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Tag Archives: Freelance designer
You just gotta ride it
Sometimes things can fall into place with the greatest of ease, and sometimes things can fall apart just as easily.
The world of a freelancer and contractor is a rollercoaster. There are peaks and troughs, highs and lows, exhilarating parts and frightening parts. Personally I am cruising the exhilarating rushes, whilst on the flip side of the coin I know others up and down the country experiencing the troughs I too have gone through. It's a tough place that trough. It can bring you to tears and to a place where you feel entirely insignificant, a shadow of who you really are and who you can be. It's hard to see the end of the tunnel, it's hard to believe that something entirely unexplored and potentially exciting is around the corner. But there is an end to the tunnel. For me, I was experiencing a trough of sorts early last year. I knew it was a minor blip, and believe me, I've been through worse. I decided to cast my fate to the wind and head to London. I've been here around 9 months now and somehow it's very much fallen into place. I'm not entirely sure how - but it has and it's exciting. I came to London for several reasons, to see if the streets are paved with gold (they're not), potentially seek an eligible bachelor (erm...) and to do something in an industry that I wouldn't be able to do in Manchester. This last one has very much been fulfilled. I now freelance for a company that organise music festivals. This year alone I have worked on Download festival, London based Community and Wireless festivals, and Reading and Leeds festivals to name but a few. I've worked on print ads for the tube, for Time Out and major newspapers, I've designed web banners and social media banners, and onsite signage almost a kilometre long. It's crazy. I've also recently been able to explore the animation side of things too for BBK and V Festival, and although rusty in that area have enjoyed experimenting immensely. All this has been rewarded by my being handed the Isle of Wight festival, Community festival and Reading and Leeds festivals for 2018. I'm literally blown away by this. It's mental, it's crazy and I'm psyched. On the other hand, I know others for whom it's fallen out of place. I've tried my best to be a listening ear and I know it's hard, and I know you probably find me a little bit annoying with my suggestions, but if I can help my friends achieve what they're looking for in the same way I help my clients achieve they're goals, that would make me happy :) For now I am cruising the rollercoaster, but as with all things it will come to an end of that I am sure, but for now I've my arms in the air, screaming into the wind.London calling
So I decided to head south for the winter...
As of November I became a Londoner. I have been in somewhat of a personal rut for a good few months now, and as my oldest and wisest friend declared, I was in need of a change. I therefore decided to pack up my laptop and relocate to the big smoke in seek of my fortune, a change of pace and to see if the streets are actually paved with gold... Luckily for me I was able to transfer to the London office of the IPPR with whom I am currently working, and with my contract ending in January I am all set to find a new design role or freelance design work - which is exciting and mildly terrifying all at the same time.So what is it I'm looking for?
Well, the ultimate job would be to work on the next 4 Fantastic Beast films with the folks at Mina Lima a fantastic exhibition of their graphic design work I was able to catch just this week. A definite must see for the Harry Potter fans amongst us... That aside, I would love to let my creative juices flow, be it with a graphic design or media agency, or working in house with a marketing or communications team. I definitely feel that my options have opened by ten thousand per cent now I am in London, and that the world is once again my oyster. Fingers crossed it turns out as awesome as I hope it does... I'll keep you posted ;)
Tags: Freelance designer, Graphic design, London
Stronger Together: Animated infographic
With just over a week left before the In or Out EU Referendum, I think we're all getting a bit weary of the propaganda flying around...
Whatever the outcome come June 23rd, the UK nation has been split in half, one pro EU and one very much anti it. Personally, I believe we are #StrongerIn (as the social media channels declare) and here's why... My dad worked for a company with offices across the world, importing and exporting their goods, within Europe, the Far East and the USA. As part of his job he travelled widely, and each time he came home, he brought me a doll wearing the national dress of each country he had visited. It opened my eyes to the different cultures and traditions from around the world, and from these presents I knew that I too wanted to see the world for myself. Since then I have had the opportunity to meet, work and live with people from every continent, both whilst I worked overseas, as well as when I worked in the UK. We were selected for our skills not our nationality and we worked towards a common goal. Having had this experience I realise that we are all just people wanting to get along. Now as a freelance graphic designer I work with clients from around the world. I have (everyone has) the world literally at my finger tips at the touch of a button. We travel widely with the greatest of ease. The world becomes smaller every day and is something I find exciting, and something I feel that should be embraced.We can't build a wall around this island, both physically or metaphorically.
