AIGA BuzZ: Freelancing for Friends, Family, and Trade; Is it Worth it?

The topic of the September AIGA BuzZ was freelancing for friends, family, and trade; is it worth it. I, John Howard a local freelancer hosted the BuzZ that was held at our new meeting location at Amelie's Bakery in NODA. Maybe it was the environment, or perhaps it was the topic, either way everyone was very engaged and there was a lot to say whether it's worth it.

Note: A Charlotte AIGA BuzZ usually runs with the host moderating the discussion with questions to the group in a round table style setting.

Below are some of the questions asked to the group as well as three stories of nightmarish situations that have happend to my friends.

Question 1: Who's the worst to do work for, friends, family or pro bono? As we went around the room everyone seemed to lean towards family. Working with family members is tough and complicated and it usually comes down to them not separating you from the kid you once were. Family members also have a special way of bringing their issues into the project that makes the whole experience a bit of a headache. Friends seemed to be the second trickiest because they also don't have a clue as to what you do. And Pro Bono was the last on the list, but still a tough one because most Pro Bono clients design by committee which can turn into a huge headache of passing the buck. Below is a story of when trade can get foggy.

No Contract Nightmare Story - By Anonymous friend

Our agency was located two blocks from a popular lunch and happy hour hang out. Needless to say many people from the agency went there for both. I got to know the manager and the wait staff pretty well and as we were chatting one evening while I was waiting for a friend, I said that if he ever needed anything done such as his menus re-done, or table tents to promote specials that I was sure I could con an artist into helping me out and working for trade. A week later we were doing newspaper ads, table tents, gift certificates and were going to redesign the menu in a month's time.

For our services, the restaurant would give us trade, not in a specific amount, but as long as there was work and we didn't abuse "the system", we ate (and even sometimes drank) for free. Of course, it was agreed that third party costs would be paid for by the restaurant.

I was the writer and go-between for the artist, getting assignments and information, etc. Several months went by and we were doing great. I didn't pay for a single lunch or dinner but made sure I always left a good tip since I didn't have to pay. I ate there two, maybe three times a week and things were going great. Soon it came to my attention that the artist I was working with was eating breakfast, lunch and dinner there almost every day. So I had to have a word with him about what he was doing and it did affect our working relationship – not for the better. He soon left the agency for other work and things were back to normal.

Was it worth it? I think so. Given the circumstances, the agency relationship and friend relationship did suffer, but he left soon after I spoke with him about his indulgence so it wasn't so bad.

Question 2: How important is it to set up ground rules? As designers this seems to be our biggest problem. Because we are doing trade we have a relaxed attitude to towards the process. We don't write it up expectations in a contract so down the road we mutually get confused as to what the project was worth. If we had priced it out as we normally would and then applied it to what it would be in trade we could have wrote it up in a contract and completed the project free of confusion.

Question 3: Should you treat them like a paying client? Freelancing requires repeat business. It requires that you grow your client and help them be successful. In return you do good work and create a steady stream of revenue. Just because you are doing a project for a friend or family member doesn't change the way you should work. It's also said that when you do any work for friends/family/pro bono you shouldn't do it for free either. It's business so you should figure out the cost of the job and figure out a good trade agreement. For example, wedding invitations = wedding gift.

Trade Nightmare Story - By Anonymous friend

About a year ago a friend of mine recommend to a local landscaper that he should partner with me, landscaping of my yard for a new logo design and identity materials.

It all started out just fine. I did 5 original logo sketches and then went through 6 rounds of revisions. I was beginning to get a very bad feeling.

He had begun work on my yard, clearing out old bushes and debris. I went on a trip to Boston right after I send him a quote for writing and designing the website. When I returned, the harassing phone calls began. He went INSANE over the price of the website design, scream and yelling. He called me names not to be repeated in mixed company. He said "what am I paying for?! The electricity to run your f*#king computers?!"

He decided to sue me and put a lien on my house for the work already done to my yard (which was minimal.) He said he had done over $2500 of work to my yard (BTW not a plant or tree was planted. It is a barren yard to this day.)

