Last week I talked a little bit about the importance of joining social media design sites like Behance and such. This got me thinking abut how to decide what work to put up on these sites. After all, if the point in joining these sort of sites is to get more work, it only makes sense that you should only post your best work on them.

That seems easy enough.

But, if you are anything like me, you constantly seem less than impressed by work you have done in the past. I’m always improving my skills as a designer, so I tend to look at my older work as sub par. No matter how good I may have thought the design was at the time, in retrospect I hate it.

That isn’t to say its a bad design now, I just seem to see all the flaws in it and how better it could be if I were to redesign the site today. So, how do you get over this dilemma?

The first place to start is just post what you think is the best of your worse work. The other is to poll random people or fellow designers. By polling non-creative types you can get a sense of what work of yours potential customers may be impressed with. By asking fellow designers, you are getting creative feedback that could help you improve your skills over time. Getting feedback from designers who you respect can really help you step up your game and become a better designer.

Portfolio Review Resources

Sometimes it is a lot harder than one might think to get feedback on their design. Lucky for us, in this digital age, there are a number of sites that can provide you with feedback on your design. It is important to note that you should take any feedback you get on your design on these sites with a grain of salt. There is no telling the skill level of a person based on their feedback. I mean, do you really want to take the advice of someone who designs things in MS Paint? Ok, maybe that’s a stretch, but you get the idea.

Concept Feedback
Concept Feedback is a nice site that practically guarantees you will receive feedback on your design within a day or two of posting. It’s a great place to hear what other creatives think about your work.

Design Critique
Uses Twitter as a tool to get reviews for your site or design. Seems ok, but reviews are limited to 145 characters.

Feedback Army
This website cost money, but is pretty affordable. It is more based on usability, but seeing as how usability and good design go hand and hand, it seems like the site could be worthwhile.

How to Self Review

If for whatever reason you don’t want a public review of your portfolio or just can’t get any decent feedback, don’t fret. Self evaluation of your portfolio isn’t terribly complicated. I usually just ask myself a few questions when deciding what work to publish in my portfolio and online networks.

1. Does this design showcase my skills? - Ok, this one is kind of a given, but it’s still important. Don’t just add stuff to your portfolio for the sake of filling it up. Less is more in this case. It seems to me that 3 amazing designs are far better than 10+ sub-par designs.

2. What does the live version of this site look like? - Double check that your clients are still using your theme or that they haven’t broke it. If a would be client visits a site in your portfolio and its all jacked up thanks to your idiot client, it could reflect badly on you.

3. Is this a big name client? - A big name client can do wonders for your portfolio. Even if it’s a sub-par design, most people will overlook that aspect and just be impressed that so and so thought you were good enough to work with.

4. Do I want more work like this? - I think it is important to show off websites you enjoyed working on. For one, this will show through in the design. Second, it could lead to more similar work. Why not try to get jobs you actually like?

5. Does this design need explanation? - Sometimes a design can just need an explanation. Not because its a bad design, but some circumstances just call for it. These sort of designs probably aren’t the best ones to add to your portfolio.

I’m all about customer service. I have kind of taken on the Zappos philosophy when it comes to that area. I constantly go above an beyond to help my customers out. Rather than just give them design advice, I also help them with their business and marketing for free. I’m around to answer any of their questions five days a week and sometimes on the weekends. I make small changes to the site for free and a lot of other things that I could easily charge for.

Normally this isn’t a problem. But, it got me thinking, where does this sort of customer service stop?

Obviously major design and development things are going to cost the client extra. I guess more of what I am questioning is the back and forth changes? The little things that add up fast and make me feel like I’m being taken advantage of.

If, like me, you do all these sort of little things for free, when do you say that you will have to start charging for them? Better yet, how do you explain to your client that you’ll have to start charging them for it after doing it for free for so long?

Obviously you can setup guidelines in the contract, but I don’t like being restricted like that. I guess it’s just a slippery slope either way you look at it if you want to do business this way. That said, I have found that by doing business this way I have been getting a lot more repeat work from clients. Even before I finish one project for them They ask me to start on another one for them.

So, I guess there is something to be said about this business model.

