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Archive for the ‘Design Resources’ Category
5 Programming Languages to Help Freelance Coders Find Work
2/7/2012 3:26 PM By ArtisanIn case you hadn’t noticed, applications for mobile devices are all the rage, and for good reason. In a sense, apps are extensions of powerful programs and services that have been historically limited to use on desktop computers and laptops. With the explosion of high-tech mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, many of those programs can now be taken with us wherever there’s a 3G or Wi-Fi connection — and sometimes, even that’s not necessary. The end result? Freelance coders are finding limitless opportunities to earn a living doing what they do best – creating new and exciting mobile apps that replicate and even enhance the “home computer” experience.
Web coders are an astute group, and they know that regardless of how much studying they’ve done in the past, their education is one that’s never complete. To that end, it’s critical for PHP developers and freelance coders alike to stretch the boundaries of their knowledge by absorbing as many programming languages as possible. Doing so, they can remain viable in what’s becoming an incredibly competitive field. Below are five useful programming languages that can help freelance coders achieve that end.
- Lua: Popular for use in the development of video games because of its ease of use and rapid-fire execution, Lua’s got versatility because it’s a multiparadigm language. Lua has been used by Cisco Systems and Damn Small Linux (DSL).
- R: Also a multi-paradigm language, R is best used for the creation of applications that are for use with statistical computing and graphics.
- Clojure: Derived from Lisp, Clojure is gaining popularity among freelance coders who develop applications Android devices.
- Erlang: A general-purpose, concurrent programming language that supports “hot swapping” which is the act of replacing computer components or updating codes without having to shut down the system. As a result, it’s mostly in use with applications that are operating constantly.
- Go: Developed by Google and used in the creation of Google Wave, which was the predecessor to Google Plus, Go is what’s known as a compiled, “garbage-collected” programming language.
If you’re interested in joining the ranks of freelance coders who make their living creating useful and sometimes groundbreaking applications, it’s not enough to educate yourself on all of the popular programming languages. New languages are being developed all the time, and what’s hot now may be passe tomorrow. Make it a point to keep abreast of current and developing trends by subscribing to industry blogs and taking the initiative to educate yourself whenever you see the opportunity to do so. This extra mile will be the difference between earning a living as a freelance web coder and finding extraordinary success.
Vince F is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
Tips For Marketing Yourself as a Prime Freelancer
2/2/2012 3:39 PM By Artisan
So you’ve been searching for employment and you’ve just discovered your dream job. Maybe it’s a marketing position, a freelance writing project or a chance to draw snow cones — it doesn’t matter; this job speaks to you. The problem is, the project also speaks to 250 other freelancers, some of whom may be more qualified than you are. How do you make your voice heard? Here’s some self employment advice that will give you the upper hand.
First, we need to go back in time a bit. Before you started searching for employment, did you update your portfolio and resume? Let’s face it, for freelancers in particular, hiring is all about history. Every freelancer claims to have the most talent, be the best person for the job and be passionate about the work. However, it’s not about what a freelancer can say, but rather what he can show a potential employer in respect to his abilities. A good portfolio is a must. The best piece of self employment advice is to make sure that your best work, particularly your most recent best work, always finds its way into your portfolio.
Another trick to making yourself more attractive to potential employers is to stretch your limits and learn to do different things within your chosen field or related fields. Just because you’ve never written a press release before doesn’t mean you should assume you can’t write press releases. Give it a try — you might be good at it and even enjoy it. Then, when the employer advertises that a need for somebody to write a bio for the CEO for an event, you can say you are able to do that and a press release for the event, too.
Another word here about history and reputation — just as you can build a good reputation, you can build a nasty one even more easily. Any good marketing person knows that good news travels fast, but bad news travels faster so the mistakes you make and the bridges you burn can, and will, come back to haunt you. If you habitually miss deadlines, turn in low-quality work or generally don’t act like a professional, your reputation will precede you and you will find yourself being passed over for jobs.
There is one last simple piece of self employment advice you need when searching for employment as a freelancer. Be confident. If you don’t believe you’re the best person for the job, you will never convince anyone else. Besides, when you look at the portfolio you’ve prepared, you’ll see that you’ve accomplished a lot as a freelancer and you have every reason to believe that the job you apply for is yours for the taking. All that’s left to do is go get it!
