Hi, I'm Grace Smith

$500 Mac App Sale Giveaway – Closed

Grace — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:55:33 +0000

The giveaway has now ended and the winner has been chosen via random.org. I’m happy to announce @pixeldeath is the winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered but don’t get too sad you didn’t win as I have a fantastic giveaway coming up next month where you could win some rockin’ t-shirts, so make sure to subscribe to stay informed!
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I love awesome Mac Applications, but I love free mac apps even more! Which is why I’m excited to announce a giveaway of the entire Mac Sale bundle of 10 applications, available for $49 but with apps valued at over $500 to one lucky winner!

Mac Bundles are how I’ve discovered some of my favorite applications (including Shovebox), which I might not have bought or used otherwise. It’s a great way to look and try a range of apps that could eventually become mainstays of your day-to-day computing.

Without further ado, the applications up for grabs are:

PathFinder – The ultimate file manager for your Mac.
Shovebox – A place to put… everything!
Supercard - Application development does not get any easier.
StoryMill – Want to be writer? You need StoryMill.
MiniOne Racing – Addictive and fun game, Mario Kart for your Mac!
inkBook – Great notetaking app, with support for tablets!
VideoConverter Pro – Easily convert your movies to watch on your iPhone/iPod.
Slideshow – Create standalone presentations for Mac and PC!
MacGourmet Deluxe – Hosting a Dinner Party? Avoid a poisoning lawsuit.
Finance 6 – Organize your finances and stay in control of your accounts.

How to win:

Tweet this article on Twitter including the hashtag #gracesmith (or just copy and paste the line below on Twitter):

The $500 Mac App Sale Giveaway: http://gracesm.it/h/z – #gracesmith

Make sure to follow me on Twitter, @gracesmith, so I can direct message (DM) you if you are the winner chosen at random on Thursday, March 11th. So get tweeting!

Big App Giveaway Code: ProductivityRocks

Ask Grace #2: Attracting Quality Freelance Clients

Grace — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:51:16 +0000

My question is about how to attract quality freelance clients. I freelance full-time and my current dilemma is that I’m working with a start up (of course meaning they don’t have a lot of money to spend) and recently the client has been piling on work that was not included in the initial estimate and is eating up a large amount of my time. My unpaid time. I don’t want to lose this client, so how do I tactfully tackle the issue of their excessive workload.

The underlying question in this is how to attract a better quality client. It is this subject area that I want to address in this week’s Ask Grace as it ultimately deals with the core issue here, as there are several quality articles on how to deal with these types of ‘vampire client’ mentioned which will help in this situation.

By addressing how to attract a higher quality of clientele you can significantly reduce the number of ‘problematic’ clients in the future.

The great news is that there are fantastic people out there who will appreciate your work and time, with interesting projects and healthy budgets. It’s our aim then to reach them!

1. Personality

It’s important to remember that we are selling ourselves as much as our time and services.

As a Freelancer, we are THE business. Freelance Apple actually talks about Personality as an ‘Untapped Marketing Technique‘. As a freelancer you need to be authentic, express your personality and provide value.

It’s time then to flaunt your personality as essentially you are the CEO of your business and brand, and in order to compete against the thousands of other freelancers, you need to make it unique and memorable.

So now you’re asking: what’s the point of all this personality stuff? Well it’s about finding some degree of connection with your target market and using your own knowledge of your personality to bring a unique style to your brand. Put simply, Freelancers with a unique personality and voice (to match the portfolio etc), demand a higher quality of client.

So now you’ve spent working on ‘who you are’, it’s time to find out who exactly you’re trying to connect to, by researching your target market.