My buddies over at 45 Royale worked on a project called Screenr. Basiclly, Screenr is a online screencasting tool that allows you to sign up with just your Twitter account. You can then create five minute long screencasts and share them on Twitter or just use the permalink created to share with others.

I’ll admit, at first I wasn’t very impressed with Screenr. Not because it wasn’t usable or functional, but because I didn’t really see the point in creating screencasts to share on Twitter.

My love for screencasting came one day when I had a client who was new to Wordpress and wasn’t very internet savvy. After a handful of support calls that were very basic Wordpress functions, I decided to create a simple screen cast for the client. The screencast walked the client through how to use the theme specific features as well as some basic Wordpress functions.

I have not had a support request from that client since then.

Normally I used to walk clients through how the theme worked over the phone. They would write notes and learn how things worked. No doubt they would forget much of what we went over on the phone as soon as we hung up. The beauty of these screencasts is that they have them to view any time. So, if a month after they have tweeked their theme they decide they want to change something; rather than call me, they can check the screencast first.

I also use these screencasts to talk to my developers and explain to them how I think the theme should work or what some parts of the design may be. I’ll share one of these videos below in case you are interested in seeing it.

Talking Shop - Episode 12

Like it or not, the age old bit of Kevin Costner wisdom, “if you build it, they will come”, couldn’t be more untrue for the designers portfolio site. Hoping that a potential client finds your needle in a haystack portfolio site out of the clear blue is idiotic at best. Obviously, some good SEO and online advertising can help, but that’s still far from a good start.

So, how can you resurrect your dying portfolio website?

You don’t.

That’s right, you don’t.

Rather than trying to give life to a dying breed, why not create your own superhuman soldiers to find clients for you? And by superhuman soldiers I totally mean join design oriented social networks.

Why Join Design Networks

The better question here is why wouldn’t you join these design oriented social networks? By not joining social sites like Behance, Flickr, and DeviantArt you are cutting back the number of potential clients that could see your work by over 50% or more. OK, so I made that number up, but I’m sure its more than accurate.

By showcasing your work on all of these other social sites, you are increasing your chances for clients to see your work and in turn, contact you for paying work. Even posting your work on stock sites is a way for clients to to find you. I have hired several designers and illustrators over the years that I have found through stock sites. This is not an uncommon way for clients to find designers. It happens all the time.

Your Thoughts?

What do you think about all this? Im sure many of you would like to share your two cents and I encourage you to do so. I also encourage you to share the social sites that you are a part of. Feel free to add links!

What do you think of these designs and this style? Which one is your favorite?

1. MashKULTURE

2. Snook

3. Simple Type - Free Template

4. Astheria

5. Teenage Engineering

6. Corporate Risk Watch

7. Five Simple Steps

8. Typojungle

9. CFO Registry

10. Minimalsites

11. Life of my Story

12. Information Architects

13. 3 Rings

14. HUGE

15. Frank Chimero

16. Kyle Steed

17. If You Could

18. Hellonoam

19. Somme

20. Internet Gentleman

21. Iconwerk

22. Reform Revolution

23. Book Cover Archive

24. Distrop

25. Deskography

26. Pro Theme Design

27. Iokon Media

28. A Way Back

29. Design Intellection

30. Capitol Circle

31. Christos B

32. Art Expo New York

33. One by Four

34. Brian Hoff

35. Purple Raincloud

36. GOOD

37. Poccuo

38. SiteInspire

39. Nosotoros

40. Hex

41. Sans Lux

42. AdLucent

43. Marten de Jongh

44. Anebstar

45. Mission Bicycle

46. The Post Family

47. Fusion Ads

48. Ostmodern

49. Clicwerk

50. 508 Switch

I know we have all had our fair share of clients who are just complete idiots when it comes to design, technology, or both. Some people just don’t understand good design or development, but other are just dumb. Regardless of how dumb they are, we shouldn’t treat them as such.

This is especially true when talking to new clients.

Treating your client as an equal is going to get you a lot further than treating them like you are the almighty design god. I can’t begin to describe how much of a difference being personal and straight with your client makes. But, I’m sure you have had an experience in the past where you worked with a service provider, maybe a CPA or banker, who just made you feel really good about working with them.

Thats what I’m talking about.

