Today is Blog Action Day, an annual event uniting bloggers throughout the world in posting about the same issue on the same day. The issue of this year’s event is Climate Change.

I recently came across a creative ad campaign produced by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Their ads depict likable animals, in disastrous conditions caused by human activity, and push a clear message: help stop global warming. But is it safe to assume that simply acting on this message will save the planet from a global climate crises, or do these ads erroneously target human activity as the root cause of climate change?

Let’s take a look at what the experts say. I chose to research scientists not working for NASA to get a non-government perspective of the issue. I was led to the Global Warming Petition Project, signed by 31,478 American scientists, including 9,029 with PhDs. Each signer is equipped with the essential training to comprehend and measure the scientific data relevant to human activity upon the environment. Their petition states:

There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth’s atmosphere and disruption of the Earth’s climate. Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the Earth.

So if human activity is not responsible for global warming or climate change, what is? Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of space research at St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in Russia, believes the current global warming on Earth is being caused by changes in the sun. Could it be that the star accounting for 99.86% of the Solar System’s mass is responsible for global warming? Or are our tail pipes really heating the climate on a planetary scale?

Getting back to the WWF’s creative ads, I agree with the message of preservation, conservation, and pollution reduction. However, what may spawn as a harmless thought in the mind of an animal lover, to improve upon one’s treatment of the environment, may grow into a stronger support for a dangerous global change – a change in the form of a new government energy policy based not on scientific truth, but on a human-caused global warming hypothesis that tens of thousands of national scientists openly reject.

Blog Action Day 2009 is seeking solutions to climate change so here are mine. First, get the facts straight. Do your own research and view the climate debate posts at MasterResource, a free-market energy blog. Find ways to conserve energy on an individual level for the sake of self-sufficiency. For example, one may produce a portion of one’s own food to reduce chemical consumption and lessen taxes and pollution culminating from farming, manufacturing, and transporting foods before they are sold by markets.

This isn’t an attempt to discredit the creative people at the WWF. They’ve done a great job at solving a problem visually and effectively present a clear message. Although if the data used to backup their message is false, the ads use imaginary scenarios to mislead us, conceal the true cause of climate change, and promote bigger actions to be taken on a notional issue. Perhaps it would be more accurate for the WWF to “help stop global warming” by creating an ad with a polar bear chillin’ next to a gigantic mirror that’s pointed at the sun to reflect heat back into space.

“Do cool free stuff that doesn’t make you any money. It will totally grow your brand and get you clients” said Jeffrey Zeldman, founder of Happy Cog Studios, in a July .net interview. When reading this statement, a past experience resonated in my mind.

I am a frequent user of iGoogle, a customizable web portal, using it as means of organizing my workday. Over a year ago, I saw an opportunity to enhance the look of iGoogle by creating a custom theme design, one that would provide a visually-relaxing user-experience and enable a smooth transition through a stressful workday. So my theme Phantasea was born. I continued experimentation and created Phantasea Renewal, an upgrade from my previous theme, and put many uncompensated hours into theme creation.

Phantasea Renewal became a quick success and, at one point, gained as many as 200,000 iGoogle users. In Fall of 2008, I was contacted by Google, who asked for permission to use my theme on a major project that was under development. In return, I asked for some form of credit for my work. Google obliged and, in November, launched Gmail Themes. Phantasea Renewal became 1 of 18 Gmail themes offered to the world of Gmail users.

The first full day after launch brought in 11,000 unique visitors to my website via the credit link from Google. This was a massive spike for me. I received emails from all over the world, ranging from foreigners asking me to visit Iraq to potential clients inquiring about work. I acquired a new freelance contract, which ended up paying for the time I put into theme creation.

iGoogle may presently be a worn-out option for attracting new clients with its high-volume gallery of user-created themes. However, there are plenty of alternatives, like designing a desktop calendar for Smashing Magazine subscribers. Use your own judgment and think of something small that has big potential and go for it. Design for a community without the expectation of receiving something back. Lastly, always have your website prepared to handle a rush of new traffic!