Technology, social media and trade means that the world has been brought to us, so what's the point in closing the door to our neighbours? I feel that it would be a step backwards to cut ourselves off from our allies, when our nation and it's people have worked and fought to move forwards. The EU affects our women's rights, workers rights, LGBT rights, maternity pay, holiday pay, environmental issues, animal welfare, provides investment (Manchester metro link for one!), health and safety at work, economy, trade, defence and jobs to name but a few. To focus on immigration and freedom of movement is only a small fragment of what the EU is about. So too, I would rather a body oversee how the UK is managed on some issues, rather than putting all my eggs very much in the basket of our Prime Minister. There will be people who totally disagree with all of the above (someone has already got in touch over twitter with a bizarre incoherent rant!) and if that's the way you feel, so be it. My opinion is my own. I think it is better to be part of something bigger and reform from the inside, than start again as an outsider looking in. There are negatives (there always are) but for me, the pros outweigh the cons. For all of you still on the fence, I'm not trying to sway you either way, but I would suggest you have a look at this website: www.fullfact.org, it provides independent analysis of all these facts and statistics, we've been hit with over the past 3 months. Give it a read and make your own decision, and not one forced upon you by me, the media, newspapers with their own agenda, the twitter lynch mob, your peers or political stunts. Decide for yourself :)Swings and round-a-bouts
This time last week I thought I would never work again...
One week on and that's all a thing of the past - if there's something I've learned over the past couple of years, a lot can happen in a week in the world of freelancing. Having a conversation with my mum recently about the relative quietness on the work front she asked "what are you going to do?" to which I responded, "well firstly, I'm not going to panic." Mum's response was, "well, that's not really in your nature is it?" And no, I guess it's not. I have never really been a panicker (if that is a word) or a worrier (that is a word) and as a relatively care free soul I am able to glide through these dry patches with relative calm. The reason behind my recent dry spell is mainly because due to budget cuts I have lost my biggest client. For me, this has obviously had a knock on effect, but luckily, not all my eggs were in one basket, most were, but not all. Picking myself up again and cracking on is part of the learning curve I go through every day as a freelancer and expect to continue with for the foreseeable. Over the past few years I have worked on numerous projects for numerous people, and my network of clients, ex colleagues and associates is larger than I can even think, and growing month on month. I have learned over the course of the past few years that something will come up. Something that I least expect. And something more challenging than I have done in the past. And with these learnings I get the chance grow as a graphic designer and as a person. Pick myself up, dust myself down, and start all over again ;)
Tags: clients, Freelance designer, Graphic design
I have a product, now the hard bit
New year, new product and all that...
Yes, 2016 saw me launch into the world of jute reusable bags. A project I had always wanted to get into, but due to costs and huge minimum orders - it was something I never plunged into.
Roll on about 5 years to October 2015... Dear Mr Osbourne introduces a 5p plastic bag charge to all bags plastic bags sold at the checkout in most retail stores. I was kicked into action...
Personally, I wholly agree in doing anything for the environment. Always have and always will, but what I don't like is yet another stealth tax introduced and branded as a positive thing. Did you know that 1p VAT is charged on the bag for example? So what was initially sold to the public as a charitable donation, 20% goes straight to the tax man. I recently held a poll on twitter on this very subject, and surprisingly 78% of those polled did not realise the whole sum was not going to charity. I'm on my high horse again it would seem.
Anyway, that is a bit of background as to how I decided to take the plunge into the reusable bag world. I now have a product, and now for the really tricky part, telling the world I have a product and actually selling some....
