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Archive for the ‘Design Resources’ Category
Creative Recruiters Aren’t Just for Finding Temporary Assignments
3/26/2012 3:27 PM By Artisan
If you are a job seeker, you should know that a creative recruiter is not just looking for someone to fill a seat or “get the job done.” More and more, a recruiter is looking for somebody who actually has real concepts and passion to offer. The job market has changed. When it comes to creative job placement, there are three key points to bear in mind.
1. Clients Can’t Always Spot Quality Work
Some clients know quality when they see it, but another client might not know what makes a programmer effective, they might not know what makes a graphic designer talented. They don’t always have an eye for this sort of thing. This is why you often see the lesser candidate landing a job, not because they turned in better work, but because they had a longer resume. It’s silly, but not everybody understands the job that they’re hiring people to do.
This means that these clients have to rely on others to judge who is and is not qualified. What is and is not a good resume. This is why a creative recruiter is so important: Somebody who identifies the clearly apparent value in a candidate’s work can be the gatekeeper between a skilled designer and a client who may need some quality work done but who might not know how to spot it when he sees it.
2. Selling Yourself is a Full-time Gig
Whether you’re a web designer, content developer or a freelance programmer, selling yourself to clients is a full-time job. Finding them, convincing them that you’re the one to hire, it’s really about 50 percent of the job. If we could sit back drawing coding, or writing all day, the job would be too easy.
By finding a lot of freelance gigs and even full-time positions for you, a creative job placement agency can make it so that selling yourself is just 25 percent of the job.
3. Recruiters Can Save Both Sides a Lot of Time
How many times have you applied for a position, sent in samples of your work and so on, and been told that it’s just not a good fit? Creative job recruiters help to clarify what a client is looking for and they can connect you to those jobs that are, in fact, a good fit. This saves both sides a ton of time by offering a little bit of clarity to a job market often plagued by poorly worded job posts. In other words: No more posting a proposal to every single ad you see. With the right job placement company, you only get connected with employers who might actually have some work for you.
In short, creative agencies are not just about finding temp jobs. They can help sell you to clients who might not otherwise “get it,” they can help you find full time positions and they can even get you access to a lot of jobs that don’t get listed in the trade.
Gilbert S is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
Results vs. Aesthetics: Tips for Creating the Optimum Ecommerce User Experience
3/14/2012 1:24 PM By ArtisanHiring a user experience designer can mean the difference between life and death for some companies. Think about it. How many times have you yourself visited a website looking for a product or services, but have turned away almost immediately because of the website’s utter lack of usability?
A user friendly environment for an online presence isn’t just a nice thing to have. There’s no superfluity about it. When you’re building a website intended to welcome and engage potential clients and customers, it’s an absolute necessity to give that website 110 percent of your efforts. To that end, it’s critical to find capable ecommerce web developers and UX experts to ensure your success.
But you’re not off the hook once you’ve hired a user experience designer to helm the development of your online presence. As someone who knows the ins and outs of your particular industry, it’s incumbent upon you to offer your own unique vision and finely developed perspective to help with the creation of an optimum user experience for your customer base. Here are a few tips and suggestions to help guide you through that process.
- Research like mad. Okay, you don’t have to literally go crazy researching, but it’s imperative that you do a fair amount of research prior to having a UX expert build a new site or entirely revamp your existing one. Before you can really tell that usability pro what you want them to accomplish, you have to know what that is – and you can’t be vague about it, suggesting things like “I want a better website.” That’s a little like going to the doctor and simply saying “I don’t feel good.” Research will tell you who your target market is, allowing you to take steps to cater the online experience specifically with them in mind.
- Concentrate on usability and place aesthetics second. For a perfect example of a website that’s wildly popular and incredibly usable, but that doesn’t quite have the prettiest face on the block, all you have to do is take a look at the behemoth Amazon. The website has little going for it with respect to simplistic appearance, but what it does have is massive usability that does what it’s intended to do: drive sales. Work with your user experience designer to create a web presence whose primary focus is ease of use and don’t allow yourself to be sidetracked by the desire to have a handsome interface. That can come later.
- Perform split testing. Split testing (sometimes referred to as A/B split testing) essentially requires that you put up two different versions of your website to determine which is most effective at getting customers to take a desired action – like signing up for your newsletter or making a purchase. Often, minor variations in a website’s design can result in either positive or negative results. Most ecommerce web developers can perform A/B split testing to help you determine what design works for the highest percentage of customers.