2. Target Market

Demanding a better quality client, means knowing your potential clients wants and needs and catering to these. You can start by creating an ideal client profile, for example, his/her:

(a) Has a healthy budget
(b) Cares about quality
(c) Understands the industry
(d) Is a clear communicator

So how do you go about connecting or reaching out to these types of clients? You need to define your market by profiling it using the following metrics:

(a) The size of the market
(b) Who the competition is
(c) Your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses
(d) Customer buying patterns

Once you know this information you will be in a much better place to position yourself for the best results. With this research you are then able to tell prospects their problem and offer a highly effective solution.

3. Build Your Brand

Why should clients be knocking down your door to work with you? Working on answering this can help communicate to prospects why they should become loyal customers. Thinking like a client can often aid you when working on building your brand.

To attract the best, be the best. This doesn’t necessarily mean the best in your field (although it’s great if you are), it means make yourself and your business, the best it can possibly be. Create an impressive professional portfolio, gather testimonials from previous clients and sell benefits not features specifically targeted at your core client market.

From there you need to establish your brand and raise your visibility. Use social media and blogging but don’t forget to go local and get involved in local and industry events, join your local chamber of commerce and socialise!

4. Redefine Your Services

As a freelancer, it’s difficult to do everything really well. It could perhaps be time to start thinking of becoming an expert in one area and alongside this – cultivate a network of agencies, friends and colleagues who can fill in the gaps.

One of easiest ways to do this is to build both the expertise and reputation as a specialist in a particular area of what you do. Specialists are usually more in demand than generalists, as people look to find the best solution to their specific problem. It’s because of this they can demand a higher fee and a higher quality client.

If a client is looking for a Drupal developer, will s/he hire a ‘web designer’, or the (relatively) well known expert in developing with Drupal? It’s a pretty easy decision, especially for the clients with the larger budgets, which is essentially what you want. It then becomes super important to pick a specialty carefully, as well as making sure it’s something you enjoy and equally as important, that it’s what your target market really needs.

This doesn’t work for everyone (indeed I’m actually more of a generalist), however it is worth mentioning as it has and does work extremely well for other freelancers.

Conclusions

As much as we complain about certain ‘bad’ clients, we have to look within ourselves (and our business as a whole) to determine whether we are asking the right questions and presenting the appropriate message to attract the type of clients we ideally want.

Once we do this, we can start taking the steps to position ourselves to start attracting the fabulous clients we all desire!

I hope my answer proves beneficial! Do you have any advice to give on this subject, then please leave a comment below.

If you have a question you would like to be answered, questions can be directed on the Ask Grace page or via the contact page.

Big App Giveaway Code: ProductivityRocks

Featured In Computer Arts Projects Magazine

Grace — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:58:11 +0000

Several weeks ago I was contacted by Julia the Production Editor of Computer Arts Projects, who asked me to participate in the Big Question feature in their upcoming Start Your Own Studio Issue (134). Well the magazine was published on February 25th (which just so happened to be my birthday), so I picked up a copy last week and was hugely excited to see myself appear on page 8!

The question posed was: What’s the biggest hurdle you faced when setting up your own design studio, and how did you deal with it? I ran slightly over, and so they cut my answer down a little (I forgive them), so I wanted to publish my answer in full here:

“The baker in the medieval town square must holler “fresh rolls” if he hopes to feed the townfolk.”

Jeffrey Zeldman perfectly summarises what I struggled to grasp initially. Namely, that self-promotion isn’t shameless, it’s just part of building a business. In order to get past my hang-ups on promotion, I approached it with two key phrases: genuine interaction and positive action. I then no longer felt it was ‘arrogant’ but a genuine way of sharing the confidence in my work.

You can buy the issue via My Favorite Magazine or subscribe to receive it monthly.

This is my first time in a printed publication and hopefully won’t be the last! I just wanted to share my little experience with you all.

Big App Giveaway Code: ProductivityRocks

Ask Grace #1: Landing A Graphic Design Job

Grace — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:20:01 +0000

I love working with and around design but am not a graphic designer and know my limitations. I understand design and in fact I’m a very good designer of business processes. How would you recommend that I sell myself to get a job working with a design firm?

