Tim Lapetino and Jason Adam’s book “Damn Good: Top Designers Discuss Their All-Time Favorite Projects” is full of inspiration. Get this book and much more with the Damn That’s Good Ultimate Collection.

As much as our communications are becoming electronic and ephemeral, the written word is still one of the chief ways that human beings communicate. Words can be inspiring, moving, infuriating, or many other colors — and as designers, we check out of that conversation at our peril. Some designers seem to conveniently disappear when writing and copy are discussed, and I think this relates to our overall visual natures. Many designers think, relate, and communicate in images — it’s one of the skills that leads to great design and better designers. But while a picture is supposedly worth a thousand words, text isn’t going away anytime soon. So, it’s up to us, as designers, to wrangle the written word and to make the work we do even greater by engaging with the copy.

Most designers are not wordsmiths or writers in the strictest sense, but that doesn’t mean that we have to opt out of participation when it comes to the writing aspects of our designs. Even legendary book jacket designer Chip Kidd reads each book he designs to draw out themes and understand what his work should communicate. Page counts of these books are undoubtedly higher than the websites or annual reports we’re tasked with. Here are 10 thoughts that will help you conquer your fear of words.

1. Just read it.

If it’s good enough for a design rock star like Kidd, it’s probably worth your while. It sounds obvious, but designers need to read the copy contained in the things they design. I’m always amazed at how few designers actually do this! You need to understand the words that will work in context with your design. It’s not enough to merely plan for text length or headlines. Writing and design work in tandem, and it’s not okay to “let the copywriter handle it.” Wade Niday, senior designer at Kym Abrams Design in Chicago, is a veteran of many print pieces, including many high-profile annual reports and corporate communications pieces. Here are some of the thoughts and strategies he employs before he begins designing.

“When I first begin,” Niday explains, “I’ll browse through it to see how the content will translate visually. Are there certain sections to the text or natural breaking points? Are there any clues for a chart or graphic that could help tell the story faster or more clearly? I’m also looking at the voice of the language. Is it internal, corporate-speak, or is it correctly targeted towards the intended audience? All of that influences how I design.”

So, if you’re beginning to see that getting more involved in the words you’re arranging is a noble effort, here are some thoughts to consider on that journey.

2. Respecting design means respecting the words.

This conversation isn’t merely about words, but about the designer’s role in the creative process. If we want to have more of a say in how our final designs work, having a voice in the writing aspect is a good start. Our choice of communication shows what we value, and designers need to remind clients and other creative team partners that we’re valuable for more than just “decorating” in the design process. Give your input in the initial stages of a project as it pertains to copy length, tone and voice. All of this will trickle down to the work you do, so make sure you’re involved at the outset.

3. Change how you think about text.

How do you talk when you discuss the written parts of a design? Copywriters and editors have worked hard to communicate with effectiveness, clarity and passion in much the same way designers labor over kerning, color matching or browser testing. So, it’s important to treat the text (and the hard work of your collaborators) with respect. If your feedback to the client or creative team is “this is too much copy” or “it doesn’t fit my design,” you’re being as insulting as the first person who uttered “Can you just make the logo bigger?” Show some respect, and these other creative professionals will thank you, and might even pay some of that back in the future, when it comes time for design feedback.

4. Identify the writer’s intentions and the goals of the piece.

Copy informs design, and design serves the copy. Or, one hand washes the other in a symbiotic relationship. But a writer’s words also can give you, the designer, crucial inspiration for your parts of the process. To glean that info, you need to ask some questions of the text: What is the writer’s goal? Is she trying to persuade? Elevate? Sell a product? Impart crucial information? What are the audience’s needs and desires, and do the writer’s aims overlap with the audience’s real needs? If you’re aiming for effective communication, they certainly better!

The answers to these questions should be part of any self-respecting creative brief, but sometimes, in the frenetic scramble that is design, these important nuggets aren’t communicated clearly. You might have to do some detective work within the text, digging up these answers for yourself. It might sound like a memo from Obvious Land, but the content should help drive the design.

