter and email sign-up are not crucial so I placed them below, along with my likes tab.

Directions: Expand the apps menu by clicking on the triangle to the right of your visible apps. Hover over each app and click the pencil icon that appears. Choose the app you’d like to swap into that spot from the menu.

Customize App Icons

Unlike the old page design, the new page lets you upload your own custom app image, which is really great! Since these tabs are now smack at the top of you page, they can really look a mess if you don’t customize them… so customize your app icons!

Before Custom App Images:

After Custom App Images:

Example: After I arranged my apps in my preferred order, I designed three custom images that matched the look of my profile photo. I wanted these icons to be bold and simple.

Directions: For each app that you would like to customize, design one image (111 x 74 pixels), click the pencil icon and “edit settings.” Here you can update the “Custom Tab Image” and the “Custom Tab Name.” Make those changes and don’t forget to hit “okay” to save! Update: You can not be in preview mode for this, but you can prepare your image ahead of time for when you are ready to make the switch.

After making these simple design changes you will be on your way to a cohesive looking Facebook page! You have from now until March 30 to work on your design in preview mode before the timeline goes live for all! If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below.

Check out my Etsy shop if you are interested in purchasing a Facebook cover design, Facebook App Icons or check out Ciera Design on Facebook for inspiration!

Please note that Facebook has placed some restrictions on what can be used in your Page Cover Image, such as no direct call to action, no website url, and no directions to Like or Share your page… read more about restrictions for Cover Images here on Facebook.

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Just wanted to say hi and give you a little peek at what my desk looks like when it is actually clean! Hope everyone is having a nice week.

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