As AIGA perfectly points out, the reality of “finding your first design job means matching your creativity and skill with an organization’s real needs. It is also a valuable learning experience. While you are looking, you are learning about the various ways design is practiced. Your next job search—whether it occurs soon or well down the road—will be easier; you will have gained a clearer vision of the field and how you want to position yourself within it.”

1. Portfolio

I’m assuming your portfolio is limited as your experience doesn’t lie within Graphic Design but within business. Therefore the most important asset you have is your portfolio, so it needs to impress. So how to build a quality portfolio without any real experience?

There are two options open to you:

(a) Pro-Bono

Volunteering of your services (or working for a reduced-fee) doing Pro-Bono work within your local community will not only help get your name out there but it will show your skills and capabilities to potential employers.

The most important benefit of pro-bono work is it gives you real-life problem solving situations AND clients to deal with. It demonstrates you can cater to both the needs of the audience and the requirements of the organisation involved.

(b) Self Generated

Creating a brief and undertaking a project initiated by you means you have the chance to seriously challenge yourself. You have complete creative freedom so if you choose to create your own brief then make sure to make it stand out. Many Art Directors choose a designer on their body of work not the size of their clients, with this in mind, if you’re filling your portfolio with self-generated work, you need to make it fantastic.

Ideally for those without much design experience, a combination of both self-generated and pro-bono work is ideal.

2. Web Presence

You may not be applying for a web design job but in today’s market you still need a website. Even if it’s just a simple one-page resume site, it let’s you market your name and qualifications worldwide.

Having a website also gives you a professional email address such as jane@janedoe.com; much better than janed1981@hotmail.com. It shows you’ve put thought and consideration into how you present yourself and your experience to all potential employers.

3. Network

One of the best ways to generate real-world experience and to get your name out there is to get networking! Easier said than done, that’s what your thinking I know, but once you get over the initial nerves it can be a very successful way to start building your contacts.

Get involved in local networking events, your chamber of commerce and creative meetups such as Open Coffee or Barcamp. Before you go just make sure you have business cards (or Moo cards like me)!

4. Bound Portfolio

As your aiming for a Graphic Design job you need to be able to bring a portfolio of you work to the employer – presented in a case. It should be neat, professional and stylish (note this doesn’t mean it has to be expensive).

Your goal is to choose 10 – 20 of your best samples. Think quality, not quantity. These provide evidence of the standard of your work and show you are both prepared and organised.

You should also be prepared to leave some samples with the employer.

Resources:

12 Steps To A Super Graphic Design Portfolio
How To Create A Traditional Design Portfolio

5. Research

If you know the type of work you ideally want to be involved in, then try and make your portfolio match this. Though on the flip side while it’s fantastic to be great at one skill than mediocre at 10, you will need to know about the industry as a whole.

When going for a specific job, research the company both online and offline. Perhaps see if the company has a blog and don’t forget to actually show you’ve done some research. You’ll show the employer you’ve taken the time to learn about the position and company thoroughly and this will demonstrate you’re interested and passionate about the job.

Resource:

Conducting the Web Designer Job Interview

I hope my answer proves beneficial! Do you have any advice to give on this subject, then please leave a comment below.

If you have a question you would like to be answered, questions can be directed on the Ask Grace page or via the contact page.

Big App Giveaway Code: ProductivityRocks

Mac OS X Productivity Series: Part Two

Grace — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:28:41 +0000

This is the second in a three part in-depth series on how to get the best out of both the in-built features and the applications available in OS X, to take your productivity to the next level.

Part One delved inside QuickSilver and Spotlight, while Part Two gets inside Applications and Spaces. Part Three concentrates on both the Dock and Email Productivity. So make sure you are subscribed so as not to miss out when these are published over the next two weeks.

In this article I’m going to briefly show how I use Spaces & Expose along with a multitude of Applications to help stay productive.