Roger C is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
Staying Up on the Latest Trends: Production Management Software
2/1/2012 11:17 AM By Vince FontProduction management is about as complex and demanding a management job as you could ask for. Whether your title is Creative Director or you work in the development and design side of the industry, production management can be emotionally draining if you don’t have a system to keep everything in order.
Thankfully, there’s plenty of production management software to choose from and there are a lot of sites, services and products on the web that can keep you on your toes, improve your appeal to potential clients and help your business perform while reducing headaches. Here are three that no Production Manager, Interactive Art Director, Project Manager, Web Developer or Designer should go without.
EPICOR Production Management Software
If you want to stay on top of your game, EPICOR is the way to do it. This multi-tiered production management system offers solutions at every level and for every conceivable project. The interface allows production managers a lot of depth without sacrificing user friendliness. Give it a try and see if you’re not a devout user by the end of the week.
For production management professionals who are looking for a cheaper alternative to production software, Celtx is a pretty great package for pre-production, offering storyboard, scheduling, screenwriting and everything else you could possibly want in a $10 package (with many free features, as well), Celtx is just the thing if you need to outfit a whole office with production management software on a budget.
If you’re not on Google+ yet, you need to get involved while you can still position yourself as a trend setter for jumping on the bandwagon. Google+ allows you to search by facial recognition, get +1′s (likes) from search engine results and it gives you precedence in Google searches if the searcher is following you on Google+. Get involved now while you can still be considered an early adopter in your field on Google+. This can also be a useful recruitment tool.
Production management is largely a number-crunching game, and it can get overwhelming if you don’t have the right tools. These three can help you stay on top of your assignment and on top of the field if you know how to use them.
What Freelance Designers Need to Know About Mobile App Development
2/1/2012 10:46 AM By ArtisanThese days, freelance web designers and web coders interested in finding an abundance of work are required to have a strong understanding of a variety of programming languages like PHP, Python and Ruby on Rails. But in order to remain viable in a field that is becoming increasingly competitive, freelance designers, web coders and PHP developers alike will be required to cultivate a keen comprehension of coding for the mobile web.
Mobile web development is markedly different from the development of traditional web applications because of the vast differences of the many handheld devices on the market today. If you want a program to function properly on a cross section of smartphones and mobile devices, it’s critical to become versed in as many programming languages as possible. The list below represents the development tools that are the most popular with end users of mobile devices, and thus the most likely to help a developer find regular work:
- Android: The environment specific to Google Android smartphones and tablets leans heavily in favor of Java, C and C++ programming languages. Development tools for these languages are free to download for web coders and freelance designers.
- Blackberry: Mobile blackberry devices operate on Java-driven applications. Java is an open-source tool that is readily available to all mobile web coders. iOS SDK: Formerly known as iPhone Software Development Kit, iOS SDK is one of the most popular development tools for the creation of applications for the Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Applications are written in Objective-C language. Developers using iOS SDK are required to pay a fee directly to Apple before the application is made available for download by the general public.
- Palm OS: Palm devices and Windows Mobile devices can be programmed using C, C++ and Pascal programming languages.
- PhoneGap: This open-source software framework allows mobile web coders and freelance designers build applications using HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript. Using PhoneGap, developers can create applications for a variety of mobile devices including the iPhone (iOS), Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Symbian and Windows Phone 7.
To be successful, freelance designers aren’t just required to maintain a continuous education on emerging programming languages, but also on upcoming trends in usability. Without the ability to keep a finger on the pulse of the application-hungry populous, a web coder might just paint him or herself into a lonely corner, turning a potential income earning talent into little more than a pastime. The best advice? Read industry publications on a regular basis to stay informed on developing trends for developers, as well as users. You can never be too informed.
Vince F is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
The Importance of Project Deadlines and How to Avoid Missing Them
1/31/2012 2:57 PM By Artisan
As a freelancer, your reputation is all you have to draw and keep clients, and this reputation comes from two things: the quality of your work and your ability to adhere to deadlines so remember: deadlines are not just suggestions.
Every time you apply for a freelance job, you face a tremendous amount of competition. Freelancers Union, a New York-based group for independent workers, estimates that 30 percent of American workers are freelancers. With so much competition, you must do all you can to stand out. One of the best and most simpe pieces of advice for professional freelancers is to always meet your deadline.
When clients approaches you, they already have a timeline in mind for the project. If you fail to meet the deadline on your end, they will fail to meet their own, which can have a negative impact on their job. By putting your client in this position, you hurt your professional relationship.