What methods have worked for you?

It’s a late night at work and you’ve spent hours sifting though a series of online galleries hoping to land on the right source of inspiration for a new design. Your deadline is tight and your mind is flustered. Every concept you attempt to bring to life dies off prematurely in failure. You fall deeper into a problematic state as your frustrations grow stronger…

This scenario isn’t too uncommon for a designer of any medium. Designer’s block is an ugly and hindering condition that prolongs the conception stage of design. So what preparation can a designer take to avoid or limit this barrier and enable a seamless flow of ideas? The first step is to reset.

Step 1 / Reset
Begin by logging off all web apps. Frequent email checking, instant messaging interruptions, and social networking lurings can serve as distractions and should be avoided during the beginning stages of design. Cease all forms of contact. If necessary, set an email auto-responder for clients to call you with emergencies. Clear your desk and organize your work area. It is important to do this now so you’re not returning to the same conditions after resetting.

Go outside and part yourself from all sources of technology. Block out all tasks and reset your thoughts. Adjust your eyes to your new surroundings and acknowledge where you are by looking out into nature or up into the sky, if in an urban setting. Think only of your sole existence within the universe.

Once your mind is clear, slowly re-introduce one design you need to complete. Know the end result you desire, but don’t worry about how you will get there. Return to your work space and set your ambiance.

Step 2 / Set Your Ambiance
Experimentation is necessary in customizing your surrounding influences to maximize your flow of ideas. Establish and set an ambiance that allows you to think most clearly and execute most steadily.

Personally, I work best at night between 6pm and 2am. I subdue the lighting, put on a Bond film (muted), and play a Jason Bourne soundtrack on repeat. This background ambiance helps guide me through completing my design mission, from thinking of a concept to producing a presentable Photoshop mockup.

Choose visuals that motivate and drive you without distracting you. Select sounds that enable you to think effectively, hold your focus, and push your ideas further. By setting your ambiance, you will establish the tone of your work flow and alter your mood in a positive direction. Reset with each new design and adjust your ambiance accordingly.

Test this method before beginning a design concept to maximize results. Discover which hours you are most thought-productive and take advantage.

What is your personal ambiance?

As a freelance web designer, a consistent stream of incoming work is not always present. Saving money for times of drought and keeping studio expenses to a minimum becomes increasingly imperative.

Given the state of the economy, it is important to recognize the declining value of the United States dollar. Without getting deep into this topic, note the 97% drop in dollar value over the past century. With numerous causes for inflation transpiring, including bailouts, government “stimulus”, and foreign spending, one can only expect a greater loss of purchasing power in the near future. So what specific steps can a web designer take to plan for continuous currency devaluation? The three strategies below can help cut costs in the long-term without sacrificing the level of work and service delivered to clients.

Strategy 1 / Stock up on office supplies with long-term usability.
Suppliers are now reducing the number of products offered, resulting in higher demand for the fewer products remaining, which drives up prices. A prepared web designer can strategically buy in bulk storable supplies that will cost more later and can be used for years to come. This includes paper and shipping goods, light bulbs, batteries, and additional office supplies. I do not recommend heavily stocking up on printer ink with a short-term expiration date because of the discoloration that may occur from printing with expired ink.

Strategy 2 / Reduce web hosting costs and profit from reselling.
Using a provider like Media Temple allows hosting for up to 100 client websites on a single Grid-Service account. A web designer can add passive income and value to his or her service by offering a Media Temple hosting plan to clients and charging less than a traditional host would. Try the code “retailmenot” for a 20% discount on Media Temple hosting.

Strategy 3 / Switch to open-source software and free web apps.
Not every free application is worth using and it’s sensible to purchase software that enables high-end work output and quality service to clients. However, there are often free apps available for specific freelance tasks that perform well and provide eye-candy. For example, instead of paying for invoicing software, Curdbee offers a free and clean web-based solution. Or rather than purchasing an FTP or font management app, use Cyberduck and the free version of FontExplorer X respectively as alternatives.