We went to court. I met a group of other people who also had been sued by this guy. This guy had a long laundry list of arrests in multiple states including grand theft auto, driving under the influence, harassment, foreclosure, tax evasion, drunk and disorderly conduct just to name a few.

I won my case but I will never do trade again without a legally binding contract. I also do research on every client.

Also, I've done my fair share of wedding invites, baby showers, etc. My advice is, unless you love the person more than life itself or you owe them big time, "don't do it." No one understands how much work it takes to design and produce an invitation.

Question 4: Is it smart to setup a contract? Clearly it is, with out a contract you are legally leaving yourself open to anything. As mentioned above you should always know where the project is going and how much work it's going to be on your end. Plus if there's ever a dispute you have an agreed upon contract that will protect you in a court.

Question 5: How do you educate the uneducated without wasting your time? The immediate reaction within the group to this question was that it's never a waste of time. Educating people on design only improves the process, plus creates a better solution for the client. Of course nobody want to be on the phone six hours of the day explaining why green on pink isn't a good idea. So you have to be direct as well as use some tactfulness in how you educate. At the end of the day it just challenges you to be a better defender and speaker of your work.

Speaking Honestly Nightmare Story - By Anonymous friend

My wife has an aunt that's a very gifted artist. She uses an ink pen to hand illustrate one of a kind designs on converse shoes. She had already done some for a couple celebrities and realized that she needed a website. She apparently paid a lot of money (don't know how much, but I was told that it was a lot) to another family member to design the website.

The site whet live and she immediately emailed the entire family and say how proud she was of it. But and there was a "but", she had some reservations. So my wife of course asked me to take a look at it and email her my thoughts. I explained that this was suicide and there was a big chance I might be offensive without meaning to. But my wife said that it would be fine and that I should be honest. So I took a look at the site, it was horid, crap, ineffective and I don’t think half the links worked. Well what should I do? So I wrote a positive and constructive email giving praise where it was due and outlining the issues, plus ways it could be improved upon it. Just to be safe I had my wife read it and I sent it off.

A week goes by with no word. Then another week still no word. My wife gives her a call and just to get blasted by her aunt who is apparently still fuming and wanted to know why I was so mean and offensive. Why I couldn’t be more positive and recognize all the hard work that went into it. Of course my wife apologizes and I get told off. All I could say at the time was I didn’t do anything wrong and next time someone asks my opinion they should be prepared for an answer they might not like.

Two months later, her aunt calls my wife and say’s, "your husband was right, I was wrong".

Question 6: How honest can you be with friends or family? Although it's difficult you have to be honest with them. How else are you going to be able to give them what they need? It's not easy but once you get to a place where you are able to speak freely about the project then you can actually create successful solutions. It's when you aren't honest and keep your opinions to yourself that you can easily create a divide. It's also important to note that being blunt never helps, a certain amount of tact and TLC is important no matter who the client is.

Question 7: Does doing work for family/friends or pro bono lead to bigger payable jobs down the road? Work that you don't get paid for and may or may not may lead to winning a job or maybe getting paid is considered speculative work, aka spec. AIGA is trying very hard to stop this type of work but unfortunately it's done everyday. Be it a competition where you might win a $1,000 for designing a logo or creating a cereal box. This type of behavior takes advantage of designers in such a despicable way. Once you provide the concept there's nothing to say they won't use it and pay you nothing. Our work is all we have so we shouldn't hand it over so easily. Can you imagine calling a five of plumbers to come out and fix your sink and the best one to do the job gets paid? It doesn't matter if its a business client, friend, family or pro bono you should always get something for what you do that's fair to you and the client.

To learn more about spec, contracts, freelance and AIGA check out some of the below links courtesy of Rachel Martin.