If you’re ready to hire a UX expert but aren’t sure where to start, visit ArtisanTalent.com where you can literally pick and choose from a list of qualified, experienced and educated ecommerce web developers.
Vince F is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
Mistakes to Avoid When Developing Mobile Apps
3/14/2012 12:33 PM By Artisan
Mobile web applications aren’t always a sure bet. Many professionals from small business owners to corporate thought leaders make the mistake of assuming that developing mobile applications for their companies will catapult their brand into the spotlight overnight. But while it’s a good thing to think big, it’s an even better thing to take steps to ensure your success.
In order to do that, you’ve got to work with mobile application developers who are experienced enough to be able to help you get it right the first time. And you’ve got to avoid some of the most commonly made mistakes that companies make when developing mobile web applications. Follow the advice below to navigate around these pitfalls.
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Don’t confuse a mobile device with a computer. Sure, there are a huge number of smart phones and tablets on the market that can easily access standard websites. But when you’re developing mobile applications you have to think carefully about the platform that’s being used. Simply publishing a mobile version of your company website isn’t nearly enough to make the application worth the download bandwidth and it certainly won’t take your application viral.
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Understand who will use your app and why. Far too many companies make the mistake of putting out applications that either don’t offer anything that can’t be found on the desktop website or that aren’t conducive to the mobile experience. If you stop to think about it, the vast majority of app users want something they can use quickly and easily. For that reason, don’t release an application unless you have a clear understanding of what function it’ll perform and who your target market is.
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Cut the fat. To develop effective mobile web applications, you’ve got to think “light.” Understand that not everyone using your company’s application will have the latest, greatest smart phone and many may be using slower devices. Keeping these people in mind is essential. Creating an app that frequently locks up, crashes or simply can’t be run on older models is a mistake many companies make, and one that can sneak up from behind and bite you in the rear – especially since you’ll be relying on positive feedback and good word of mouth to promote its usage.
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Embrace simplicity. This goes not only for the actual function of your mobile app, but also for its layout and design. Aesthetics play an enormous role in determining whether or not someone is going to actually use an application. Remember that your target audience is accessing the application on a screen not much bigger than a credit card, and that failing to embrace a simplistic and sparse design can result in an ugly interface. And nobody likes an ugly interface.
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Don’t spread yourself thin. Most companies find it hard to resist the temptation to develop mobile web applications that can be used on either Android devices or the Apple iOs. Sure, this is a great idea – but when you’re initially designing an application, don’t spread your resources thin by trying to take on both mobile environments at once. Choose one or the other and stick with it. Once your app has been released and the kinks have been ironed out, then you can take steps to making it available on another operating system. But the stark differences between the two are something you’ll want to avoid when you’re setting about the task of developing your first mobile application.
Ultimately, finding the right professional to help you realize your vision for a smart phone application can make the biggest difference. You can find the right mobile application developer for you by registering with Artisan Talent, a service that connects talented and experienced professionals with companies seeking only the best in the field. Visit www.artisantalent.com to learn more.
Vince F is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
How to Pursue a Career in Freelance Web Development Without Floundering
3/14/2012 10:43 AM By Artisan
Nobody ever said that being a freelancer web developer or designer was going to be easy, but it doesn’t have to be impossible either. In fact, if you invest the time and effort into your career, you might be surprised at how simple you can make it.
For people who decide to pursue freelance web design careers, the first question is always “where do I find work?” If you are skilled and reliable, that is rarely the problem. Online work is abundant and a good freelance programmer will have clients beating down his or her door once people know they’re available and skilled.
So the real question becomes “how do I get noticed?” That’s called self-promtion and, for a web developer, the first step has to be creating a website for yourself. This is a chance to show your talent, market yourself and have a central location on the web to bring potential clients back to. Some other popular self-marketing techniques include blogging about your industry, posting on industry message boards regularly and networking with other professionals in your field. Of course, for people with web design careers, marketing may not be their favorite thing to do. In that case, joining a talent staffing agency can allow you to pass the marketing work on to them so that you can focus on what you do best.
Focusing on your job is something that needs to be ongoing. Interactive design and development is not one of those careers that you learn in college, do the same thing repeatedly for next 30 years then retire; it is an ever-changing field. You need to stay connected by reading industry news, stay up-to-date on the latest best practices, and yes, even taking an occasional class or getting a certification. More importantly, you need to make sure that your portfolio reflects your knowledge of current trends.
