Posts Tagged ‘Freelancing’
Do you produce better graphic design work under pressure? Part 2
A few weeks ago we published a post declaring that some designers (namely Lu) produce better work under pressure (see the post Do you produce better graphic design work under pressure Part 1). The post explained how Lu finds she can produce better design work to a deadline because she is more focussed. She is not distracted by the desire to “try something a little different” or the need to discover the worlds most perfect design. She felt that when designing under pressure, nothing is driving her apart from the objectives for the project and the messages that are to be communicated from the piece.
However, in part 2 of this blog article, I discuss why I think I create better work when there is a longer deadline and the pressure is off.
Creative block
One of the things I really hate about designing under pressure is when all of a sudden my inspiration dissapears and my mind goes blank. There is something about an deadline looming that simply causes my mind to block. I am sure everyone has, at one time, experienced this, sitting looking at your screen thinking ‘why can’t I think of anything?’. This can be a real worry when a deadline is approaching which causes more panic and in turn causes more mental block.
It’s for these reasons I much prefer having extra time to work on a project. It is important to be able to leave and return to a project in order to break that creative barrier (for more info read our blog post on Offline creative inspiration).
Accidental design
You know how it goes, you are working on a design and you delete the wrong path point and you exclaim, “Hey that could work if I just moved that…” So many designs or design elements are developed through accident and if your deadline is not rushing towards you then these accidents can be explored.
I’ll just try…
The urge to just try something (even though you know it will look silly) is something you sometimes just can’t fight and often when you are comparing these ideas to your planned design you realise how good your original is, but I find I sometimes have to go through this process to feel happy that I’ve exhausted all avenues.
The morning after
You put your design to bed at some ridiculous time in the evening and you wake feeling refreshed and ready to start designing all over again. However, you take a look at your design and stand back in horror. This has happened to me a couple of times, thinking I was going down the right path (normally the result of lack of sleep and too much coffee!) and after taking a good break realising that my masterpiece wasn’t quite as good as I’d remembered. Having the time to put your design down and come back to it at a later date allows us not to get stuck in a rut and gives us breathing room to develop our ideas.
Panicking!
When under pressure I just can’t see straight, nothing seems to go right and all my ideas go out of the window. I waste time purely panicking and getting frustrated with myself, my mac, Lu and anyone that dares to look at me slightly funny! This means a lack of concentration and the result is far from perfect design work.
Research
I find that when I am under pressure I spend less time on the most important part of the project, Research and Development. Research is so important to any project and I can’t imagine what it must be like to spend time developing a design only to discover it is similar to the clients competitors. Having plenty of time to spend throwing ideas around and checking out competitors before even hitting the design stage is imperative.
Conclusion
When I am forced to work under pressure and to tight deadlines I find I can produce good work that is inline with client objectives. Despite this, these fast paced projects seem to lack that extra magic that comes from toiling over a design for days, weeks or even months. The final pieces feel as though they are missing that extra special ’something’ that can come about by letting our creative minds loose, free of phones, and deadlines.
So how do you feel about working under pressure? Do you agree with the previous post and produce better design work when working to a deadline or do you feel that time allows you to add that extra element that makes the design so unique?
Tags: Freelancing, Graphic Design, under pressure
Posted in Freelancing | 3 Comments »
Do you produce better graphic design work under pressure? - Part 1
As you may or may not know, Eightyone Design is made up of two designers, myself (Lucinda - or Lu) and my partner Steve. A recent project (which had an extremely tight deadline) caused us to have a (heated) discussion as to whether we produce better design work under pressure or to a distant deadline. This brought up two very different opinions on the subject so we decided to post our very different points of view.
This is the first of a two part blog post in which I explore the idea of not only working more effectively under pressure but also producing better quality work when working to deadlines. The second part of this blog post will be published in a few weeks and will see Steve delve into the arguably blissful world of no deadlines or pressure (to make sure you do not miss out on the second part of ‘Do you produce better graphic design work under pressure?’ be sure to subscribe to receive free updates from the Eightyone Design Blog by email or via RSS).
Part 1
I have to admit I quite enjoy working to a deadline. There is a certain buzz about having a great long list of items to complete before the day is out. For me there isn’t a better feeling than leaving the office knowing I’ve done a good days work. I believe that the quality of my design work is considerably better when working under pressure and here are a few reasons why…
Clear Objectives
Before starting work on a design (whether I’m pushed for time or not) I ensure the objectives for the project are pinned up in my direct view ensuring I stay on the correct design path without trailing off. However, when I do have extra time to spend on a design I find myself saying, “I wonder what it would look like if…”. Most of the time this leads me off on a creative tangent that results in the creation of something that’s not quite in line with my objectives. When I don’t have time to creatively wander off I stick to my design brief and therefore create a piece which hits the creative nail on the head.
