+ WalkingStick Design +

How much do you charge per hour? I don't have an hourly rate. I estimate a flat project rate. You don't charge per hour? No. If I were a line worker at Ford and my one job was to attach a tire to a car moving by, it would be logical that being paid by an hourly rate would be the most fair thing for both Ford and myself.  At any give time during the day and throughout our project, I'll be performing a multitude of different tasks that require specialized skill sets. I'd have to take the time to track and charge differing rates for those tasks to be fairly compensated for the work.  How does a flat project rate benefit me? To make it much easier on you, your budget, myself and my book keeper, I charge a flat project rate that's fair to both my business and your budget. I don't trade or sell my time for money. My time is worth more than any budget could afford. Instead, I sell what design can do for your business. I sell results. The question you must answer is, ...

From my head, to your back! See and download the full gallery on posterous Posted via email from Eye Say • The Web Log

by Seth Godin http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/ If you write it down, we're going to judge it. Not just the words, we're going to judge you even before we read the words. The typography you use, whether it's a handwritten note or a glossy brochure, sends a message. Some typefaces are judged in a similar way by most people you're addressing (Times Roman in a Word document or Helvetica on a street sign or Myriad Pro on a website) but even when you choose something as simple as a typeface, be prepared for people to misunderstand you. If you send me a flyer with dated, cheesy (comic sans) or overused type, it's like showing up in a leisure suit for a first date. If your website looks like Geocities or some scammy info marketer, I won't even stay long enough to read it. Like a wardrobe, I think a few simple guidelines can save amateurs like us a lot of time: 1. Invest some time and money up front to come up with a house style that actually looks the way yo...

"When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something...That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things." Steve Jobs Posted via email from Eye Say • The Web Log

Disclaimer:  Any representation of actual clients in existence and/or their behavior is purely coincidental. No clients were harmed during the creation of this rating scale.  http://freelancefolder.com/an-unofficial-client-rating-scale/ 1. The Client from Hell 1. Wants their project completed before they ever even made first contact with you. 2. Professes to have worked with others in your field who charge significantly less. 3. Tries to bargain and nitpick at your proposed charges. 4. Attempts to rewrite your contract before and during the project. 5. Micro-manages every step of the way. 6. Calls and emails constantly for updates, even after they’ve already been updated. 7. Demands unlimited revisions of mockups/proposals. 8. Disregards your experience and professional advice because they “have a better idea”. 9. Fails to pay for completed work in a timely manner. 10. Rude, impersonal, demanding, disrespectful, selfish and cheap. 2. The ...

Pack you bags. Your counselor is Mr. Tom Fishburne. See and download the full gallery on posterous Posted via email from Eye Say • The Web Log

It's January. If your company or organization pays you to plan, budget for and coordinate print projects and campaigns for the year, I have some advice that will save you time, same your company money, and ease your stress level throughout the year. 1. Look at the event schedule for 2009 2. What events are you doing this year that you did last year? 3. Were they "successful" (you can only determine this if you have defined what "success" means to you or to the project). 4. Back up the deadlines for each project that repeats this year by at least 3 weeks. Time = Money Time = Less (or no) Stress The more time you give your vendors, the more budgeted dollars you keep. The biggest print project budget drains: - Too many revisions (i.e. you gave the designer copy that was not spell checked, grammar checked and proof read by at least 3 people and/or didn't clearly communicate the goal of the print project and/or attempted to micromanage the designer) -Not en...

A recently retired work friend stopped by my office the other day. For the sake of privacy, we'll call him Charlie. Charlie is a gentleman and a true professional in every sense of the word. Soft spoken, intelligent, knowledgeable and unquestionable integrity are just a few of the attributes that could accurately describe him. Charlie has sold the invisible by working in some form of publication ad sales for his entire career. Now recently retired, he's enjoying some time off, a full year ahead of he and his wife with the calendars wiped clean of places to be and folks to see. He's worked hard for it. He no longer "has" to have a job. But, being the living breathing professional that he is, he's not completely closed the door on working a job on his terms. One more thing. Charlie is a motorcycle enthusiast. It's still difficult for me to rationalize the idea of this impeccably dressed man, well in his 60's with spectacles and a tightly kept mustache o...

Organizations that value design continue to succeed at fantastic levels and achieve staying power in the marketplace. They understand the power that design has to guide perception and clear the way for continued progress and relevance. The opposite can be said of organizations that undervalue that same power. Wise businesses know that design is not a commodity, nor is it a luxury. It is a vital business tool. The skill and force in which you use this tool will determine its success. The truth is, great clients allow great design to occur. They’re enjoying the benefits that my design produces right now. Will you be one of them? A few of my awesome clients were facing some of the same challenges that you’re facing now. They said, "Yes" to me and allowed themselves to benefit from some excellent design solutions. Click http://picasaweb.google.com/eyesaydesign to see how we overcame their visual communication challenges together. Posted via email from Eye Say Design • The We...

I may catch flack for this but I don't care. You draw a line, I dance on the other side of it. Great graphic design is free, but not cheap. How can that be? Think of it this way. How much is a new client or customer worth to you? What is their perception of your business worth to you? “If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” -John Wooden I like this one better: If you didn't budget to do it right the first time, how much more will it cost you to fix it? Invest in your business properly by hiring Eye Say for your next print project. Your return on that investment will more than pay for itself and may translate into more money, higher attendance, your customers telling their friends about your business, etc... Visit www.eyesaydesign.com today and say, "Yes, I want to help guide the way my business is being perceived by working with Eye Say Design." It's easy! Simply fill out your FREE estimate form and I'll get in tou...

I just had a thought. "The folks that wait to be discovered, are never discovered." If you wait for everything to be "perfect" before you create you dreams, all you'll do is wait. So, write that dream down. Hang a deadline to accomplish it. Work backwards from that date and then get to work. If luck favors the prepared, then prepare. Stop whining about the way things are and decide to make some changes. They can even be small changes. In fact, small changes are my favorite because small changes over time become large changes over time. The point is, never stop dreaming, planning and doing. "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." -Mahatma Gandhi Posted via email from Eye Say Design • The Web Log