He was kind enough to welcome us into his life in Thailand (where he’s currently living), and talk about the pros and cons of being a freelancer: time management issues, the freedom to travel and more. Let’s see what Adam had to say and check out the amazing photos!

When did you start your career as a designer?

I started to learn about design and using creative tools such as Photoshop when I was 14. I built a computer with a friend and he installed a copy of Photoshop onto it. I started playing with Photoshop one day to write my own name (for a forum signature or something daft like that) – and the rest is history.

I went on to search the net for tutorials and tips on using Creative Suite and have used Photoshop daily ever since. Technically I only started my “career” as a designer a couple of years ago. Up until then the majority of work that I undertook was free work for friends and family – you know the script, building up a portfolio etc.

I ended up in the freelance side of thing when my work became so in demand with friends that as much as I enjoyed it, I couldn’t take it on. The only logical step from there is to take on the work from the people who will pay you to do it!

What is your educational background?

I have no educational background in regards to design or my career now. I left school when I was 16 and went on to college but dropped out after one year (in the U.K. it goes High School until 16, College until 18 and then University). I tried to apply for a Graphic Design course at the college I attended which is something I think I would’ve excelled at, but I was turned down.

I showed the professor my work and he was pretty taken aback that I produced it. However, the entry requirements for the course involved drawing a real life figure and my drawing skills are pretty poor. Because of this, I wasn’t allowed to join the course.

Since then, I have tried to improve my drawing skills, however I’ve focused more on perfecting my craft – building nightclub flyer templates. My main source of education now is simply trial and error, tutorials and lots of practice!

You’ve surely worked on several projects so far. What would be the most relevant ones and your greatest achievement?

In the past few years, the majority of my work has revolved around flyers and templates. I’ve produced maybe 500 print items in the last 2.5 years. Sometimes I have days where I can pump out 3-5 designs, but I always try to make something everyday, even if it just gets archived.

To date, my greatest achievement in design has been the redesign of my website FlyerHeroes (we launched the new design just the other week). I believe this is my greatest achievement so far because as a print designer and someone who has taken on mainly print related projects for the last two years, designing a website took me out of the comfort zone I have grown used to. It involved thinking again, not just using my instinct. Thinking about UI, thinking about what is and isn’t required, about usability etc. I think I pulled it off (there is still a lot to do), but it was a great test of my design skills.

Why did you choose to be a freelancer? Can you name a few pros and cons of the job?

For a long time now I have known I wanted to travel. To do this, I needed income. Working online seemed the most logical thing to do as you can work online from anywhere in the world providing they have Wi-Fi.

After realizing this, I simply looked at my skill set and how I could earn and travel. It took two years of working hard to build up my client list and online business to a point I could travel with it, but overall, the whole reason I chose to do this – to freelance as a designer – was to travel.

I could write a list as long as my arm on the pros and cons of my job, but what I find a pro, others would find a con! For me, I love having no clock in or out time. I regularly start work at 12 am and work through till 1 pm the next day – in fact, amongst my friends here in Thailand, I’m known for it. My second pro would be loving what I do. If you love what you do, you never have to work a day in your life.

Now, both of what I mentioned above are also cons for me – seriously. I have very poor discipline when it comes to taking time off. I love what I do so much that I will work 16-20 hour days for 10 days straight. Ultimately this leads to burn out, which it has done recently and burning out really isn’t good for you.

What are you working on now?

Right now I’m working on a new product called PRO X Theme. It’s a WordPress theme for Nightclubs and DJs. I figured it would be a great add-on to the FlyerHeroes brand and I’m loving the challenge of creating something outside of print again.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I get up, I go to the local market for food and then make my way to one of my favorite coffee shops. I’ll work for a few hours, go home for a shower and then head up to my office space. I’m currently living in Chiang Mai, Thailand and recently a new co-working space called Pun Space opened where I’m renting out a desk – it’s pretty badass!

What do you do to stay inspired? Can you share a few creativity tricks with us?

I have a big folder of inspiration on my computer. When I’m browsing the web, trawling through website after website when I should be working (C’mon, we all do it), every time I find an image that inspires me – maybe the color scheme, layout, hierarchy, font choice – whatever – I right click and save image as!

Recently I started taking a lot of photos on my iPhone too. Every time I see a poster stuck up, a billboard, a flower – anything that I like, I snap it and save it for later. I’m beginning to find this a lot more useful that finding stuff on the web. I think things in “real life” can be related to better.

As far as the administrative part goes – how do you manage your time to stay efficient? Do you use any programs/software?

I am the least organized person you’ll ever meet. I called my mum today and thought it was Wednesday. It’s Saturday.

How much free time do you have in a week and how do you usually spend it?

I love working, so on the whole I tend to not have “free time”, because I always have my laptop open. With the launch of my new website, I do plan to reduce my work load – maybe hire a staff member or two – and start taking time off. Even just dedicating weekends to days off would be a start.

In September I will be offline for a good 2-4 weeks as I’m traveling to Nepal to take on a Trek to Everest Base Camp which should be cool – and a well deserved break!

Looking a bit into the future – where do you think you’ll be in five years from now, career wise?

In 5 years time, I would be happy to be where I am right now. I love what I’m doing and so I’m going to keep on doing what I’m doing. I would like to have another business under my belt, but I’m not going to rush into anything soon, I want to keep improving FlyerHeroes :)

What advice would you give to newbie freelance designers?

Keep on improving. Keep following new tutorials, keep trying new styles, keep creating things you’ve never created before – it’s the only way to stay fresh and sharpen a full set of tools. Being good at just one thing isn’t good enough.