Together these strategies can help reduce long-term expenses, increase passive income, and transfer savings onto clients. What other cost-cutting strategies can you formulate?

The current economic downturn has impacted and depleted countless positions of employment, including web designers and developers. Mainstream media sources and the government often point the finger at capitalism as the culprit and big government regulation as the solution. So let’s look at the US economy as it would exist in the form of web browsers, using Internet Explorer and Firefox as optional economic scenarios.

In an Internet Explorer economy, Microsoft plays the role of the federal government. In offices isolated from the outside world, Internet Explorer is centrally planned and developed. Discussions are kept confidential and production methods are withheld from public knowledge. Updates to Internet Explorer are decided for the people rather than by the people. Want tabbed browsing? You’ll first have to collect thousands of supporting signatures, then wait a few years until that request is possibly voted on by a board of directors (Congress) and approved by a dictator (The President). In the event that Internet Explorer fails as a successful browser, our money will be taken from us, without our consent, and dumped into propping up Microsoft’s failed product.

The alternative option is a Firefox economy, where developers from across the globe are open to improve and expand on an open-source browser. Add-ons are built to simplify our lives and streamline our browsing needs. In this free-market approach to production, additional browsers can release and create healthy competition. Strong browsers (companies) will succeed while weak ones will fail. Instead of throwing our money that we don’t have at those that fail like Netscape, for example, a competent browser like Firefox can take over. This is capitalism running its course.

In a Firefox economy, users gain confidence in the browser with significant benefits and promote its usage. When a user is in need of a new feature, he can search through a library of pre-built add-ons and perform an installation, or build the add-on himself, without waiting for a dictator (The President) to decide what updates (new bills) are best for him.

When a group of central planners (the federal government) regulates and controls the browser (our economy), the updates (solutions) we experience often expand on the problem (a failed system) and, as history reveals to us, result in a prolonged state of failure (a series of crises, recessions, and depressions) that ultimately lead to a collapse. In a stronger sense, an Internet Explorer economy dangerously follows the road to fascism, while a Firefox economy takes the road to freedom and free-market principles. Which road would you take?

Summary of Work
This statement introduces the proposal to a client and briefly describes the contents of the document.

Project Specifics
Specific items included in the project are listed in detail here.

Process & Timeline
The project is broken up into phases. Each phase may include a description relevant to the project’s needs. An example of a website project consists of the following phases:

• Phase 1 / Home Page Designs
• Phase 2 / Home Page Finalization
• Phase 3 / Design of Remaining Pages
• Phase 4 / Website Development
• Phase 5 / Deployment

Project Quote
An estimate or quote of cost is noted. It may be appropriate to list an hourly rate for any updates or maintenance work the client may need after the project’s completion.

Terms & Conditions

This is a separate document included with my proposal that defines the terms and conditions of a project. Below are sections that I include.

Billing Schedule
Many designers bill clients in stages. For website projects, one method is to charge in three stages: 30% due upon acceptance of proposal, 50% due upon acceptance of a design mockup, and the remaining 20% due prior to deployment of the website.

Extra Expenses
Any items not included as part of the designer’s services are listed here. Items may include photography, illustrations, printing, and shipping and handling.

Revisions & Alterations
The contents of this section are dependent on the designer. Some may opt to require additional payments after a specified number of revisions are made. I personally do not require an additional payment for changes required to conform to the original assignment.

Cancellation
I include a policy stating that in the event of cancellation, ownership of all copyrights and the original artwork shall be retained by the designer.

Copyright
Under current copyright law, the Copyright Act of 1976, the release of my artwork is granted with the following conditions:

The grant for any license or right of copyright is conditioned on receipt of full payment. The designer retains ownership of credit of all original artwork, whether preliminary or final. Rights of reproduction are transferred to the client for purposes of promotion.