Niday also mentions how the copy he receives influences his designs. “This is where designers really add value with solid typography and a smart structure,” he says. “We have the ability to turn up the volume on the language or turn it down. With lead-ins, headlines, and subheads, we can play to the scanning, casual reader, but also to the person who has the time and interest to read every single word.”

5. Dissect the style.

There also are writing styles that can either work in harmony with your designs, or cause awkwardness and dissonance. You can use a piece’s writing style as a guide that will inform your design choices. Figure it out: What is the prose like? Is it filled with short and choppy phrases? Is the writing long-winded and loquacious, or terse and matter-of-fact? Each of these writing styles carry emotional connotations, over and above the actual content of the writing. You can capture some of these emotions and sensations with the time-tested tools of design (color, layout, rhythm, gestalt, harmony) while simultaneously supporting the writing.

6. Give design feedback that helps the writer.

It’s often easy for designers to let a project’s copy become an afterthought, but when our feedback is requested, we can be more constructive by couching it in terms that will make sense to everyone. If you need to communicate that a portion of writing goes on too long, appeal to the goals of the piece (“This needs to be short and easily-scannable for busy executives”), versus invoking some nebulous design principle (“This copy doesn’t flow well”).

If the text needs work, critique the offending copy on its own terms, rather than from the design perspective. Use big-picture thinking rather than design terms that could alienate your collaborators. The goal isn’t necessarily to educate your other team members, it’s to work together to create the best possible finished work. This approach will win you respect from writing partners, and also will show that you’re thinking about the work holistically, rather than from behind a set of design-only blinders. This kind of cooperative back-and-forth builds great collaborative relationships, and leads to a better project. At Kym Abrams Design, Niday explains that writing is a key element to every project. “In our office, the writer is involved from the very beginning,” he says. “This is critical because it keeps the design in check and helps position the messaging as primary. After my initial designs, I’ll get the writer’s input, and a lot of times, they will rework the language as the piece starts to come to life. It’s a great way to get feedback before it goes to the client too. I send a PDF or link to the writer at nearly every stage before final approval.”

7. Remind others that copy isn’t an afterthought.

If a client tells you that “The copy will come later. Just ‘greek it in’ for now,” push back. Writing isn’t supposed to be an afterthought. It’s a critical component to good communication. Writing is another way to engage people, either on a B2B website, print piece, or billboard. If you treat words and the people who write them with respect, your work together will be better, and respect will eventually flow both ways.

8. Don’t be intimidated by the act of writing.

There’s nothing scary about putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). Good writing mirrors clear thinking, and every designer and person can improve their communication skills. You don’t have to be Ernest Hemingway, Stephen King or Ellen Lupton to communicate with words. Take a stab at communicating ideas with words.

Remember that writing is less about using the perfect words or phrases, and more about communicating ideas. This is what we designers do every day, and if you can use words (whether written or verbal), you’ll be better prepared to communicate your concepts, sell designs and showcase your strategic thinking. These are all incredibly powerful tools to have in your career arsenal. So, take a deep breath and dive in.

9. Keep reading.

Whether it’s magazines, iPad apps, or business journals, one of the easiest ways to improve your writing is to surround yourself with the writing of others. Pay attention when you’re digging into the next article you’re reading. Did the author have clear and well-reasoned arguments? Did he back them up with ideas and facts? Did the piece have an attention-getting introduction or opening? Was the language choice appropriate for the subject matter? If it appealed to you or turned you off, why was that the case? Focusing on these things as you read will help your own writing, as you notice what works and doesn’t in the writing around you.

10. Practice. Then practice again.

You might not realize it, but we’re writing all the time. Whether it’s e-mails, project proposals, blogs, or (daresay) even tweets, as humans we naturally communicate and usually use words to do so. Writing copy (or anything else) is just the act of focusing our communication in a way that considers goals, messages, and interesting ways of saying something. It might sound juvenile, but practicing is the best way to get better. Start by creating a blog or capturing your thoughts in a journal. Write down inspirational ideas or quotes in sentence form. Write thank you notes to your clients. Take copious notes during meetings. All of these exercises will help strengthen those atrophied writing muscles and will allow you to churn out written ideas faster and with more ease.