Deadlines
Deadlines are a great way of drawing a line under a project. We, as designers, are perfectionists. We have all experienced the ’stared at it for too long’ syndrome in which no matter how many amendments, tweaks and finishing touches are added, we are still not happy with the end result. Having a deadline can cut out this endless attempt at perfection ensuring that all the elements in the design are there for a reason and haven’t been altered in an attempt to reach that fruitless goal of perfection.
Communication Lock Down
There’s nothing worse than really getting into a project and being called away just as you feel like you are getting somewhere, thus loosing your mojo and having to try and get it back again. At the end of the day, we are running a business and as such have to answer phone calls, reply to emails and attend meetings. I find this constant interruption really does affect my design process. Hence why, when I am under pressure, the phone gets put to answer machine, email and Safari are closed down and even itunes is switched off ensuring my focus is entirely devoted to what I am creating. Again this allows me to stay on track and not get influenced by the frustrating phone call I’ve had from a supplier or whimsical music which has unearthed itself from my music shuffle.
Conclusion
Overall I believe I do produce better design work to a deadline because I am more focussed. I am not distracted by my desire to “try something a little different” or my need to discover the worlds most perfect design (or simply by the telephone ringing every half hour). Nothing is driving me apart from the objectives for the project and the messages that are to be communicated from the piece. This may sound harsh and it sounds like I am taking the fun out of design, but I feel that this level of concentration allows me to develop much better design work.
The final note I shall leave you on is nothing to do with the quality of work you produce but the fact that you are trying to run a business. It cannot be cost effective to spend a great deal of time on a project all in the name of art. You will find yourself working long hours for less than minimum wage. Pressure and deadlines forces you to create a design on time and on budget allowing you to make a profit.
Do you find yourself working better under pressure? Do you agree (or disagree) that working under pressure allows you to create a more focussed end product?
Tags: Freelancing, graphic designer
Posted in Freelancing, Graphic Design | No Comments »
5 reasons you should detach yourself from your digital world
I have recently given in to temptation and bought the new iPhone 3G which I have been admiring from a distance for quite a while. The main reason for wanting the phone was the ability to sync my mac calendars and email allowing me to continually be connected to the digital world (although the virtual pint is reason enough!).
I didn’t think it was too much of a problem checking and responding to emails at the dinner table or surfing the net at our local pub. However, on a recent holiday I found myself sneaking off to reply to emails and generally plug myself into my digital world at every opportunity. It wasn’t that my clients were demanding answers, they all knew we were on holiday and didn’t expect their emails to be responded too. But I felt compelled to plug in and ensure my virtual life was still there.
I’ve started to wonder if my resistance to unplug from my digital world would have a negative effect our business rather than a positive one? Here are 5 reasons you may want to think about detaching yourself from your digital world:
1. 24/7 Communication - A good thing right?!
24/7 communication sounds like a great selling point to your clients (and not too difficult to maintain as I found out), but would clients build an expectation that we are constantly contactable with no excuses. Would they then have a shock when we didn’t respond to an email within 48 hours?
2. Creativity in a Virtual World
Am I locking myself too much into my digital world? Inspiration comes from everywhere however if I am unable to see beyond my virtual surroundings will that start to effect my creativity?
3. Time Waster
Even with the benefits of 3G, logging on away from home takes time and connections are often quite slow. I would love to add up all the time I have spent waiting for a web page to download or email attachment to come through (I think I would be quite shocked at the results).
4. Time Out
It’s important to get away from clients, deadlines and computers. Taking time out means you can return to a project with a new enthusiasm and a clear head. However, with my new iphone, I not only take my mobile but my entire digital world everywhere I go, resulting in a feeling that all I do is work.
5. Social Outcast
Friends and family have had no problems so far with me whipping out my iphone when an email comes through, but I think if someone did the same to me I would be quite shocked and find them quite rude, so am I soon to become a social outcast? Will I be the geek that nobody wants to go out with? Always talking about work (or the new lightsaber app that I have just downloaded - try it - it’s cool!)
Now don’t get me wrong, the functionality and features of the iPhone are truly excellent and there has been a few ‘lifesaver’ moments already, but should I really be worrying about whether a blog article has been posted or an email sent outside of work hours? Or has graphic design finally become a 24/7 industry?