If you enjoyed Adam’s interview and the samples of his work, keep an eye on Inky Deals because he’s going to launch a deal with his premium flyers on the 28th of June. Also, make us (and him) happy by commenting about the interview below.

Interview with Adam McIntyre – Insight into a Freelancer’s Life is a post from Pixel 77

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Free Vector of the Day #360: Sticker Arrows is a post from Pixel 77

Our artist took it to the next level of perfection when they’ve created these 20 brand-new designs with brilliant visual graphics. Among them you will find lots of sugar skulls, hipster sugar skulls, witches, Native American designs, pirates and more. These vectors will definitely make some jaws drop if used in the right context.

These designs come with an extended royalty-license, meaning you can print and sell them right away, without any fuss. You can also use them for designing cups, hoodies, product packaging and pretty much any print or web design you can think of.

Take a look at what’s new; I promise you – this will be love at first sight!

New at Designious.com: 20 Awesome T-shirt Designs is a post from Pixel 77

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Free Vector of the Day #359: Painted Sun is a post from Pixel 77

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Free Vector of the Day #358: Painted Sun is a post from Pixel 77

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Free Vector of the Day #357: Editable Discount Badge is a post from Pixel 77

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Free Vector of the Day #356: Social Icons is a post from Pixel 77

Just as every freelancer is a little different, you will find each client has different needs and cares. However, many clients fall into one of a number of types, each requiring different approaches or handling to ensure the best working relationship. Knowing your client types will help you tailor your approach and produce the most successful project outcome.

Tech Impaired Client

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This client usually appears confused when any technological issues are being discussed. They prefer telephone conversations rather than emails and like to have a hard copy of everything. This type of client will usually need for everything to be gone through again before they fully understand the project details. However, they will usually rely on your technological expertise and will willingly take your advice. This can result in a lot of hand holding and it can be frustrating when they are unable to grasp even basic aspects such as emailing, but you should charge accordingly for this additional support.

The best way of working with a tech impaired client is to put all the technical details in writing, so they can read it at their own pace. This can save time explaining the details repeatedly especially if you have formatted the details into terms they will be more able to understand. You need to be prepared that you will not be using as much technology as you are used to. You should budget time and resources for meetings, phone calls and faxing. Try to avoid patronizing the client and ask for input from their area of expertise.

Uninterested Client

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This type of client is very unusual. Your questions will usually be answered with minimal responses and they will be lax in providing any requested materials or information. This will usually provide you with a great scope of creative freedom since the client is usually handing off the project to your control. However, they will likely ask you to handle all aspects of the project, even those outside of your skill set.

An uninterested client requires some forceful handling. You will have to chase information, so it is best to develop a humorous and polite attitude to force them along. They are usually uninterested because they have other stresses and priorities, but you can advise them on additional resources you can provide for additional costs.

Over-involved Client

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Some clients are frustrated creative types who want to tell you about their skills. They usually have a very specific idea of what they want and will require very little input from you. This can make for a fairly simple project if you are happy to simply make their idea a reality. However, they will not appreciate any criticism of their ideas even if they are flawed. This can result in them being unhappy with the final product even if it is exactly what they wanted.

It is a good idea to allow the client to lead the idea flow. Tell them explicitly that they have very specific ideas and you will follow their direction. However, you should also tell them that you can work without their input if they prefer.

Paranoid Client

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These clients will usually swamp you in legal paperwork, from drafted agreements to NDA’s. You must ensure that you check all the paperwork to check it protects your interests. It is worth having an independent legal professional to check the paperwork as it will usually be heavily slanted in the clients favor. There will usually be a number of grounds which can result in you not being paid, so it needs to be carefully monitored and adhered to.

Appreciative Client

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These clients value your skill and expertise. They will make you feel special and be delighted with your work. They tend to be very tactful and will word any aspects they are not completely satisfied with, in a positive way. Don’t take your appreciative clients for granted. Make sure you give them your best work and you can even provide additional content or services for no charge occasionally to show mutual appreciation.

Wheeler Dealer Client

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This client is always looking for a good deal. They will take your quote as a starting bid for negotiation and there will be some element of haggling. These clients can vary from entrepreneurs who have negotiated their way to success, to bullies who want you to work for peanuts. So you need to make sure you are happy with the agreed terms and price, or you will end up resenting the project.

On the other hand, these clients can be a great source of repeat or referral work since they usually have an expansive network of contacts. The key is to be assertive and not drop below the rate you are willing to work at.

“Not Sure What They Want” Client

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These clients can struggle to articulate what they actually want. They can be demanding, yet provide no real constructive criticism to work with. This can become very frustrating and can be difficult to budget for. However, if you can create their vision, you may gain a loyal and appreciative client.

The only way to deal with this type of client is to be very specific about revision costs. You also need to be prepared that it may be a very frustrating project.

Rush Client

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This client always has urgent and rush jobs which need to be your top priority. They will expect around the clock attention and all emails will be marked priority. This type of client will usually approve jobs quickly and tend to pay just as quickly.  They can create a great deal of stress, but it is important to be realistic and reasonable with them. Don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ if they are not being reasonable, but make sure you provide a viable alternative. If they insist Monday is needed, try saying “I can’t do Monday but I can do…”. Rush clients have usually had experience of being messed about and will appreciate the honesty – providing you deliver what you agreed.

These are the most common types of clients but regardless, you should be aware and confident in your abilities and the rate you are willing to work at. This will make it easier to deal with any client and establish a good work relationship. What has your experience been so far?

Freelance Design: Client Types & How to Work with Them is a post from Pixel 77

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Free Vector of the Day #355: Account Buttons is a post from Pixel 77

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Free Vector of the Day #354: Nautical Badge is a post from Pixel 77