Applications – Productivity Boosters

Apple has a truly amazing operating system in OS X but it’s the wealth of fantastic apps that makes it the perfect combination of brains and beauty. There are numerous applications that can help you work faster and efficiently, however these are my personal favorites.

Concentrate – This is an app I’ve recently started using and it’s been fantastic value for money. It helps eliminate distractions and lets you concentrate on the task at hand. I personally use 4 main actions: Write, Design, Build & Admin. Each of these has a small set of tasks it performs to help me accomplish the goal. Once I click ‘Concentrate’, it performs the tasks and allows me to get working and stay focused. It can also block sites, open sites/documents and even change your iChat status.
Taskpaper – After longing for a super simple, ‘get your stuff done’ to-do list app, I knew my search was over once I found TaskPaper. No bloated complex software, just a fast, simple app that makes sure I keep up to date with my tasks.
Default Folder X - This really speeds up navigation through file dialogs. You setup default folders for any of your apps and is an incredible time saver. It allows me to locate frequently used folders without cluttering my sidebars or finder windows. It also has great favorite and history features with folders.
Text Expander – The ultimate keystroke saver. It enables you to setup system-wide text shortcuts that when typed expand to the full text provided. For instance when I type notAv, Text Expander inputs my paragraph giving a polite ‘I’m not available’ when I can’t take on further work. It’s also insanely useful for auto-correcting common misspelled words!
Fluid – Along with Quicksilver this is quite possibly the most useful app any Mac owner could have. It lets you create a Site Specific Browser (SSB) out of any website or web application, effectively turning your favorite web apps into desktop apps. I use it to run Google Reader, Google Apps Email, Mockflow (Wireframing), Flickr and Curdbee (Invoicing).
Shovebox – Is my other ‘brain’. It catches all those little scraps of information that I can’t act on at the time but would rather not forget. It sits up in the menubar and you can drag in text, images, URLs, and more. It really means spending less time processing and more time actually working on the things that matter.
Gmail Notifier & Growl = Email Heaven. I use Notifier and Growl together so my email notifications are not only efficient but stylish. I can even open messages in my browser straight from the notification. Sweet.
Photoshop Batching – This is particularly helpful as a blogger, as I run several blogs, all requiring images at various sizes. I have a batch command setup that sizes the image (along with other adjustments such as sharpness and DPI) to the required size. It saves at most a minute, but when this is multiplied over the course of a week, it soon adds up!
BackDrop – A super useful utility which allows you to fill your screen with a giant blank window. Either with a solid color or a custom image. This allows me to focus on a few windows at a time, or on just one by choosing a window from Expose. It also means I can take screenshots of one or many windows without having to clean up my desktop!
ClipMenu – This is a fantastic little app which I only installed a few days ago. It’s one of the best clipboard managers for Mac OS X. You can record 8 clipboard types, from plain text to images.
Service Scrubber – One of the most underestimated features of a Mac is the services menu. It’s very powerful and can aid in your productivity, unfortunately it can also become pretty cluttered. Service scrubber lets me restructure it, change keyboard shortcuts and enable and disable services. Which all means this menu actually becomes useful again.
Hazel – This is a nifty ‘housekeeper’ for OS X. With Hazel I have created rules that automatically keep my files (and especially my download folder) organised. It processes and organises certain file types into their specified folders, cleans up after deleted apps, gets rid of incomplete or duplicate downloads and also works with Automator and Applescript. You can basically tweak it to suit your own needs and requirements.
Skitch – Who doesn’t love skitch?! It’s a fantastic app that i use regularly with collaborators on projects to give/get instant feedback. While I use Notable with clients, Skitch is perfect for collaboration.
Choosy – I’ve only just started using Choosy, which is a browser picker. I usually have Chrome, Firefox and Safari open for various tasks throughout the day and when I click on a link, Choosy pops up a simple chooser and I can select the browser I want. It can be tweaked to suit your needs and is a snip at $12.
Caffeine – Injects your mac with a boost to stop your screen saver and sleep from kicking in. I use this mostly when I’m having Skype calls as it can become tiresome to keep kicking your Mac out of it’s beauty sleep!
Timeout – As small business owners it’s easy to get so caught up in our business that we forget to take care of ourselves. Timeout controls your screen and stops you from working and makes you take a break. It’s an essential app for a workaholic like myself!