How to Meet the Deadline Every Time
When it comes to deadlines, your goal should be to under promise and over deliver, as stated by veteran freelance writer Abhijeet Mukherjee of Freelance Folder. If you tell your client the project will take five days but deliver it in three, he’ll be impressed. If you tell your client the project will take three days but deliver it in four, he won’t be.
Keep a calendar that includes both personal and professional appointments and deadlines to help you visualize potential roadblocks to completing a project. Know how much you can realistically accomplish in a set period of time and avoid over-committing yourself.
Unexpected events are what often throw off deadlines. For instance, you may not be able to plan for illness, but it could happen. To give yourself a little leeway, FreelanceSwitch recommends building in a cushion when offering a project completion date.
At the end of the day, you need to keep your clients happy. No amount of advice on employment will protect you from the negative impact of repeated missed deadlines. It does not matter how well you do your job; if you cannot deliver on time, you are going to lose your clients to someone else who can. In a competitive field like freelancing, that is simply not a risk worth taking.
Nicole H is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
Hiring Solutions: Freelance Graphic Designers for Rapid-Fire Marketing Projects
1/30/2012 1:50 PM By Vince Font
Do you work for a marketing company that needs to hire Graphic Designers for projects with an incredibly rapid turnaround time? The mere thought has been known to send hardened career marketing experts into tailspins of panic, especially considering the time and effort needed to launch a search to find qualified job candidates. If this story is starting to sound all too familiar, take a deep breath and relax. It can be done.
First, consider all of your options. Finding a freelance Graphic Designer or Production Artist might just be a far better solution than making a permanent hire. But will bringing in a freelancer—or freelancers, if your project requires nothing short of a small army—into the mix be cost effective? In a word, yes. Think about the following things you won’t have to worry about if you opt to hire Graphic Designers from the freelance market.
- No legal requirement to provide healthcare benefits. And fortunately for you, Artisan offers that option for its talent.
- Far less overhead costs, especially if the Graphic Designer in question can work remotely.
- Less need to provide training unless it is project or software specific. Most professional freelance Graphic Designers for hire are highly experienced, having worked in a variety of environments.
And if you work with a talent staffer like Artisan, where we’ve already taken care of everything from background checks to prior work history, you’ll have even less on your plate. Get a jumpstart on your marketing project by contacting us today.
5 Important Marketing Shifts of 2011
1/26/2012 12:17 PM By Artisan
During 2011, the marketing software industry experienced several new developments that inspired changes among freelance marketing professionals. One of these developments involved the creation of new Facebook features, such as Timeline. Though Timeline is not yet available for businesses, its existence signals a shift from text-based content to a more visual interactive experience. To stay on top of this trend, social marketing managers should keep the new appearance of Facebook in mind when creating marketing tools for use on the platform.
Another shift that occurred in 2011 involved the launching of Google+, a new social network. Within just a few weeks of its launch, Google+ boasted 18 million users. In light of this development, many businesses created profiles on the platform in hopes of reaching millions of potential customers. As Google+ continues to grow, it is likely that more businesses will utilize its services. Staying ahead of the game requires an active profile on Google+ with marketing tools in place before the trend goes global.
To keep up with the changes at Google and Facebook, Twitter created new apps for computer desktops and mobile devices. These applications allow Twitter users to access the platform more easily, which translates to more tweets. Businesses who are active on Twitter can utilize this new trend to spread the news about products, services and promotions. Businesses that attract savvy Twitter users are more likely to benefit from this technique, so be sure you consider this trend when developing marketing strategies for 2012.
Collective-deal services was another trend that took off during 2011. Using companies like Groupon, businesses can offer promotions to entice new customers to try out their products or services. If new customers are satisfied with their experiences, they are likely to return and pay full price. This translates to more traffic and revenue for the business in question.
The fifth revolutionary development that occurred during 2011 was the rise of iAds, advertisements that target tablet and iPad users. Though iAds didn’t experience as much success as originally anticipated, it is likely that the trend will grow and transform during 2012. Getting the most out of iAds will require staying on top of Apple’s announcements, monitoring revenue and tailoring your marketing strategies accordingly.
