10 tips for writing graphic design briefs

graphic design

Here are some valuable tips for writing graphic design briefs, kindly guest authored by Sharon Hayes of Round Box Design. Sharon has a wealth of experience and has been working as a graphic designer since 1994.

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Spec work in the internet age

no respect

A few days ago, a young designer thought they’d take a stand against spec work, and uploaded the NO!SPEC logo to LogoSauce (a website offering logo design competitions). In response, an article was published on the LogoSauce blog, no-spec vs spec.

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The importance of client testimonials

thumbs up

When you’re hiring a graphic designer, what do you look for?

Their portfolio? Sure, this is perhaps the most important aspect when deciding who to work with. There are other aspects, however, such as pricing, timeframe for completion, communication and experience, but who’s to say you can trust the designer in the first place? After all, they could be leading you up the garden path by stretching the truth.

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Online business is all about transparency

transparent laptop screen

People deal with people, which is why publishing a blog can do wonders for your business. Showing how you operate, and expressing your thoughts through a blog connects us in a way that static websites (those with no interactivity) simply can’t. Allowing people to comment on your articles invites conversation, and can give a great insight into the personality of the author, their temperament, and how they communicate.

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Design pricing and when to talk money

money talks

Do you openly advertise how much your design services cost? Perhaps you wait until that initial telephone or email conversation? Or do you only arrive at a project cost after compiling enough information to give an accurate quote?

Here’s some excellent insight and discussion around this pricing issue.

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20 questions clients ask before choosing a designer

Choosing a designer can seem like a daunting task. You need to know if you can trust this person with the reputation of your company, because what they produce will, in many cases, give a potential customer their first impression of your business.
What follows will aid your search, and help keep you on track during [...]

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Are freelance designers really suckers?

expert freelancer

When someone tells you they’re a freelancer, be it freelance graphic design or another profession, what are your immediate thoughts?

Does the freelance job title portray an impression of expert, or of someone who is new to the field, perhaps picking up some earnings to make ends meet? There’s an excellent discussion happening here in the reader comments.

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How to create interactive PDF forms

Adobe LiveCycle

When dealing with clients, a designer should gather as much information as possible before beginning a new project. A few people have asked me how to create interactive PDFs, and here’s a quick insight so you can do likewise.

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First steps to graphic design pricing

100 pound notes

Are you self-employed? Freelancing? Consulting? Perhaps you’re looking for a designer and want to know how they set their rates?

How much to charge a client is one of the most talked about topics in self-employment, and here I offer points to consider for designers setting their graphic design pricing.

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What’s on your to-do list?

Not a day goes by when I don’t think to myself, “I’ll have to do that at some point.” Little things that aren’t exactly vital, but can be important nonetheless, such as:

Making the most of Facebook’s networking
Figuring out if I’m making any beginner SEO mistakes with WordPress
Submitting my best blog posts to article submission sites, [...]

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