Having been in the freelance graphic design world going on two years now, I have never had to actively promote myself. This for me has been a positive thing as word of mouth and the quality of the work that I produce has helped the ball keep rolling, and for that I am truly thankful. The reusable bag project is proving to be a different kettle of fish entirely.
But here goes a shameless plug... Buy a limited edition, large jute reusable shopping bag for just £8.95 through my ETSY online shop :)
Or, if you live in or around Horwich, Greater Manchester they are also available in store at Flowersmiths the Florist.
I am currently in the process of locating other independent businesses to work with, so watch this space! flexible, responsive and intuitive
Having browsed a number of LinkedIn profiles of Manchester based Graphic Designers, Ruth Nicholas, Marketing Manager at Quest Nutrition, recently contacted me through LinkedIn as she felt that my personality shone through my profile and I came across as somebody she would like to work with.
After a few e-mails we met up for a meeting whereby I learned a bit more about Ruth and Quest Nutrition; a multi million dollar LA based company that is soon to launch across Europe. I was excited to be on board with this new venture!
Given a few taster projects Ruth and myself were working well together, however, unfortunately for me it was decided to maintain all design projects over in the Los Angeles office. Although I'm obviously disappointed at this decision, it was exciting to work with such a well known global brand, and that of all the designers that Ruth could have contacted she e-mailed me, and for that I feel proud :)
Without any suggestion from me, Ruth sent me this recommendation:
I worked with Elizabeth on two social media artwork jobs (and would have continued working with her if circumstances had allowed it!). I found her very flexible, responsive, intuitive and the designs I received were on brief and ready to use with minimal amends. Personally Elizabeth was so easy to get on with; warm, friendly and great at listening. I'd highly recommend her for anyone looking for a freelance designer/artworker.
Lost in translation
I love remote working. It suits me down to the ground. I have a nice little office where I can shut out the rest of the world (complete with table football I might add…) and fortunate for me, I’m not easily side tracked by the need to clear up the kitchen or the fact that another episode of How I Met Your Mother is on on E4…
However, I know that remote working isn’t for everyone and is not always a suitable option. I have had experience in the past working with a website design team based outside of the UK and personally I found it very tough. The situation had arisen outside of my control whereas I was no longer a graphic designer, a skill I have honed for many a year with education and experience to match, I was now a marketing assistant/beta tester/user experience designer/CRM co-ordinator/social media guru. With no time to learn the skills I needed, I was out of my depth and I knew it. Thrown in at the deep end, I did the best that I could. In order to get the job done with the remote team there were many channels of communication from our base in the UK. There were Skype calls, conferences and chats, JIRA queries, e-mails and office visits. It was a complex, decision making website that was being produced, complete with ever stricter enforcements of compliance legalities, and the boundaries were being moved on a daily basis, often by government legislation. This made communicating with the overseas team a daily necessity to keep up with progress, new demands and bug fixes. Things were taking time and deadlines were missed. Would this have been a different story had everyone involved been based in the same office? I think it would have been. We knew it wasn’t working, but there was no obvious solution, all we could do was learn how to improve for the future.What did I learn from this?