1. AIGA standard agreement http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/standard-agreement
2. AIGA Center for Practice Management http://cpm.aiga.org/
3. AIGA Design & Business Resourceshttp://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/design-and-business
4. 12 Points to Include in Your Design Contract http://freelanceswitch.com/clients/what-should-be-included-in-a-design-contract/
   
5. 17 Tips for Designers on Starting a Freelance Business http://designm.ag/freelance/starting-freelance-business/
6. No Spec Work - defines what Spec work is in addition to AIGA's stance on the subject http://www.no-spec.com/

So in conclusion, is it worth it?
It's absolutely worth it providing you first protect yourself, communicate clearly and treat them professionally. If you are unable to do any of these then you should walk away and leave on respectful terms. Better that than doing all the wedding invites for your cousin and not going!

AIGA Buzz: Design and Freelancing

On March 4th at Estelle's Coffeehouse I was given the opportunity to host a local AIGA Buzz. The subject of my Buzz was on Freelancing in these current economic times. Here was the intro that was placed on the local AIGA site:

If you lost your job tomorrow, could you make it as a lone freelancer? The current economy is forcing businesses to downsize and make tough decisions, but businesses still need creatives. To become a successful highered gun we have to remove the uncertainty of what's coming tomorrow, by learning new tools today. All to become the fastest rootin' tootin' cowboy in the west.

Join John Howard, freelancer graphic designer and blogger, for a discussion on what it takes to be a successful freelancer -- learn how to prepare for the worst and shoot for the best.

So for four weeks I set myself to learning as much about Freelancing (while Freelancing) as possible. It makes sense the local AIGA chapter would suggest this topic because it's something that we as designers are ever increasingly having to do. We are losing our jobs to the Recession and having to figure it out for ourselves. I myself lost my job last year and now I'm doing fairly well. I wouldn't say I'd go to Vegas and blow a grand on "red". But I feel confident to say that all my hard work is paying off. Since I've been laid off I've seen the Freelance community double here in Charlotte. Agencies and In-House companies are all downsizing just to stay in business. In reality it's grim and many friends of mine are really wondering what they will do.

With this in mind I began to work on the Buzz and I realized through talking to friends that I didn't want it to be doom and gloom. I wanted it to be educational and optimistic. I thought back to what got me interested in design and I remembered that I used to love the comic books drawn by the french artists Morris and Goscinny from the 70s. It told the story of a cowboy roaming the west and always teaching the bad guys a lesson. It made me think of how designers really are like cowboys. We live on our own luck and go from one place to the next trying to find work.

With the concept beginning to come together I wrote and outline and began to draw pages to match the messages I wanted to get across.

They were:
1. The Economy: Adapting to the new world
2. Taking a Deep Breath: Looking back over the years
3. The Plan: Figuring out your Rate
4. The Dangers: Taxes and Health Insurance
5. Saddle Up: Getting it together
6. Networking: Find work
7. Getting Clients: Learning to work with new clients
8. Ongoing: To live and fight another day

With my comic book drawn, written, printed and ready to go I prepared myself to speak at the Buzz.

Click here to view the pages on Flikr.

It began early (7:15am) and like everyone that made it that morning, I too was a little tired and not quite there. I'm not a good speaker, more so someone that doesn't know how to shut up and just go off in to tangents. So I feel bad for everyone that was there for the first 15 minutes. It was a little blah, but it got better once we made it past the Economy. Everyone really enjoyed the handout and once we got to the pieces about Taxes then everyone began to chime in.

It was surprising how many people were Freelancers, it was at least half the group. There were designers that had just been laid off, about to be or were afraid that it was coming soon.

Once we got into Taxes there were a lot of angles to discuss This was probably the biggest talking point because it's the most unknown to designers. We've all heard various ways to do it, but nobody is 100% sure. For me and some of the other designers a tax accountant seems to be the most helpful. It seems to be the most worry free approach and gives you the most options. Once that started it became; how much a state and federal percentage, how do you write other stuff off; how do you use an tax accountant; and on and on. You see most of us have had a full time job so our regular job has always balanced out the Freelance. But with so many designers suddenly stepping into this new arena it's kinda overwhelming. You don't want to screw with the IRS.

Well the meeting went for and and a half. Everyone seemed to like it and I was just happy to get out of the spotlight. Surprisingly a lot of people stayed afterwards and I didn't get back to work until 11am.