For further Productivity apps check out:

Spaces & Exposé

Using Spaces and Exposé seem to divide many Mac users, some swear by them while others don’t go near them. For the last few months I’ve slowly been incorporating Spaces into my workflow and have found a few tips along the way.

I’ve personally found that by categorising apps into different spaces, I’m more likely to work on one specific task at a time, which has led to greater productivity.

Collect all windows in one Space – When you are in the birds-eye view of Spaces (F8 by default) press the ‘C’ button to collect all open windows into a single space with a nice effect. And if you hold down shift when you hit the ‘C’ key, it will happen in slow motion.
Moving Between Spaces – You can press Ctrl + Arrow key to move between Spaces, however I find it easier to press Ctrl + # key. For example Ctrl + 2 would move to to Space 2.
Hyperspaces – Hyperspaces adds the missing key feature – customized backgrounds in each space.
Warp - Warp lets you change spaces by dragging your mouse across a screen edge into the new space, as well as showing a preview of the new space before it switches.

For further Spaces related resources, check out:

That covers my Spaces, Exposé and Applications tips, but are there any I’m missing or that you personally use? I would love to hear your feedback on this.

Image Credit

Big App Giveaway Code: ProductivityRocks

Ask Grace: A New Weekly Series

Grace — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:29:04 +0000

I’d like to introduce a new weekly column published every Friday called Ask Grace. It’s a chance to get your questions answered on a variety of topics including freelancing, business, design, productivity, brand building, typography, wireframing (IA/UX) and of course: apple mac’s.

However it’s not limited to those topics, so if you have a burning question you’d like to ask, here’s your chance.

Questions can be directed here in the comments or via the contact page. Ask away!

Big App Giveaway Code: ProductivityRocks

Interviewed on The Freelance Show

Grace — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:54:17 +0000

My interview with the lovely Neil who runs the awesome Freelance Show blog is now live. Focusing on life as a designer, feel free to check it out.

Big App Giveaway Code: ProductivityRocks

Mac OS X Productivity Series: Part One

Grace — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:28:25 +0000

This is the first in a three part in-depth series on how to get the best out of both the in-built features and the applications available in OS X, to take your productivity to the next level.

Part One gets inside QuickSilver and Spotlight before parts two and three discuss Applications, Spaces and the Dock. So make sure you are subscribed so as not to miss out when these are published over the next two weeks.

Why A Mac Is My Greatest Productivity Weapon

Any freelancer will tell you when it comes to working in and on your business, productivity is high on the agenda. Being as efficient as possible is extremely important, to keep within budgets, deadlines and to ensure we are making the most of our time and energy.

Since buying an iMac just over two years ago, It has been far and away the best investment I’ve ever made in regards to my business. Personally I find a Mac makes me more productive and happier at work.

In this article I’m going to briefly show how I use Quicksilver and Spotlight to help stay productive.

QuickSilver – A Mac Owners Best Friend

QuickSilver is so much more than an application launcher. With a few simple triggers I can create lists, launch websites, tag folders and run detailed searches. The more I get used to doing things with Quicksilver, the more things I want to do with it.