Treat all your clients, new or old, with that respect. If you don’t, you can kiss your clients goodbye. They will remember that attitude, and probably tell others about it. Take this post as a prime example. It was sparked by a call I made to a potential CPA I wanted to work with. From the minute he picked up the phone he seemed annoyed that an idiot such as myself would even bother to call him. I was so annoyed with the way he was treating me that i almost hung up on him in mid sentence.

Later that week I talked to a nice young lady who was nothing but nice and helpful from the moment I started talking to her.

Guess which one got my business?

I know we all tend to have the same exact workflow with every client we work with. It only makes sense. I mean, if something works well, why do it any differently? Well, what if by doing it differently you could actually do it better? That’s what today’s video is about.

I have been exploring ways to make my Wordpress Designers more about the client and less about me as a designer. In exploring for ways to make this happen I began to wonder what it would be like if I tried changing up my design workflow to be more client friendly.

Basically, what I did was talk to the client several times until I felt I had a pretty good idea of how the client liked to do things. For example, was he going to be a very hands on client, or was just going to be happy with anything I did? Did he seem like he had a very specific idea in mind or was he unsure of what he want exactly?

It seemed to me that if I adjusted my workflow to better suit the type of client that I was working with the benefits would be plentiful. By adjusting my workflow to fit the client, I would have less headaches (maybe), eliminate wasted time on design and development, give the client a more personalized experience, let the client feel more involved, and most importantly; the ability to build n even stronger relationship with the client.

The Web Design Business Kit 2.0

More Info - Free Chapters - Buy Now
The Web Design Business Kit 2.0 was designed by Brendon Sinclair, who has his own successful web design firm based in Australia. You get not only get actual documents Brendan uses in his business on a daily basis, but you’ll also receive lessons on how you can sell yourself, how to keep your clients, and more.

The first folder you’ll come across will be the Manual. It walks you through five sections he says are the keys to being successful in business. He has it all covered as the manual takes you through your first steps in freelancing and how to establish your business. You can then move on to how to run and expand your business, and then find out how you can look to the future in the last section of the manual.

The second folder you receive will be full of legal and business documents. You will find financial documents and paperwork to help you plan your business. Client contact documents, employment documents and more, this kit has everything you need. These documents are handily available on the CD-ROM as well. Just fill in your information and your ready to go.

The Web Site Revenue Maximizer

More Info - Free Chapters - Buy Now
The Website Revenue Maximizer is for any website owner who wants to make more money. With the kit you get tips and instructions on how to maximize profits by using affiliate programs, picking the best tools for your website, and increasing your page views.

You can be a new website owner or someone who wants to make more money with your website, the Web Site Revenue Maximizer works for everyone. Figure out the mysteries of website traffic and search engine optimization, as well as generating advertising income. This kit will cover everything you need to make your website more profitable.

There are steps on how to set up your site to make advertising revenue, such as how to sell ads directly and using Google AdSense. There is information on how to handle affiliate marketing to help increase sales. You will even get lessons on how to sell online, such as how to notice fraudulent transactions and how to build credibility to make more sales. In the building traffic section you will learn things such as how to get visitors to keep returning to your site and how to build traffic by offline promotion. Anything you wanted to know about building traffic and making money is included in the Web Site Revenue Maximizer.

Sexy Web Design

More Info - Free Chapters - Buy Now
Sexy Web Design is a book that can help in making your website better looking, as well as becoming more functional. It is a guide that can teach you how to create your own web interfaces from scratch. You don”t need any experience at all. The book will teach you how to do everything even as a beginner. It is easy to read as it is made in a large 8×10 format.

In this book you will learn how to find inspiration for your designs, create designs with atmosphere and mood, and just plain make your web site look sexy. Anyone from seasoned website owners to beginners will find something helpful in this publication. You will learn how to design a website even before there is any text involved. You will even get helpful information on what to do before any designs are even thought of for your website. Dealing with clients, moving from diagrams to doodles, and much more will also be covered so you can make your website look the best it ever has.

The Principles Of Successful Freelancing

More Info - Free Chapters - Buy Now
From getting started as a freelancer to how to retain clients once you get them, this book covers everything you need to know. Miles Burke is the author and is the founder of the company Bam Creative, and has won entrepreneurship awards in 2005 and 2007. His The Principles of Successful Freelancing book is very helpful to any person seeking advice about working as a freelancer.