Getting focused on writing is more about communicating than it is about that perfect turn of phrase. Sure, you’ll increase your value to collaborators, clients and supervisors if you can write clever headlines or edit body copy. But in the end, it’s less about perfectly-crafted language and more about the willingness to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty with copy. When the dust settles, you’ll be a designer who can engage with writing in a way that serves your audiences and makes your work shine even brighter.

Damn That’s Good Ultimate Collection

This grouping of design resources combines the stunning book “Damn Good: Top Designers Discuss Their All-Time Favorite Projects,” as well as award-winning design projects featured in both HOW and Print.

Get $161 worth of design inspiration for a limited-time price of $69.99. Find out more!

The post 10 Strategies to Help Designers Conquer a Fear of Writing appeared first on HOW Design.

Making this complicated shift as easy as possible involves removing factors that cause you stress so you can focus on business. The transition can be harder for freelancers who fret about money or take longer to adjust to working solo. That’s why it’s a good idea to have some strategies in mind to make this exciting time as stress-free — and enjoyable — as possible. Here are a few ways to make the shift a little easier:

Tip 1: Take Baby Steps to Transition

When I started my copywriting business, I worked on it and held a full-time job for about a year before taking a part-time job. Mentally, I needed that step to part-time employment in order to prove to myself that I could hack it as a self-employed writer.

Susan Johnston, a Boston-based writer, says parlaying your full-time job into a freelancing gig can make the transition simpler. “When I left my last full-time job, I suggested they hire me as an hourly contractor to finish up some of the projects I’d been working on and train my replacement. They went for it because it made a better transition for both of us,” she says.

Another way to get your feet wet without taking an all-out plunge is to “test-drive” freelancing. “Set aside a vacation day or a holiday to spend at your desk and see how it goes. Are you disciplined enough to work for longer stretches of time? Do you get lonely or overwhelmed?” asks Johnston. See how you feel so you know if you can handle working solo.

Developing a Successful Online Marketing Plan is a guided tutorial that’ll help you take your creative business to new heights. Learn strategies and techniques for using online tools to connect with potential clients!

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Get the Building Your Freelance Business value pack and access leading titles for one low price: “The Creative Professionals Guide to Money,” “Designer’s Guide to Marketing and Pricing,” and “The Designer’s Guide to Business and Careers.”

Tip 2: Create a Stable Feed of Projects

Amber Timmerman, a Seattle-based web designer, advises newbies to sign up with a local talent agency for projects. The agency secures gigs for you, ensures payment and may provide health insurance. “This income will sustain you while you continue to expand your business,” she notes.

Brian Casel, a web designer and developer from Connecticut, has been running his own design company and as of the past year and a half, trying to launch Restaurant Engine. He says that preparing yourself financially is vital because it can take a while to earn a profit, so he recommends saving up three to six months’ worth of money before you begin. Casel took consulting work on the side and phased those projects out as gigs from the restaurant service began to roll in … another trick that made the shift easier financially.

 Tip 3: Just go with it

Finally, remember that making the shift can be uncomfortable, but it’s not impossible. Every creative professional likely has a story about how they shifted into full-time freelancing. Most of them say it was one of the best choices they made, but admit that it can be turbulent at times.

Half of the challenge in changing to full-time freelancing is mental. You’re probably quite talented and business-oriented if you’ve been moonlighting. When you can overcome the doubts that may creep in as you transition to self-employment, you’re in a good position to thrive.

• Looking for more tips to achieving your freelance dreams? Check out this article “9 Steps to Freelance Success.”

Toolbox for Freelance Graphic Designers

• Tune in to this OnDemand Design Tutorial: Evolution of a Creative Business, by Ilise Benun.
• It’s Who You Know: The Ultimate Networking Kit.
• HOW Design University Independent Study: Developing a Successful Online Marketing Plan.