Another often overlooked aspect of maintaining web design careers as freelancers is that of reputation maintenance. The easiest way to damage your reputation as a freelancer programmer is to fail to deliver a project for a client, so to prevent this you need to be careful not to take on more projects than you can handle, projects with shorter deadlines than you are comfortable with or projects that are not in your area of expertise.
Being a freelancer programmer can be a very rewarding career if you make the investment in yourself to keep your name prominently visible in the industry, your skills sharp and your reputation top notch. Failure in any one of these areas could lead you to experience a major setback while proper attention to these areas virtually guarantees success.
Roger C is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
How to Get Your Dream Job with Maria Scileppi
3/9/2012 4:48 PM By Julia Shiplett
This past Tuesday night was jam-packed with invaluable career guidance thanks to Maria Scileppi, former Director of Chicago Portfolio School and professional networking extraordinaire. Through a Dabble class called How to Get Your Dream Job, Maria provided an array of tips and insight on how to stand out from the candidate crowd and make positive impressions from the moment they count.
While we don’t want to give away too much from her presentation, here are just a few key ideas we left with and will stick with us.
You Make Your Own Opportunities.
While it’s easy to call yourself unlucky, it could be because you’re not recognizing – and therefore not taking advantage – of the opportunities right under your nose. At a networking or social event, instead of whipping out your smart phone the moment you’re alone or feel uncomfortable, open yourself up to meeting new people. Smile, make eye contact with others and show you’re approachable through your body language. You never know who you could meet next and what that could bring.
The same thing goes for your job search: don’t wait for permission to apply. If you know a company you would love to work for, let them know even if they haven’t posted a specific job that fits your background. Companies often don’t publish all their openings and even if they don’t have the right position for you now, that doesn’t mean they won’t in two months. Plus, if they really like you, they might even create a job to keep you onboard.
The Job Search is a Bit like Dating.
Knowing where you want to work is a lot like knowing who you want to date. You want to date someone who only wants to date you back because he or she realizes how special you are. And no matter how badly you would like a new job (or significant other, for that matter), don’t settle on whatever comes your way first or else it won’t be the right match for either party in the long run.
So imagine your cover letter or email a bit like your online dating profile – after you read it, ask yourself would I want to meet me? Do I seem interesting? And if it sounds like a generic one-size-fits-all message, then you need to go back and edit it to so the employer knows you’re specifically seeking them out.
Put as Much of Your Personality in Your Application as You Can.
You might have excellent experience and all the right software knowledge, but at the end of the day employers who have two very competitive candidates before them are going to choose the person they like more. It’s your personality that really makes you unique, and blending into the pack won’t get you the job.
As she points out, there is a plethora of different avenues to showcase who are you, one of the greatest ones being your own website. It goes without saying that if you are a creative professional like a graphic designer, interactive art director or copywriter in 2012, you should have an online portfolio because it’s become an industry expectation. But if you’re in a field where having your own personal website is not common, even better for standing out! This is the space to personally brand yourself and make a strong impression even before meeting a potential employer.
This is just a preview of the great information Maria has to share, so if you are interested in learning more from her be sure to sign up for her next Dabble course on Wednesday, April 4th here.
Can Charging Too Little Hurt Your Freelance Marketing Career?
3/7/2012 12:26 PM By Artisan
Freelance marketing careers don’t just happen. They come as the result of a combination of hard work and smart decisions. If you’ve got the hard work part down but could use a little help on making more intelligent business decisions, begin by asking yourself this: Are you charging too little for your services?
The first step to being able to answer that question is in knowing your worth, which comes not only from a process of introspection but also by looking outward. Find out what others of your caliber in your industry are earning. Using this as a comparison, determine how you stack up. Are you a cheap freelance marketing consultant or are you overpricing your services? Being on either end of the extreme is a bad thing, but what can really be harmful to your reputation is by asking too little for your work.
It may seem logical to want to price your services lower so you’ll attract the attention of new clients. But there are some significant drawbacks to taking this approach that you may not have considered:
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Clients won’t take you seriously as a freelance marketing professional if you charge too little. Think about it. Clients who really know the value of your work and are interested in hiring the best person for the job will view rates that seem too good to be true as precisely that. In the end, you run the risk of being judged not by the quality of your work but by what you yourself think you’re worth. A low asking rate insinuates that you aren’t experienced enough or desperate and will lead others to assume the same without even seeing evidence of your abilities. This is one of the greatest pitfalls to those seeking to carve out freelance marketing careers for themselves.