It was fun and I'm very happy I did it. It's all because of the AIGA board members Rachel Martin and Nikki Mueller. So a big thanks to both of you for letting me speak and I'm looking forward to listening to Rachel speak at the next Buzz titled, "Design for a Greener Future". Knowing Rachel it's bound to be good.

Imaginary Forces

Brian Mah from California's Imaginary Forces spoke last Thursday at an AIGA Event and it was a truly inspiring presentation.

Imaginary Forces is a Hollywood based company that does everything from film titles to broadcast. You might not know them by name, but you've seen their work. Be it the opening credits to Mad Men, the latest Pepsi commercials, USA Network title cards or even the Transformers they do everything.

So last Thursday one of the leading design directors came to visit our humble city with the help of Mode and spoke a little about some of the projects he's worked directly on and what some of the challenges were in the process.

He spoke about six different clients, but I got the most out of two particular ones, namely the USA Networks title cards and Time Warner commercials. They are both visual eye candy, but what I found interesting was that he approached both from a design angle.

Brian explained that USA Networks wanted to rebrand themselves and do away with the old and focus more on the idea that we are all one. So Brian and his team did a series of mockup promos in various exciting editing processes. They saw them and there answer was, make it simpler. So the team went back and tried again. Again they asked for it to be simpler. This went on for quite some time until they tried to treat the screen as a simple colored canvass. When this happened they fell in love with it. Take a look at the this link on the site to see what I mean, watch the type.

I appreciated this story because sometimes it's difficult to understand where the client is coming from. They want you to do something original, but at the same time do it that matches their vision. When this happens we sometimes go through seven to ten revisions and feel like the client is pulling our leg. But Brian and his team took deep breaths and worked hard to be patient with the client. It obviously paid off.

The next client, Time Warner, was a client that had a concept, but no idea how it could be done. IF is known for their brilliant 3D work so they figured IF could do it. Again Brian and his team went and did some comps to which the client loved. So the next step was to film it. They had to do three commercials, but each one at roughly fifty different pieces of moving footage. And a number of them had to be shot. So in the space of three days that shot nonstop in the studio. Again the client loved it. You can check it out one there website here, just click "play movie".

What I loved about this story was that Brian didn't have a ton of directing experience. But he knew exactly what he was looking for and with the right planning they figured it all out. We've all been in those circumstances where we have no idea how to do what needs to be done. But we do it and either come on top, or drown and walk away in disgrace. The end conclusion is always the same, plan it out, plan it out and plan it out.

A couple days later I was lucky enough to be able to email Brian and ask him if 3D was the future of design. The reason being that we are constantly trying to create 3D spaces in our 2D design. It seems like at some point technology will be at a point where we'll be able to do that without the help of Maya, After Effects and Cinema 4D. At some point it will be just another tool on Photoshop or Illustrator.

His answer back to me was a surprising one:

My personal view on the situation is that, despite it's recent popularity, it is just another look in the endless palette of visual languages. If you take the recent Pepsi campaigns, for instance, they intentionally pushed their material to be flat and graphic. It seems to me that this decision was made to stand out in the crowd of 3D rendered imagery. I think this will continue to be the way it works...as looks become popular, it seems to make a "trend" emerge, then someone pushes away from the trend to stand out, then a new "trend" begins etc.

Well I wish you could have been there. It was the type of AIGA meeting you want the most, a speaker that was both humble and inspiring, a great turn out and something to remember. Thanks to AIGA and Mode for making it happen and check more of IF's stuff out on the website, imaginaryforces.com.

AIGA Charlotte: Debbie Millman, A Struggling Designer

What can you add to Debbie Millman that others haven't already said? She's the quintessential designer, full of passion, energy and wit. Type in her name and you'll immediately find her website, blog plus numerous articles and write ups about her. She's everywhere and anywhere. So what can I say that hasn't been said before?