The post Shift from Moonlighter to Full-time Freelancer appeared first on HOW Design.

Maria Herring’s connection to bond traces back to her childhood in Sweden. “The Bond films were some of the first action movies I ever watched,” she says. Meanwhile, a young Clif Haggis donned a small briefcase containing a badge and toy Walther PPK. But their most recent journey into Bond’s world started when Herring, who Haggis reports is the bigger Bond fan, received a gift set of all of the Bond films for her birthday. While watching “Dr. No,” the idea for the poster project took flight. “You know, we should watch each movie and then do a poster design for it,” Herring remarked.

Knowing that they were about a month away from the much anticipated release of “Skyfall,” the duo decided to take the challenge a step further. “We committed to everyday for 23 days leading up to the ‘Skyfall’ film release, watching each of the previous Bond films in order and creating a poster that day for it,” Haggis says.

The two creatives behind Herring & Haggis, also work full-time jobs at an agency on top of being the parents of two boys. So it’s no surprise that they use the word intense to describe the task of balancing life with sitting down each night to watch a movie and then design a poster. When enthusiasm waned, they looked to their site traffic for additional motivation. “Our visitors became a big motivator, and also the fact that the empty circles on our web page just had to be filled,” Haggis says. “Just like any project, if you can’t throw yourself into it, it shows.”

See below for a few of our favorites from the James Bond poster series.

Visit the site to see all 23 of the James Bond posters designed by Herring & Haggis.

The post 23 Days. 23 Films. 23 James Bond Posters. appeared first on HOW Design.

Here are excerpts from recent articles:

From CNN/Fortune Magazine:
Freelancers: What's Your Work Worth?

The first step: know your target income. What dollar amount do you need to bring in each hour, day, or week to cover your expenses and make the kind of income you desire? Having a clear understanding of what you must earn makes it easier to turn away work that pays less than you need -- or to ensure a given project delivers your hourly rate. Consultants and freelancers interviewed for this article set targets from $50 to $300 per hour, for example.

From Forbes Magazine:
The Freelance Economy: Millions of Entrepreneurs - and a Vital Social Venture

The divide between “freelancer” and “entrepreneur” is disappearing (if it was ever there to begin with). Freelancers do it all — they do the books, they prospect for clients, they keep up their social media accounts, they network with other freelancers. More and more, we’re seeing groups of freelancers come together to form formal or informal cooperatives and collectives — sharing overhead costs, connecting clients, bartering. Networks like these are the future. Freelancers and small business owners know that you’re only as strong as your network. The freelance community is open and growing.

From NPR/Marketplace (podcast too):
For some, freelance gigs trump full-time jobs

“It was by necessity that I moved to it,” says one freelancer. “But I also now highly highly prefer it. And have been asked a number of times if I'd be interested in a full-time job by the places that I've worked and have turned that down.”

Want to be one of the successful freelancers? Learn everything you need to know at CFC: The Business Conference for Creative Solopreneurs. Next one is June 22-24, 2013 in San Francisco CA.

The post Mainstream Business Media Focus on Freelancing appeared first on HOW Design.

The post Are You a Friendly or Cut-Throat Competitor? appeared first on HOW Design.

Obviously, we can’t stop the pace of time, but imagine being able to stop it for a few days. Well, sort of. For five days in June – the 22nd through the 26th – HOW Design Live 2013 brings together the greatest minds in design to provide education, training and networking necessary to be competitive in today’s marketplace. Four graphic design conferences – HOW Design Conference, Creative Freelancer Conference, The Dieline Package Design Conference, and the InHOWse Managers Conference – personal case studies, and important connections makes these five days in June the most important career investment you can make. Did I mention it’s in San Francisco?

Sign up now for early bird rates!

Sharpening your design skills is no longer a luxury; it’s crucial to your career or your business. Invest in your future and sign up now while the early bird rates are still in effect. You deserve this.