Amanda M is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
Artisan, Proud Sponsor of AIGA Chicago
1/25/2012 2:01 PM By Julia Shiplett
As one of the most influential design associations in the country, AIGA brings thousands of creative professionals, industry insiders and students together to learn, share and grow. It’s for this reason Artisan is thrilled to be the only creative staffing sponsor of AIGA’s Chicago chapter in 2012!We have a lot of exciting opportunities in store with AIGA this year, and here are a few upcoming events we want to get on your radar:
New Member Mixer
Thursday, January 26, 6pm – 8:30pm
Old Town Social
FREE
Winter Portfolio Review
Wednesday, February 1, 6pm – 9:30pm
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Student: $10
Small Talk I – Pitchfork
Tuesday, February 7, 6:30pm
Rational Park, Chicago
Member: $20
Non-Members: $40
Student: $10
We’re sure to be there so please don’t hesitate to come up and introduce yourselves! We look forward to meeting you and partnering with such a great organization.
Three Myths About Interactive Design and Web Development
1/19/2012 2:52 PM By Vince Font
Being a full-time Interactive Designer doesn’t mean you know all there is to know about building the perfect website. Believe it or not, there are tons of professional ecommerce Web Developers out there operating on totally false principles, completely obliviously. The real trouble with this is that buying into certain myths can turn a potentially fabulous designer into a mediocre one. Here are three common myths that Web Developers all too often take as gospel.
Too much white space makes a website look empty.
Wrong. While we’ll admit that too much white space can be a bad thing, it all depends on what your definition of too much is. Some people’s idea of the ideal website design is one that doesn’t waste a single solitary pixel. But as you might imagine, taking this approach can result in an incredibly unattractive and cluttered site. When used properly, white space can make a web page more digestable and leave a user with a far more positive impression of a brand or product.
Quality content isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Occasionally, you’ll hear someone ranting about how unimportant online content is by pointing to a popular website with zero content as a perfect example. The only thing is, situations like these are total anomalies and ecommerce Web Developers have to understand this. Effective interactive design balances quality content with quality layout and visuals. If one or the other falls out of balance, the whole site’s integrity is shot. Well-developed content may not be the only determining factor that gets someone to come to your website, but it can play a huge role in keeping them there long enough to make a purchase and often ensures they’ll come back again.
Copying a proven model will work every time.
This isn’t really a dangerous myth as much as it is a time-wasting one. Far too many people believe that they can take shortcuts to website preeminence by blindly following the example put forth by far more visible websites. The only problem is, that’s breaking one of the very basic tenets of organic interactive design. The most successful websites got to be that way as a result of trial and error, and years of making tweaks that not only took user feedback into account but that also anticipated the wants and needs of future users. Copying someone else’s model is like copying someone else’s Bingo sheet pattern. It just doesn’t work.
If you’re having trouble finding work as a full-time Interactive Designer, take heart. Even though companies hiring Interactive Designers and ecommerce Web Developers may seem few and far between, there are still ways to make money on the full-time or freelance market. Artisan is a creative staffing company that has established clients who are regularly seeking developers and designers for full-time and lucrative freelance projects.
Weeding Out Web Designer Pros From the Flakes
1/9/2012 1:15 PM By Vince Font
The trouble many companies face when hiring Web Designers has little to do with finding people of skill and more to do with finding individuals who can produce high quality work on time. The reason? It’s easy for someone to get an education as a Web Designer. Work ethic, on the other hand, can’t always be learned and is seemingly in short quantity these days. If you’re looking to hire a Web Designer but want to avoid finding certain things out the hard way, we’ve got a few tips to help you out.
• Approach a creative talent agency in your search. You can still hire a Web Designer by listing the position on your company website or job boards, but top staffing agencies pre-screen all candidates and even perform pre-qualification interviews to be able to present you with a list of ideal job candidates.
• Know what you’re looking for. You don’t have to be an expert in web design to hire a Web Designer, but you should know enough to be able to discuss what you expect of them. It’s not enough to know what you don’t want, and it’s certainly unfair to expect someone to read your mind.
• Follow up on referrals. This is particularly important if you’re not using a creative talent agency or other staffing firm to find qualified people, since they’ll usually take care of all of the verification for you. You don’t want to find out that the individual you’ve hired for a critical project is not at all who you thought, so do your homework before signing a contract.
If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, it’s strongly recommended that you work with a staffing agency like Artisan who will be able to work with you to determine the quality of Web Designer you need and can provide a qualified match faster than it’ll take you to say “We should have come here sooner.”