I use Command + Space to launch the Quicksilver interface and from there my usual tasks are:

Applications – I type in the first few letters, Quicksilver will then show the best matches, from there I just hit return to launch the app I need. Every Quicksilver query I do ‘teaches’ the system a little better about what objects, apps and actions I’m likely to use.
Bookmarks – Very often I want to quickly search my bookmarks or launch one without going through Safari or Firefox. I just type a few letters of the title of a bookmark, an icon and name appears for it. I hit return and voila.
Browse/Control iTunes – Once iTunes is running (heck it always is with me), I invoke Quicksilver, type browse then an item called Browse Albums comes up along with more iTunes options.
Write a text note – I press period to go to text entry mode, this is extremely handy as I often need to write short notes throughout the day.
Recent Documents – I type the name of the app I want to open, then press the right arrow to put the most recent document that was opened with that app into focus, with the other most recent docs off to the right.

This is only a taste of how Quicksilver can be used, for further Quicksilver resources check out:

Spotlight – The Mother Of All Searches

Spotlight is no substitute for good file organisation, however it can be extremely useful when searching for certain documents. It’s power can’t be underestimated!

The most regular searches I perform are:

Search by Kind – This is easily the most useful search for me personally, It helps to restrict the search to a certain file format, the searches I usually perform are – kind:image, kind:font, kind:pdf and kind:word. For instance if you wanted to find a PDF called Freelance your search query would be – Freelance kind:pdf.You can also limit your search to e-mail messages, music files, System Preferences, applications, and more. For phrases rather than keywords just use quotation marks, for example, “Mac Tips”.
Calculations – For quick calculations I often use Spotlight, for instance if I type 2*2, I’ll get 4. There’s a real range of calculation formulas available to use, so don’t be shy in testing it out! Although you should avoid hitting return in Spotlight as this will launch Calculator for you.
By Creation Date – This can be extremely useful If you are not sure of the exact file name but know the approximate date it was created. To perform this type of search you can use the following characters [ < > = ], for example, created:>1/11/09 will find files that were created AFTER November, 2009 while created:=1/11/09 will find files created ON 1 November, 2009.
Search Filters – Spotlight indexes your entire hard drive and by default searches within everything on Leopard. However to speed up your searches you can decided the exact search filters used by going to System Preferences > Spotlight Preferences > From there you can enable and disable the categories of te spotlight search by ticking and un-ticking boxes.
Time Saver – To save a little time I use Command + Return to open the selected file in Finder.

Spotlight Resources

That covers my QuickSilver and Spotlight tips and tricks, but are there any I’m missing or that you personally use? I would love to hear your feedback on this.
Image Credit

Big App Giveaway Code: ProductivityRocks

Interview: Michael Rose – The Freelance Advisor

Grace — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:44:17 +0000

The Freelance Advisor is one of the most in-depth freelance resources online and is designed to help freelancers and contractors in every field with detailed setup advice and ongoing help that even the most experienced freelancers and contractors will find useful.

The fact that all the contributors to the site are all freelancers and contractors with years of work in the marketplace under their belt means it’s one freelance resource you should most definitely be subscribed to!

It’s been on my radar for some time (even more so now with The Freelance Feed regularly featuring it), and I wanted to feature on this blog for those in my audience who may not have heard of it before.

I had the chance to talk with Michael Rose recently who is one of the main contributors. In this interview we discuss his background, the foundation of Freelance Advisor, freelancing in general and UK Freelance Conferences.

Can you tell us about yourself and your involvement with Freelance Advisor?

I’m a Web Editor living in Brighton. I fell in love with the web over ten years ago when I was at University and used Mosaic (one of the first graphical browsers) for the first time. With a degree in journalism and a love of all things hyperlinked, a career in “Web journalism” seemed obvious. Since then I’ve worked for AOL, Netscape, BT.com and FT.com and also some really small startups and I saw a few crumble and fail along the way (no names!).

Of course with the advent of blogging “Web Editor” doesn’t seem to mean much these days so I guess you could call me a “Site Manager” too. Basically I’m a rubbish designer and my code is even worse but I’ve always been able to get projects off the ground and bring a journalistic, end-user-focused eye.

I joined Freelance Advisor right at the beginning when it was a small blog with only a few posts. The founder, Darren Fell, asked for help on a local new media mailing list and jumped at the chance.