Image via Shutterstock.com

The post Psst! We Have a Gift for You – Time and Experience appeared first on HOW Design.

…because yes, you do need one

Hopefully, I have convinced many you that you need a resume. What happens next? The writing part—and I know it’s not always easy. Here are a few tips to assist you in developing your resume.

Skip the objective. The first thing I tell people when they ask for help writing a resume is to omit an objective. (Recent graduates only use them nowadays.)

Instead, put a few sentences together in a profile, or overview, of your skills. This is the perfect spot to make an awesome first impression. It’s similar to the objective in that you target the specific role you want, but you talk about what you have to offer instead of what you want.

If you’re making the switch from an unrelated field into a creative one, try to think about the skills you’ve acquired that translate to the creative field—chances are that past experiences in sales, customer service or business development will all translate nicely into your creative career.

Get descriptive. In the profile, I start each sentence with an adjective. See how I’ve done it on my resume:

Innovative copywriter generating sales-boosting marketing collateral that enhances organizational image and cultivates sales. Articulate leader collaborating with clients to devise brochures, website content, sales letters, and newsletters. Detail-oriented editor with exceptional command of the English language; leveraging AMA, AP and Chicago styles to maintain editorial consistency. Esteemed creative professional advancing thriving profession as an author and journalist.

This gives you the breadth of my experience as a copywriter, author and journalist. It also shows examples of the types of work I do and the goals of those projects, which are to boost corporate image and drive sales.

Throughout the rest of the resume you would start each statement with a verb—and try not to repeat the same one. You would be surprised how many other words you can find for “create,” for example: Originate, innovate, develop, conceptualize, generate, produce, formulate…the list goes on.

Go for third-person. A resume should never be in first-person tone. Instead of writing “I help companies create marketing strategies,” a creative professional could say, “Developed marketing strategies alongside corporate executives” or something like that.

Stick with a timeline. Skills-based resumes that lump your experiences together based on your aptitudes are nice, but your profile already tells about your capabilities as they pertain to what you want to do. Let the professional experience tell a chronological story so a client or employer can see how you’ve progressed.

Even if you’ve got some experience that doesn’t relate to your creative dream job, the skills gained in previous roles will likely position you to thrive as a creative professional. Let’s say you have tons of smaller projects to highlight or maybe some gaps in time—you can still present them under a title of your own business, and use bullets to talk about some of the jobs.

Use bullets to break up some of the text—I like a few sentences that describe the responsibilities of the role, then bullets to highlight achievements.

Toss in some keywords. Just as resume writers recommend for all job-seekers, your resume should include some keywords. Think graphic design, web development, marketing collateral, and the like. You can also put a table after your profile to highlight some of your competencies.

Don’t forget to inject a few corporate favorites into your resume—especially if you want those big-name clients. Keywords such as consultative sales, business development, lead generation, branding, and strategic planning may sound too stuffy; yet they can go a long way to build credibility and show you are a well-rounded professional—not just an artistic one!

Drop names. Prospective corporate clients want to know what companies they know that have used your services. So if you work with any well-known companies or organizations, don’t be afraid to list a few—so many creatives I hear from say that makes them feel shallow, but it’s just good self-promotion.

A Fortune 500 company may want to hire the person that has worked with a fellow Fortune 500 business over those that handled business for mom-and-pop shops—saying you created a campaign is great, but if the resume reader sees you’ve generated one for a brand they know, they may be more impressed.

Be authentic. Be professional and genuine at the same time. Your resume doesn’t have to be too “corporate speaky,” but sometimes making it semi-formal isn’t a bad thing—even if you still work in your pajamas every day.

Finally, remember that a resume is a marketing document—and one that should be ever-evolving. I regularly update my resume to tweak wording and make other changes as I grow. It’s okay to make yours a work in progress…having one to start with is what really counts.

Want some feedback on your resume? Post a link to it below—I’ll pop on to offer up tips if you’re interested. I would love to see what you’ve got cookin’!