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Likes attract likes. If your desire is to work as a freelance marketing consultant for high-level, high-paying clients, then you’re shooting yourself in the foot by lowballing your prices. Doing that, you’ll attract a far lower tier and caliber of clients.
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Once you go low, it’s hard to go high. Entering into a business relationship with a client that agrees to pay you rock bottom rates can be an inescapable trap because it makes it almost impossible to ask for greater pay later on. If you let potential clients know ahead of time what you expect to be paid, you’ll never have to face the nightmare of haggling and negotiating for more money.
If anything, you should consider pricing your services as a freelance marketing consultant a bit on the high end. While this may cause some clients to decide not to work with you, it will ultimately work out better for you in the long run. Not only does it chase cheap clients away, but it also gives serious clients an indication of the quality of your work and helps build your reputation.
Vince F is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
Suggestions for Creating an Online Video Resume
2/28/2012 8:51 AM By Artisan
It is wise and very natural to create an online video resume when you’re applying for video production jobs. Think of your short web video production as an appetizer; always leave the potential employer wanting to see more.
The purpose of any resume is to get a foot in the door to obtain an in-person interview and be considered for video production jobs. With all the wonderful capabilities the Internet offers for instant delivery to a small screen, you would be remiss to omit a short web video production from your online resume. It is the best opportunity you will have to make an important first impression about your videography expertise.
Points to Remember:
- Keep It Simple – you must keep your video resume short, under 3 minutes. Even a mailed resume only receives a brief cursory glance at first, if you are even lucky enough to land on a hiring manager’s desk. The same goes for the desktop. HR people are busy; they do not have a long time to view applicant resumes and video presentations.
- The video clip should represent the best you can be – not your pets, kids, goofy moments and other non-essentials. Every second must be important and relevant to the job you desire to obtain, or at least representative of the characteristics of a desirable candidate.
- Strive for Professionalism with a capital “P” – dress for success, create a clean production with no background distractions, do not rush your speech to cram in details and focus on your professional experience. Being professional doesn’t mean you can’t use humor, but remember this is not a video you’re submitting for a wild online contest.
- Practice – does make perfect. Speak to the camera and viewing audience; have friends or family review your video clip for lay person improvements and suggestions.
- Have a strong close – tell them why you would be best for this job, what you can bring to the company and be sure to thank them for their time.
- Do not use copyrighted materials without proper citations.
Your video should complement any text you include online. Create your own website and use a link when you contact a potential employer. The website should look professional and not be cluttered with useless information.
Before you send your link or video-enhanced resume out, revisit any social networking websites you may have personal information on and clean it up. Remove anything you feel could be a negative reflection if viewed by a potential employer.
If you decide to create a longer production as your video resume, be sure that the final product represents your highest quality professional capabilities and experience. Remember, not all interviewers will want to consider a video at the hiring/interviewing stage due to some potential discrimination issues.
In most cases, if you are applying for any video production jobs, the employer will want to see your web video production. Any resume is a snapshot of your capabilities and experience. Strive to leave the interviewer wanting to know and see more of you and your work.
Linda E is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
Web: How to Be a Graphic Design Ninja
2/16/2012 10:48 AM By Artisan
The field of graphic design is always evolving and changing. To stay on top of your game in freelance graphic design, you must continue to advance yourself both technically and creatively. While some graphic designers become caught up in the technical aspects of their trade, creativity is just as important. Continue to push your limits, and you can be a graphic design ninja who clients will love to work with.
During your time in design school, it is easy to surround yourself with creative inspiration and the newest design techniques. Your classes will teach you about the newest technical tools, and the projects of your classmates and teachers act as creative muses. However, it is possible to create this environment for yourself even after you have graduated and entered the workforce.
Keep Up on the Latest Trends
One of the ways you can continue your technical education after design school is to keep an extensive collection of books on a range of web design topics. You can also enroll in part-time classes to keep yourself up-to-date on the most recent tools of the trade. If you do not have time for classes, make sure you do plenty of research to stay on top of new web design techniques.
Another way to improve your creativity is to become a collector of inspirational designs. Each time you see a design that inspires you, take it home if possible and keep it in an organized file; and today online social networks like Pinterest allow you to easily keep and share items online. When a client assigns you a new project, you will be able to access these designs and use them to develop your own unique ideas.
Maintain a Visible Presence
To improve both creatively and technically, consider becoming active in the design community. Read the blogs of other web designers and analyze their styles and techniques. Start your own blog and allow members of the community to criticize your work and provide feedback. Attend lectures, take notes and introduce yourself to the other creative professionals in attendance for networking purposes.