Let me reflect on the meeting for a moment. AIGA Charlotte invited Debbie back to Charlotte to discuss her latest book, How To Think Like A Great Graphic Designer. It's a series of conversations between Debbie and other famous designers that explore how they became who they are and what got them to this point. So last Thursday Debbie spoke her in Charlotte and she began to explain why she made the book. The genesis all came down to an interview some years ago where the journalist asked her what it feels like to be an overnight success. This really ticked her off since she had been doing the same thing for the last 25 years! She went on to explain all of her trials and tribulations of being a designer and how AIGA has been both friend and foe at different times in her life. Through it all it was the relationship she had between her fellow designers that got her though the tough times.

Now after listening to her speak I felt as though I had a connection to her. At the time I didn't know what it was. But after reflecting on it for awhile now I think I understand. The best way I can describe the core of what she spoke about was this. To love something so much and have to struggle each and every day to do it. The struggle she talked about comes from all sorts of different places. For some it's the clients; for others it's the budget or the lack of enthusiasm; maybe the inexperience; the lack of confidence; the misguided focus; the lack of communicating; and perhaps the feeling of being disregarded by our peers. All of these things can be overcome by having a dream and sticking to it. But a long the way we struggle to achieve it because of our own insecurities.

In Debbie's career she's reached a point and a volume of work that others can't deny and so she finally has what she wanted. But I've been doing this for 10 years now, 15 years less than Debbie Millman. I've some awards, though I've never been published and my peers think I'm a somewhat decent designer. But that's not good enough. I want to do inspiring work just like Debbie. Maybe I have to do this for 15 more years and go through a ton more crap before I get there. Perhaps I have to work with creatives like Debbie who will teach me how to live and breath creative better? Perhaps I'll never get there or maybe I will. That feeling of the unknown scares the crap out of me. And perhaps that's why Debbie and others like Stephan Sagmeister are talking to us all to provide a little inspiration to make it all worth it.

Or perhaps, just perhaps it's the struggle that makes the designer?

I wish I could find an example of what she talked about but it's not online. So the next best thing I could find is a video the AIGA just released. It's only hosted through their website so check it out here. It's a little something to get inspired.

MODE's Top 10 Methods

I'm a little late with this entry since I saw them over a week ago. But the presentation made by John and Tyler, two of the principles at Mode was so good it's worth mentioning, although a little late.

The definition of Mode is: how something is done or how it happens.

It's a very fitting name for them since that appears to be there company motto, to figure out how it's done and to apply it to others. Mode is an interactive firm ran by a group of designers and developers. As quoted from their website "…with the purpose of creating conversations between clients and their audience." The guys moved down from Boston about 3 or 4 years ago to start a fresh and decided that Charlotte was the ideal city for them and they have been growing ever since.

So the Charlotte AIGA does a series on "TOP 10 Trends and Tips" and recognized that they would be perfect for this. Which brings us back to the night I mentioned earlier where they gave us a presentation on Interactive Media Tips and Trends. This is what the AIGA had to say by it.

There has been a shift in thinking and approach in the design and technology fields to a more holistic viewpoint of the way users interact with brands through visual, mobile, and social media. Learn techniques, trends and business approaches of the interactive movement from the partners of Charlotte-based branding and interactive studio Mode Through their own backgrounds, Mode partners John Pietrafesa (Creative Director) and Tyler Hawes (Interactive Director) personify the integration, trials and triumphs of design and technology, as they steer both their team and clients toward the goal of brand interactivity.

I wish I could remember all of what they said because it was a lot. But they were kind enough to send us all the presentation (click here) which basically used cool websites to anchor each topic. I chose 10 of my favorite examples below to give you an idea.

1. Intro: youtube.com
2. Don't forget the design Basics: jasonsantamaria.com
3. Grid Structures: shopcomposition.com
4. Interactive is more than a website


5. Interfaces Are Evolving: microsoft.com/surface/
6. Engage All Senses: demo.fb.se/e/ikea
7. User Organised/Personalized:
msnbcmedia.msn.com
8. It's Not Static: dopplr.com
9. Interacting With Your Enviroment:
youtube.com
10. It's all about Human Interaction: youtube.com

If you've had a chance to visit all of these wonderful links you'll see 3 very basic messages using incredibly cool examples.