Kristen Fischer is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW). Her book “When Talent Isn’t Enough: Business Basics for the Creatively Inclined” is due out in stores during January 2013. Visit www.kristenfischer.com to learn more.

The post The Creative Freelancer’s Guide to Drafting a Resume appeared first on HOW Design.

photo from Shutterstock

A few years ago the Federal Trade Commission sat down to revise its “Green Guides,” the official guidelines that govern the claims advertisers can make about environmental claims. Their research uncovered a curious insight about consumer perception. The term “green” leads some people to assume that a product is biodegradable, compostable, ozone-safe, recyclable, non-toxic, made with renewable materials and made with renewable energy.

While legitimate “green” products fulfill one or more of these criteria, very few can claim to satisfy them all. In the same way, serving the green graphic design market isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition. Each segment has a unique character that requires its own design and marketing approach, and some will probably have more appeal for you than others. Here are a few to explore:

Alternative energy

The fortunes of renewable energy companies ebb and flow with the tides of government subsidies and the cost of fossil fuels, but the industry is emerging from its infancy. Wind energy has the strongest lead, accounting for more than 35% of all new generating capacity in the U.S. since 2007 according to the American Wind Energy Association. Solar energy is gaining ground as well, with geothermal energy, marine energy and other innovations somewhat further behind.

Much of this market is still business-to-business work for providers of utility-scale installations. Since many renewables generate power only under certain conditions, there’s some movement toward installations that combine more than one type or include high-capacity storage (nighttime storage of energy generated by solar panels during the day, for example).

Consumer opportunities are still challenging because of the cost and complexity of installing them. Companies in this market could benefit from creative designers who can help tell their stories more clearly.

If you’re a socially conscious designer, you may enjoy “Just Design: Socially Conscious Design for Critical Causes.”

Alternative fuels

Pain at the pump drives this segment. When gas prices rise, so do sales of the Toyota Prius and investments in emerging fuel technologies. This market includes everything that hopes to compete with gasoline, including electric cars, biodiesel, ethanol and even experimental microbes engineered to turn wastes into gasoline. Big clients include the U.S. Military, which seeks to reduce the manpower needed to defend oil and gas supply chains, and companies with large vehicle fleets.

Green building

Government incentives and buyer demand are prompting a green renaissance in construction. Some players in the industry are calling for faster change, others are half-heartedly following the trend because it’s where demand is growing most rapidly. Get involved with the U.S. Green Building Council to meet the people in the vanguard. You can often find prospects from other segments at their larger events as well.

Natural and Organic Food

From your local farmers’ market to vegetarian/vegan restaurants to organic food corporations, consumer demand for healthier food is driving growth in a variety of niche products. If packaging is your strong suit, this segment probably offers the most opportunity, as long as you can get beyond the clichés of Papyrus type and kids’ hands cupping baby plants.

Recycling

Not just a progressive novelty anymore, recycling and reuse are now integral to many corporate cultures—especially since the cost benefits are clear more often then they used to be. Entire industries are now based on recycling plastic bottles alone, turning them into everything from park benches to auto components. Other companies are giving new life to paper and wood, used tires, chemicals, industrial byproducts and more.

Other Business Types

Long-established companies in every industry are eager to green their image. Some are merely responding to consumer demand, but an increasing number are owned and operated by people who value sustainability themselves. My first green assignment was a PR brochure for a global manufacturing company eager to let retailers know that it had been pursuing green values since the 1950s, long before it was trendy to do so. Other companies have their own green stories, new and old, and you can help them do it.

The post Find Your Green Graphic Design Niche appeared first on HOW Design.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

If any of the following thoughts enter your head, exercise caution and keep reading, because you may be in starving-artist mode: I want to raise my rate, but I’m just not sure I will secure enough clients to stay afloat; Work isn’t supposed to be perfect for anyone, so I’ll stick with these clients because at least they keep me self-employed; Projects are coming in slowly — I must be going out of business; I just don’t think I’m as talented as other creatives out there.