No matter how many books you read or projects you examine, you cannot truly be a web design ninja without plenty of hands-on experience. When you have free time on your hands, work on some concept projects to stretch your creative muscles. If you find a project of another designer that you think you could improve, redesign it for some extra practice. You can also examine your own previous designs and look for ways to make them better.
To be one of the best designers in your field, you must remain dedicated to continuing education and improvement. When you keep yourself both informed and inspired, your projects will exceed your clients’ expectations, and they will request you specifically when they need creative staffing services again.
Amanda M is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
Identifying Common Print Production Mistakes
2/16/2012 9:18 AM By Artisan
If you have been involved in print production work for a long period of time, you know the danger of making a mistake and finding it after the deliverable has been printed. Nothing is quite so glaring on a wide-format poster as a misplaced apostrophe or a poorly rendered image, yet sometimes these things do not jump out on the computer screen. Knowing what the most common printing mistakes are and searching for them before printing can save a lot of headaches.
Typos and Grammatical Errors
Typographical errors are something everyone is guilty of from time to time, and Output Magazine indicates it is a growing problem. Yet, in the print industry, a simple typo can ruin an entire design, derail the marketing message and cost your client serious money. Many people have driven down the highway to be confronted with a billboard boasting poorly played punctuation or a misspelled word. This can take away from a company’s professionalism and legitimacy.
To remedy this problem, double- and triple-check the grammar, punctuation and spelling on your print products. Find a grammar guru to ask for help. Do not assume that spelling mishaps and poor punctuation will not happen on your product, because the moment you stop looking for them, they will start to run rampant.
Low-Resolution Images
The problem with digital images is the fact that low-resolution images often look fine on the computer screen and on small printouts used for proofs. That is what these images were designed for – to be displayed on computer screens clearly. Yet when you print out a poster or banner using the same image, you receive the pixilated ugliness of a low-resolution photo. To avoid this problem, always check the resolution of the image before incorporating it into the design.
Poor Font Choice
With countless fonts on the market today, the best choice is not always as straightforward as we would like. Yet, a poorly chosen typeface can make the final version of a production job unreadable. Designers need to choose fonts carefully for their readability and also adjust the size to be appropriate for the printing task. Also, designers and printers need to communicate about this to ensure that the chosen font is something the printing company has access to, as recommended by Taradel.
Whether you are the designer or the printer, these are mistakes that need to be avoided. Often, slowing down and proofing the finished product is one way to do so. Strong communication between designers and production companies is also helpful in print production jobs. Regardless, being aware of the potential problems is the first step in avoiding them and creating something you will be proud to show your clients.
Nicole H is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
Lies We Tell Ourselves to Avoid Hiring Pro Website Designers
2/15/2012 11:30 AM By Artisan
When it comes to saving a few bucks, you’d be surprised at how imaginative people can be with their excuses. When you have the option of saving 5 percent on the design budget, your thinking is going to be clouded by that fact. It’s human nature to let this happen, so it’s important to be ready to say “No” to that nagging little voice in the back of your head that keeps telling you that…
Anyone Can Play Around with Photoshop and HTML All Day
The truth is that anyone can learn the very basics of how to use these tools in about a week, but you’re not hiring a designer because you need someone to use the tools for you. If that were the case you would be just as happy with some clip art and a template design. A professional web designer brings more than just technical aptitude to the table. They bring a deep knowledge of what a great site looks and feels like, what typefaces and colors people respond to, how users are going to navigate the site and most importantly, what will they do while they’re there.
The Users Don’t Know Any Different
One way of thinking that seems to make sense is: The users really don’t know the difference between good and bad web design or good and great web design. As long as it works, it works. Well, your average user probably doesn’t consciously know that a sidebar makes navigation easier or that subdued color schemes tend to be more readable than loud ones. But do you need to know the name of a font to be able to read it more easily than another one? Users can tell the difference between a good site and bad one, whether or not they articulate it.
Great Web Designers Don’t Demand Lucrative Pay
It’s true that it’s a competitive market out there for web designers, but that doesn’t mean that the top class of designers are charging the same as people who are just getting started. The only reason a great web designer might charge the same as a mediocre one is that they’re trying to build their portfolio and they’re cutting you a deal because you’re taking a risk on them. Go ahead and hire this guy if the results he delivers aren’t that important and you have room to fail. But if you need this project to succeed, you want to find a web designer with a proven track record and be willing to pay for talent.
Gilbert S is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