Agreement Signatures
Signature fields are included in the end, and are signed by client and designer prior to scheduling any work.

Feel free to download my sample proposal for a more detailed look at how I craft a project proposal.

Essential 1 / Solid showcase of past work
A detail-driven portfolio gives an idea of the caliber of work a designer is capable of delivering. Be cautious of template designs and ensure that the designer has examples of custom work designed specifically for clients.

Essential 2 / Adherence to W3C standards
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develops the standards for the Internet. Therefore, web designers are encouraged to follow these guidelines when coding a website. A failure to follow W3C protocols can result in cross-browser issues, deprecated code, and penalties from major search engines. So how can a client determine whether or not a web designer adheres to W3C standards? One way is to visit the W3C Markup Validation Service and enter a designer’s website address. Successfully passing validation is a good sign. When validation fails with several errors, it may be in the best interest of the client to find another web designer.

Essential 3 / Documented design process
A pre-documented outline of a project’s stages can comfort and assure a client by providing an advanced understanding of the designer’s planned approach. Knowing what to expect ahead of time helps eliminate unexpected steps during the pace of a project.

Essential 4 / Organization
This essential is key to structuring a project, estimating an accurate timeline, and meeting deadlines. Also important is visual organization, displaying a design in an arranged grid with a clear hierarchy of elements and content.

Essential 5 / Listening skills
A designer should value the knowledge and input of a client, and offer honest guidance to a client’s directives throughout a project. Initially, the designer should take into account the client’s goals, listen to the project’s needs and include them in a detailed proposal.

Simply knowing a web designer does not imply that he or she offers these essentials. One that does will have a strengthened approach in meeting a client’s objectives and fulfilling the desired outcome.

I hope you enjoy the new layout. It’s going to take me some time to get more articles pumping. It’s a step in a new direction for me, in establishing myself as an independent designer.

One entity is design skill. This includes strengths in typography, page layout, color theory, visual hierarchy, and other areas. The client is free to look through and compare designer portfolios and question a designer’s skill set, recognition, and work process before hiring. A designer with a strong skill set will generally output a higher caliber of work, and thus require a higher rate, than an entry-level designer for example. That’s not to say that years of experience dictate a stronger eye for design, because that’s not always true.

There are a number of steps involved in professional web design. The list below does not include all, but recognizes many.

• Design Brief
  outlines the needs of the project and goals of the client.
• Research
  compares the competition and analyzes the client’s current identity.
• Information Architecture
  organizes pages and content for the targeted audience.
• Concepts & Sketches
  enables ideas to flow and intentions to make form.
• Mockups
  provides options for the client to comment on and critique.
• Revisions
  allows the client and designer to work together to formulate the best possible end result.
• Finalized Work
  produces a finished design, and optimizes images for the web.
• XHTML & CSS
  codes pages and separates structure from presentation.
• Content Management System
  integrates pages with a CMS and simplifies updates.
• Code Validation
  aids in future-proofing a website and guarantees no code errors, that can result in various symptoms.
• Browser Testing
  ensures all pages, scripts, and forms operate correctly in major browsers.
• Copywriting
  establishes content, sometimes provided by the client or a copywriter.
• Photography
  gathers stock images, and may involve shooting of images by the designer or a hired photographer.
• Creative Direction
  guides the client before, during, and after a project’s completion.
• Client Meetings
  discusses objectives and thoughts throughout the process.

Of course not every web designer performs each step, as many projects do not call for them all. And like any business, there are work-related expenses that must be taken into account when pricing a project. These include studio operation fees, computing and graphics equipment, software licenses, and office supplies.

The phrase, “You get what you pay for” can apply to design work but, from a design perspective, does not always imply that a higher-quoted price will achieve the strongest design and end result. So it’s advised for clients to research and question potential candidates for design work before making an assumption or decision based on an estimated quote.