Starving-artist mode is not all about money. At its root, starving-artist mode has a lot to do with how we view ourselves and what we think we deserve.

George Coghill, a cartoon designer and illustrator based in Ohio, says he usually feels like a starving artist when projects slow down. “When I’m booked and busy, I never think twice about quoting properly, but after a slow period it’s easy to think you might need to charge less to keep work flowing in,” Coghill says.

This year, if you happen to find yourself in starving-artist mode, keep in mind these five tips so you can find your way out quicker.

1. Delve into your past. One of the best ways to avoid panicking is to remember how you got through difficult times in the past. Remind yourself of situations when you thrived and draw on the positives. Sometimes just knowing that you’ve survived a similar situation in the past is enough of a reminder to not doubt yourself — ebbs and flows are part of the business.
2. Be practical. When you’re fretting about money, raising your rates may sound easy, but doing so isn’t always a piece of cake. Instead of a steep hike, you may want to boost them gradually. Do your research to pinpoint rates that you feel good about.
3. Don’t go to desperate measures. If work is slow or a client has rejected a quote, try not to hop on a project for a wage you would otherwise never accept. “The natural instinct is to head over to Craigslist and start offering your services at bargain basement prices, but please, for the love of your profession, resist that urge,” says Wes McDowell, a California-based designer. “It may solve a very temporary problem, but it will create many more for you in the long run.”
4. Check out your clients. Reach out to clients you have worked with in the past. “You never know who might have a project, and there you are, right in front of them again,” McDowell says. An indirect way to do this is to send a holiday card or punch out a new issue of your newsletter. “A lot of projects kick off at the beginning of the New Year, and a thoughtful card can bring you top of mind just in the nick of time,” McDowell added.
5. Continue marketing. Inevitably, things will slow down at times. When that happens, get to work marketing yourself because you have to. Plus, it will keep you busy so doubt doesn’t have a chance to set in.

Toolbox for Freelance Graphic Designers

• Tune in to this OnDemand Design Tutorial: Evolution of a Creative Business, by Ilise Benun.
• It’s Who You Know: The Ultimate Networking Kit.
• HOW Design University Independent Study: Developing a Successful Online Marketing Plan.

The post 5 Ways to Stop Being a Starving Artist in 2013 appeared first on HOW Design.