1. Designers and creatives need to work more cohesively to create online tools that are smart and eye catching.
2. This medium is constantly evolving and getting better because these same designers and developers are working better and better together.
3. Because of them anything is becoming possible and they create the trends.

Overall it was a very entertaining evening and I can't thank Mode and all at the Charlotte AIGA people enough for putting up such a splendid night for us all. Personally I hope to learn more about Mode in the future.

HOW Conference: Resource Center

During the HOW conference there's an expo called the Resource Center which has tons of booths. The booths range from paper companies to stock photography. There must be a hundred booths and all of them have shwag to give you.

When the doors opened the the expo there was a sea of people that flooded the room. It was absolutely insane! I now know now what it's like to be a penguin stuck in a mass of other penguins and only being able to take tiny steps.

If you take a look to the left you'll see some of the stuff I got. I got everything, everything! And I'll only be able to bring back a third of it because I have to fit it in my bag. I met some fellow Cola people, Kristin and Courtney who works for Blue Cross Blue Shield was able to get everything for us. She was like a shark to blood, it was halarious! The shwag is mostly crap, like tshirts and hats with a couple exceptions. One company gave away a bobble head, others gave away yo-yos!

Outside of networking with designers I have to say that I liked meeting the companies. Typically it's through phone or the internet. Now I have a face to the name and you can tell a lot about the company by the type of people they have working for them. I have to call some of them out. I met Heather who works for Domtar and I actually worked with her a long time ago. I saw Talmidge who works for French paper who has the best designed paper samples in the business. I met the guys who handle all the work for iStock that's based in Alberta Canada. I talked with a company (can't remember the name right now, arggg) that makes a plugin for InDesign that stores print templates and uploads all the correct score and trim lines so you can design it correctly. One thing about designers is that we aren't to good at math! There are a ton more companies and relationships I've made since I've been here. And it won't be till I've gone though that mound of shwag above that I'll be able to comprehend how good this conference has been good to me.

I know Staphan Sagmeister now

Last Monday I had the great privilege to to listen to Stephan Sagmeister speak at a Charlotte AIGA event. I walked away feeling inspired and the feeling that everything and anything is possible again. I wrote about him in a previous blog, here. Some of his work isn't for everyone; some of it makes no sense and some hits it right on the nail. Either way he is a brilliant man and I wish he had been my teacher.

He just came out with a new book called, "Things I have learned in my life so far". It's very much an autobiography of his work and how he came to it. It all started with a publication in Japan which gave him complete freedom to do whatever he wants on seven pages. Now I don't know about you but if that were me I'd just freeze up, what do you do? We concept, develop and create by limitations. Limitations help us think, helps us work because without them we don't know what to do. I distrust that statement, because there have been times in my life when I've been told that I have no limitations and by the end of it there were plenty. So it was interesting to hear that Stephan felt the same way. He told us how all his life he's writing in a journal and one day he was scanning though it and found a maxim that he wrote, "Everything I do comes back to me". A very profound statement. He decided to self indulgently use this maxim in the seven pages. Each word had a page and the content and form did not match. I wish I could show you because they were all very bizarre. But it had the right effect and people loved it. No changes, no approvals, it was right and the magazine published it. Since then the maxim has been done numerous times.

After this other organizations asked Stephan to do the same thing for them and slowly over the last eight years his maxims are everywhere around the world. I wish I could show you some examples but they aren't online, you'd have to purchase the book. By the end of it he asked each one of us to think of something they have learned and to put it up on his website, thingsihavelearnedinmylife.com. So I spent all last week and the one maxim that I think is true is my fathers maxim, "keep it simple". I'm going to submit it to his website and I'll post it when I'e completed it.

The one thing I took from listening to him is that I need to step away from my desk more and not listen to my own rules on how I can design. There are ideas everywhere and sometimes you can't force them to happen, they have to grow and I'll have to grow to find them.