1. I learned that when working remotely, a single point of contact is essential, otherwise wires get crossed, things get missed and everything can get lost in translation. 2. A key decision maker is important. This goes hand in hand with a single point of contact. We can be meeting the needs of others involved, but is the client or person in charge happy with the output? 3. And processes. If there are processes in place, make sure that everyone knows what that process is and follows that established process. It’s sometimes trickier than it sounds, and sometimes it seems pointless, but if some people are following the process and others go off piste, it can lead to chaos… 4. Communication is key. I personally work 99% of the time with my clients via e-mail. It works for me and my clients. I have my instructions written down, I make a list of what is needed and I do it. Getting things in writing is always a good method in my eyes. Even if I have a meeting with a client, I will e-mail a round up of what I understand they are looking for with an expected date of delivery. 5. Deadlines. Know when a deadline is and work towards it. If the boundaries move so will the deadline and always keep clients informed. Oh, and be realistic with those deadlines. 6. Know your strengths and weaknesses. I am a graphic designer. I am 100% confident I can turn around a good job within a fair timeframe. I can even turn around a good job in a tight timeframe but this can lead to other clients being let down which I don’t like to do. If something isn’t my forte I think it is only fair to inform a client. I now have a whole load of contacts within the industry so can easily pass you on to someone who is more skilled in that field. 7. You can only do your best. Based on your experiences every day is a learning curve. Doing the best you can is often well received, however, in some circumstances this just isn’t enough and in those circumstances you will know it. In those times it is best to have a good think and decide what is best for you.So, the moral of this tale is…
If you’re considering using an external resource always know what you’re looking for before you approach a remote worker. As we are not there to discuss things at every point, set out your guidelines and needs, and really think about what you want. From a graphic design point of view, it is our job to bring your design to life, so if you have any ideas just let us know beforehand and we can get the results you’re looking for much sooner. Know when you need it for and give us the time to work our magic and keep us informed if the goal posts change. I know I try to accommodate everyone and am sure others do too. If you get your instructions and ideas down from the start, you will not need to keep a constant check on progress and so remote working will not become a problematic issue. And now as more and more companies are offering the possibility of remote working, trust is an essential part of working with a remote team. I personally feel proud that my clients trust me enough to give me the tasks that they do.To sum up
Working with a remote worker is a great option for some industries, but I know it’s not great for others. As a graphic designer I will always produce something and so you can see the fruits of my labour. I feel that I am a lot more productive working remotely as I am not involved in office life, be it meetings or conference calls, helping out others in a pickle or doing the “can you just….” tasks. I spend each day working towards a goal, hence why I meet the targets my clients set me. Having worked in a variety of environments, I know which one I prefer. This may change in the future but for now I love being a freelance remote worker as it gives me the flexibility I am looking for. In some ways I do miss office life, but I now provide a value for money service for my clients from the comfort of my own home. And did I mention the fact that I don’t have a commute? That for me and the flexibility I now have is worth missing out on office banter any day of the week.Power to the people
No this isn't anything related to the other thing going on today across the UK...
So what is this blog article all about I hear you cry? Well, it's an article appreciating just how fantastic people can be. This journey starts over a year ago when I plunged into the world of freelance graphic design. I knew I wanted to do it, my hand was kind of forced, but I ran with it anyway. Faced with the fact that the following Monday morning (and all following mornings) I would be getting a superb lie in for a change rather than diving head first into my horrendous commute, rather than plug away at job applications, no responses and general hair tearing out moments of depression, I decided to take that lie in and once the first cup of tea of the day had been consumed, update my job status on LinkedIn as freelance graphic designer. Within minutes (literally minutes if not seconds) I had likes and comments and general interest in my change of mode. I felt enlightened. It felt like what I did actually meant something. Those likes and comments have turned into a consistent amount of graphic design work, from former bosses, colleagues, friends, associates, friends of friends and new friends I didn't know were out there. I have folks I can turn to in a design related crisis, I am the person that some turn to in a design related crisis. It would seem I have a network, a network I never knew I had. Folks I wouldn't even call a network because I would call them friends. Power to the people.If you give it a go, whatever "it" may be, I bet you'll be surprised just who supports you.
So what is this article all about really? Well, the other day somebody was asking me about taking the plunge into the freelance world. He wasn't a designer, but a photographer, and all I had to say was you never know unless you try. If you try and you fail who cares, but if you don't try you're never going to know if you would succeed or fail. In some respects this is kind of similar to the other thing going on this Thursday across Britain. Putting your ideas forward is important, getting the support is important too, but just giving it a go is equally valuable. If you give it a go, whatever "it" may be, I bet you'll be surprised just who supports you. I am forever thankful for those folks who saw my potential, and continue to see my potential and more importantly are letting me achieve my potential on a daily basis, and if you've got something you want to give a go - do it, jump in feet first in your bathing costume with a cosmo in your hand, because no one can jump in for you. I should've jumped earlier, instead I was pushed, but I like to think I may've turned it into a superb Tom Daley-esque dive before hitting the water.
Tags: Freelance designer, Graphic design