Why was Freelance Advisor setup and what do you hope to accomplish with it?

FA was setup to help everyone who freelances for a living. That includes contractors and consultants too but, like the PCG, we see ‘Freelance’ as the simplest umbrella terms for everyone who works for themselves from B&B owners to high-powered consultants and entrepreneurs. We hope to become the place to visit to have your questions answered whether it’s a query about tax, legal advice or just a recommendation for a good home-office chair – we hope to cover every aspect of freelancing, working from home and working on short-term contracts.

If we’ve not got a blog or podcast covering a topic then we’re certainly going to have someone in our community with a view or opinion – our forums are full of really interesting and helpful folk and they love sinking their teeth into difficult questions about tax or contract law.

What makes Freelance Advisor different to other sites focused around freelancing?

I think we’re unique in that we’re a community site and it’s been built exclusively by freelancers for freelancers with blogposts, designs and code all created by people passionate about the project. We’ve got blogs and jobs listings (who doesn’t?!) but we’ve also got a great series of podcasts, an events feed which anyone can add their events to, an awesome employment service called Workline which helps people get advice about the contract or job they’re currently in, plus the forum (a new addition this year) which is growing really quickly.

What topics do you discuss on the podcast and how do you choose your guests?

Our next podcast is with author Barbara Winter, author of “Making a Living Without a Job”. I think I spotted a tweet of hers (probably re-tweeted by someone else) and I thought the book would be interesting to FA readers. I sent here a message and we took it from there. It’s a great two-part interview, really inspiring.

We also have a lot of setup advice, accountancy advice (the podcast is sponsored by Crunch.co.uk) and there is always lots of discussion about marketing yourself, getting inspired and getting out there.

Are there any freelance specific events that you would recommend to UK freelancers?

National Freelancers Day has just gone… so… National Freelancers Day 2010!

I’d also encourage people to think local when it comes to events. Freelancing can be a lonely business and local, social, evening events are a great way to get out of the house, meet people of a similar mindset and find work.

In Brighton we are blessed with a thriving community with five co-working spaces, most of which have evening workshops and events, plus there is a huge Brighton New Media mailing list and ‘The Farm’ and ‘Writeclub’ meetups are great for getting connected and involved. It’s a very techie scene (lots of developer and designers) but we also have lots of small businesses, artists and entrepreneurs and local events are the best way to tap into that. BarCamps are also excellent! I’ve done three now and they’re quite addictive.

Your Introduction to Freelancing e-book is excellent and has been very successful, do you have any plans to follow up with any further books or premium resources?

Yes, the “Go Freelance guide” is one of our most popular posts and still gets hundred of downloads a month after a year of being out there. We’re planning on a ‘Go Freelance 2010′ update in January and several smaller ‘bite-sized’ guides throughout the year.

UPDATE: This is now available to download via The Freelance Advisor website.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to break into freelancing but doesn’t know where or how to start?

Well, again the ‘Go Freelance’ guide is a good starting point as it covers everything from ’should I?’ to ‘how do I?’.

I think if anyone is considering it seriously then they should just go for it… most people don’t even want to think about life without a steady pay-cheque, so if you’re even considering it you are well on the way.

I’ve known a lot of people who have agonised about the decision for months before taking the plunge and none of them have since regretted it… so… what are you waiting for?

What three articles from Freelance Advisor would you recommend for my readers as an introduction to the site?

I’d like to say a huge thanks to Michael for taking the time to take part in the interview and for his continuing work with the extremely helpful Freelance Advisor.

Big App Giveaway Code: ProductivityRocks

9 Must Have iPhone Apps For Font Addicts

Grace — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:32:42 +0000

If you’re a Typography Nerd raise your hand….I knew I wasn’t the only one obsessed with the art and techniques of arranging type and type design. As designers we seem to have an innate passion for Typography with an understanding it is at the very core of our work. It’s even been said that Web Design is 95% Typography.