1. Any non-evil person can be a manager.
2. Management doesn’t make you special.
3. Managers shouldn’t always make more money than those they manage.
4. There should be two career paths so that we don’t saddle technicians (craft people) with management.
5. Nearly all important information should come from an employee’s direct manager.
6. Why you were promoted or why you promoted a certain person tells a huge story.
7. The biggest danger to your company is a very skilled employee who doesn’t fit in with the company culture.
8. You should tell a new employee how many weeks/months you plan to give them to get up to speed.
9. By the time you fire an employee, all the team members knew that you should have done it two months ago.
10. How you treat an employee on the first day sets the stage: desk and related items fully prepared, welcome strategy, gift at home, etc.
11. Someone doesn’t need to be more skilled at something than someone he’s managing.
12. If you don’t give someone a personality profile before you hire them, and give them a copy of yours, you’re getting very close to the “stupid” line.
13. You don’t have to “make a way” for a good manager. They pave their own way.
14. If you promote someone internally, no one should be surprised at who you chose.
15. Employees want much more structure than you think they want. You made all these promises to yourself (like using time sheets) when you founded the firm, and then you slowly discover why they were in place.
16. Employees are not entrepreneurs or they wouldn’t be working for you. Don’t be resentful if they leave on time, take vacations, etc. Why the heck shouldn’t they? Don’t let your entrepreneurial loneliness create a false sense of dependence on the commitment of an employee, measured by how late they stay.
17. If you’re not willing to fire someone, eventually, after lots of other steps, for not following your  agency’s timekeeping policy, you’ll never accomplish anything except demonstrating that you are a wuss.
18. There are official managers with the title, and then there are unofficial leaders without any external distinction. They are both important to your company’s health.
19. Sometimes your job as a middle manager is nothing more than to protect your direct reports from your boss.
20. Most entrepreneurial types are control freaks, not in the name of quality but in the name of control. Their head begins to explode when the firm gets beyond five to six people.
21. If you’re the principal, tell folks what culture you want, but don’t put it on a wall on some silly plaque. There is an inverse relationship between the number of plaques and the real truth. Instead, reinforce it with your actions at least 50 times per day.
22. When you delay a decision about someone, it’s seldom from lack of clarity but rather from lack of courage.
23. Your employees are not your friends. The contract is that you pay them and they get things done. You owe them nothing beyond that, and they owe you nothing beyond that. There are cheaper ways to make friends, and if you use your business to do so, you’ll soon be running an orphanage.
24. Annual performance reviews are one of the silliest inventions of mankind. Do you keep track of when your dog pees in the right place and then settle up with treats once a year? Do a 10–15 minute walk every month, unscheduled, where you both go over your monthly notes and set goals. The yearly meeting is for celebration and big-picture thinking.
25. The first year that you dole out a bonus, you’re Santa Claus himself. After that, the bonus is just an entitlement that gets compared to last year’s.
26. Quit trying to motivate employees—it cannot be done. Motivation is an internal force. You can, however, demotivate them. If you’re doing that, stop it or up your meds.
27. Everyone should have one supervisor. Period. No exceptions.
28. Just because you want to get something off your plate so that you don’t have to think about it doesn’t mean that it’s automatically a good time to interrupt an employee. Save those interruptions up and limit them.
29. As a whole, principals don’t celebrate successes enough. Do it more. Act silly, even.
30. Either do open-book management or don’t, but don’t start it just when things suck.
31. Be honest and transparent with employees. They would much rather know the truth than invent something in their minds that’s likely to be much worse than the actual truth.
32. If you have to dismiss several employees around the same time, rip the Band-Aid off and do it all at once. Otherwise, employees wonder how many more layoffs are coming.
33. If you make a mistake in hiring someone, which happens to the best of us, don’t make a second mistake by keeping them around.
34. Don’t hire family members. There are too many reasons to even begin a list here.
35. Trust people. They aren’t out to get you (unless you’re evil or just a jerk). They want to please you, make you look good and do excellent work.
36. Your reaction to bad news should be predictable (and good).
37. Two to four years after starting your firm, you’ll have to stop hiring for affordability and start hiring for need (to heck with the cost).
38. The first high-profile, highly paid person you hire, seldom lasts. Your expectations of them are way too high.
39. If you’re solving the same problems every day, you need to quit watching “Groundhog Day” or implement more process. Or read “The E-Myth Revisited” by my friend Michael Gerber. The first half is good—just skip the last half.
40. If all new employees are not trained in your special “process,” it’s a lie and should be taken off your website. In other words, until that training is a part of the orientation process, it’s just marketing blah blah.
41. If you wake up several mornings in a row and your first thought is, “Dang, I’ve got to get up and feed the machine yet one more day,” then you need to have a smaller firm.
42. Don’t let growth happen to you. Be intentional about your size, or your clients will make the decision for you. Not good, especially if you’re a poor manager.
43. Always have more opportunity than capacity so that you don’t try to keep employees busy with lousy-paying work. You can do that by getting more good work or laying people off.
44. Employee morale goes down when they don’t have enough work to do or have too much work to do.
45. Some of the best employees you’ll hire didn’t do well in school, and they probably interview very poorly. Heck, they might be so nervous that they stumble all over themselves. Listen to the human inside that body.
46. All employees must write well enough to not embarrass you.
47. Group interviews are cruel, except when hiring for business development or account service.
48. The best training for management you’ll ever get is a) having kids and b) having a great role model boss in your past.

Additional resources for design managers:

• Learn project management skills in Success By Design
• Get in-the-know on integrating the values, creativity, ethics and innovations of the design process into the management of business with Design Management

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