The book will take you through questions that can help you decide if freelancing is the right decision for you. You will also be guided through how to plan for your success as a freelancer, as well as being taught how to keep your business finances in order. Learning how to stay productive and happy are next and then you can learn to overcome fear of sales and how to brand your name. The book then goes over the importance of providing excellent customer service and engaging business from other sources. The book then wraps up with what do do after establishing a successful business. If you want to learn about freelancing, it’s all here.

Outsourcing Web Projects: 6 Steps to a Smarter Business

More Info - Free Chapters - Buy Now
This publication will give you insights on how to build a more profitable business. Included in the six steps are getting vendors to compete for your job, finding the outsourcing partner that is best for you, and achieving the best price for your product or service. The final three steps are learning how to draw up an agreement, keeping your project on the right track, and developing a relationship with your vendor that will last a long time.

Written by Dave Hecker, the book comes from someone who has over 18 years of experience in software development and is the owner of Sagewing. He has lots of hints and advice on how you can run your business smarter and make more money doing it.

You will learn things like how to evaluate possible outsourcing partners, how to produce a list of these partners, and how to choose between an hourly or fixed rate agreement. Also included in the training is how to get a misguided project back on track and the Ten Commandments of the great client.

If you are a free lance web developer having problems making it in the industry, then this is the book for you.

Check out the Spray Paint Textures

Do a Google search for “Spray paint textures” and you’ll see why knew that the artistic community deserved better.

So, we brought in a well-known graffiti artist from right here in Cleveland to show us what he could do. And, well, we were mightily impressed!

Our graffiti artist had the supplies, technique, and experience to create incredible blended tones & texture. He quickly laid down a base of colors and then slowly added layers. By the time he got to the topmost layer, he was practically placing each drop individually! His control & detail was pretty amazing.

Really, it’s kind of like having your own personal Jackson Pollock at hand. To finish off each texture, he feathered the edges with white spray paint to achieve a natural splattered fade.

I’m happy with what we came up with, and I’ve already used the textures a few times. I like that these spray paint textures can be used without calling attention to themselves. With simple tools like Photoshop’s brightness/contrast and hue shift/saturation, the versatility is pretty impressive. Try blending these into any design that needs a more traditional, naturalistic, urban feel.

As a special gift to you, we were lucky enough to get two free samples of the pack to give away on Outlaw Design Blog. You can see smaller versions of the included samples below. These images don’t do the textures justice. The original files are 300dpi and huge! You can download them below:

DOWNLOAD HERE

Step 1

Create a new document with the following settings: 8×10 and 72dpi and add your background color to white.

Step 2

Create a red box (#d72323) with a yellow stroke that is 7px wide.

Step 3

Find a nice picture with a lot of action to use for your background silhouette. I used this picture of a witch from ShutterStock.

Cut out the background as you see fit and add to the inside of your red box.

Step 4

Adjust the brightness and contrast to the witch layer. Use the following settings:

Step 5

Add a black color overlay to the image as well.

Step 6

Use a Gaussian Blur and add a slight blur to your image.

Step 7

Find a nice picture with a lot of action to use for your background silhouette. I used this picture of a surprised bride from ShutterStock.

Step 8

Resize your image to fit the design. You will also want to cut out the background as you see fit.

Step 9

Once you have the picture resized, tilt the image just a little bit and get rid of any portion of the image that isn’t inside the red box.

Step 10

Destaurate the the image so that you have a nice back and white version of the photo.

Step 11

Adjust the brightness and contrast to the following settings:

Step 12

A a yellow color overlay that matches the border color of your red box.

Step 13

Create a black box and rotate it slightly. This is where our movie title will go.

Step 14

Add your movie title into the black box. You will need to rotate it slightly to fit the same angle of your box from the previous step. I used a premium font called Calgary Script.

You will also wan to create some additional content for your movie poster.

Step 15

To finish of the poster and give it that vintage touch, we are going to add an image of some old, folded paper. I used this image of folded paper from ShutterStock.

Add the image as your top layer. Set the layer blend mode to multiply.

The reduce the fill of the paper layer to about 50%