So what better way to keep ourselves entertained, enlightened or just plain amused with Type than with these 9 Typography based apps.

1.The Font Game: Website | iTunes Store

Think you know your Century from your Myriad Pro? Well The Font Game will most definitely test your typography knowledge! There are three levels to choose from, beginning with ‘Somewhat Difficult’ through to the incredibly challenging ‘Exceedingly Difficult’, with a Hall of Fame which holds the latest and greatest scores. It was created by the Typography obsessed John Boardley, Kari Pätilä and Justin Stahl.

2. KERN: Website | iTunes Store

KERN is a challenging and thoroughly addictive game with the aim being to place a missing letter into a falling word while avoiding unnecessary ligatures. The letter appears at a variable point size and as the leading begins to shrink, you navigate the missing letter to the proper space and release its handle to lock it in place. It’s a wonderfully designed app that will bring out the Typography addict within.

3. Typography: Website | iTunes Store

This uniquely interesting app uses a random set of letters published on Flickr to display the message you input, which can then be emailed directly to a recipient of your choice or uploaded on the public gallery. Each image is linked to the respective Flickr page and you can view the photo’s credit by rolling over the image. It’s a fantastic combination of Flickr, Typography and communication.

4. What The Font: Website | iTunes Store

What The Font is the brainchild of MyFonts which helps you identify the fonts in a photo or web graphic. Ever seen a great font in a magazine ad, poster, or on the web and wondered what font it is? Whip out your iPhone and snap a photo, and WhatTheFont for iPhone will identify that font in seconds. The app connects directly to MyFonts’ font identification service which I’ve used personally on many occasions.

5. The Typography Manual: Website | iTunes Store

Do your eyes light up when conversations turn to ems, kerning, and baseline grids? If you answered yes, then The Typography Manual is for you! The Typography Manual is a superb resource for designers and includes a visual type anatomy glossary, a font size ruler, an em calculator, and enough content to fill a 60-page book. It has all the essentials of a desk reference in a regularly updated pocket resource. This is one Typography app every designer should have on their iPhone.

6. Type Drawing: Website | iTunes Store

TypeDrawing is a wonderful app that lets you draw with letters. You start by typing a sentence, word or letters you want to express, and then just draw. It allows you to make stunning typographic artworks and wallpapers. You can specify the font, size, color and opacity as well as the background and later save your artwork to a Photo Album or Email it. You can also join the Flickr group and upload your drawings.

7. Font Shuffle: Website | iTunes Store

FontShuffle was created by The Font Shop and offers a unique way of finding and comparing typefaces, and composing text samples. It’s a fantastic source of typographic inspiration, with hundreds of font families sorted by visual similarity into a visual family tree. The FontShop selects the best fonts from its huge assortment, from the world’s most respected type foundries, so the FontShuffle catalogue is constantly updated.

8. Type Photo: Website | iTunes Store

Type Photo combines your creative imagination with Typography and Photos. Make your friend’s photos into great typographic art with the words you want to say together. TypePhoto is really simple to use. Just type a sentence, words or letters and choose a font, then select an image (from either your photo album or with your iPhone camera) and that’s it, Type Photo creates beautiful typographic art. Type Photo also supports saving your arts as high definition images (1920*1920 pixels) and you can print them out or set them as wallpaper on your Mac and iPhone.

9. Font Browser: Website | iTunes Store

Want to know what the Malayalam letter Gha looks like? Do you need to know the key code for a left arrow? Or wonder what fonts are installed in your device? This app is for you. Font Browser is a unicode font browser, color browser, and keyboard keystroke browser. You can browse through more than 19,000 characters in the Unicode font, 9,600 named colors and 1,900 X11 keyboard codes.

Further Typography Resources

Have you tried any of the apps listed? If so I would love to hear your experience and your recommendations in the comments below.

Big App Giveaway Code: ProductivityRocks