How do you feel about your Digital world? Are you able to detach and embrace reality, or do you prefer a virtual world?
Tags: Freelancing, iphone
Posted in Freelancing | 7 Comments »
Why? Because I said so!
You can either love them or hate them, but you have to agree that without them you’d have no business and no money to purchase all those sparkly and wondrous things us designers like to purchase. Personally I love them I find juggling their juxtaposed objectives and messages intriguing yet challenging, and it makes my job all the more interesting, if not a little stressful at times.
Who am I talking about? well that’s our beloved clients. Unlike us they are new to the design world and can need reigning in or enlightening. Either way they can be known to request some things that drive us designers crazy. Here’s a couple of our favourites:
Client: Can my logo be a photograph?
Designer: Sure… but do you know how that photo will look when it’s been faxed and reduced to the size of a stamp?
Client: OK, we’ll just use some clip art instead then?
Designer: Err…no?
Client: No, I don’t need to write you a brief I just require a logo.
Designer: Of course, I didn’t realise you said logo.
Client: I want the body font on my website written in a scrawly elegant font.
Designer: Lovely, that’ll be easy to read!?
Client: I’ve taken this image from a website, can I have it on my brochure?
Designer: For many, many reasons, no.
Client: OK, we will just get some images from Google then?
Designer: You weren’t listening were you?
Client: I need to see examples in a couple of days time.
Designer: No problem, just let me get into my time machine…
Client: I’m typing my company name in Google and my site isn’t coming up?
Designer: That’ll be because I just uploaded it about a second ago.
Client: The colour looks different on my screen compared to the pantone swatch you gave me.
Designer: Yep that’ll happen, remember what i said about pantones… and monitors… No? I will explain it again then.
Overall, I think we, as designers, have an obligation to educate our clients so they understand the reasons we can and can not do certain things. That way it will build for a easier future relationship.
Have you got any comments that make you tilt you head and say “Arrrhhh bless them.”? It would be great to compile a list!
Tags: Freelancing, Graphic Design
Posted in Freelancing, Graphic Design | 9 Comments »
The Many Hats of a Graphic Designer
Let’s say a client has come to you (as a graphic designer) asking you to create a brochure containing a range of design elements. Is it the graphic designers job to draw any illustrations used in the brochure or is that down to an illustrator? What about the photography? Should it be the graphic designer who takes photographs for the project or should that fall into the hands of a photographer. How about the copy? Should that be written by a copywriter? The obvious answers to all of these are no, they are not the job of a graphic designer and in each case they should be handed to the specialists. So, if that is true, what is the graphic designers job? In this case the graphic designer could be seen as overseeing the whole project ensuring that everyone involved is working towards the same goal set out by the client. However, just to put a spanner in the works, couldn’t a marketeer or the client themselves manage the project if they have a clear understanding of what they are trying to achieve and what they need to do to achieve it?
Calling in specialists is great if you have the budget, but what if you don’t? I think this is where the many hats of a graphic designer may come in. When the brochure needs illustration the graphic designer puts on their illustrator hat and either starts scribbling or logs onto a stock imagery site and downloads some vectors. Again, for photography the graphic designer could take some bespoke shots or again source some stock photography. So if this is the case a good graphic designer needs to be proficient in all trades and specialities. But would you be spreading yourself too thin? Is it starting to look like a graphic designer is a jack of all trades and a master of none?
Every graphic designer has their strengths and weaknesses which can clearly be seen by their portfolio. Illustration, photography, typography, magazine layout, web design are all areas that graphic designers need to cover. Therefore, it might be a case of choosing the right designer for your project. I am always wary of freelance graphic designers who are not only all of the above they are also advertise themselves as copywriters, search engine optimisation specialists, marketing planners, programmers…. the list is endless. When it comes to sourcing a graphic designer for your project whether it be designing a website, brochure or logo, you need to check out their portfolio. Do you like what they’ve previously done? Have they completed anything similar to your project? If you’re not sure, talk it over with them on the phone or over a coffee.
So to sum up - what exactly does a graphic designer do… Which hat should they wear? To be honest, I really don’t know. However I do believe that a graphic designer can wear any hat they want to wear, as long as they wear it well, it does it’s purpose and looks absolutely amazing.
What do you think the definition of a Graphic Designer is?
Tags: Freelancing, Graphic Design
Posted in Graphic Design | 4 Comments »