The excellent discussion that takes place here is part of the reason I’ve kept publishing new content. Following on from my last focus on reader comments, here are five more insights from you, the people who kindly donate time to add to the conversation.
Doug of Doug Cloud.net, on, “Advice for online graphic design portfolios”
When I finally realized that my online presence should be a reflection of “me” I began to build around that, implementing a layout that showed my own personality and character. I believe portfolios should relate something about the person whose work is being displayed. The Web is filled with countless sites of this nature, which is the number one reason why you should strive to be original.
Cat of NO!SPEC, on, “Spec work in the internet age”
So the problem (of spec work) is twofold:
Designers who don’t educate.
Clients who don’t communicate.The creation of a decent mark is a two way street, so there’s no point in trying to wiggle out of shared responsibility.
Kathy of Beyond Niche Marketing, on, “The importance of client testimonials”
Testimonials are an essential element for building trust.
When someone comes to your web site with the intent of hiring you… they’ve got all kinds of WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) questions running through their head.
While you can try to “answer” those questions (and you should), it’s always nice when a satisfied customer can provide support for the answers you’re giving.
Andy of Nonimage, on, “Design pricing and when to talk money”
Every job and client varies, and I like to work out a quote based on my hourly rate multiplied by the rough number of hours I estimate, but then I adjust based on lots of factors such as repeat business, loyal clients, one-offs, how likely I am to have to hold the client’s hand through the process, etc etc, and for these reasons, I would never want to make public a standard rate. If only I had a pound for every time I get a new enquiry just asking, “How much for a website”!
Jason of No More Mr. Nice Guy, on, “Are you an eco-friendly designer?”
Sometimes, it is easy to forget that whatever our profession, it could be done with the environment in mind.
Once again, thank you to everyone who has contributed by leaving a comment. I’m making this focus on reader comments a regular feature, and hope to mention you next time around.
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