Category: Self-employment
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Being an independent designer
It was in 2004 when I first gave serious thought to self-employment. I was part of a team in a small cancer charity, and one day after work I picked up a hefty ankle injury playing football. Unable to walk for a couple of weeks meant some time away from the office, but it was…
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27inch iMac vs 32inch BenQ BL3201PT
Taiwanese electronics firm BenQ kindly sent me this a couple of weeks ago — a 32inch ultra high definition monitor (their BL3201PT). A bit of a coincidence as I know my 27inch iMac (2010), despite still being excellent, won’t last forever, and for portability I’d thought of a switch to a MacBook/monitor setup. So for…
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Outgoings in design self-employment
It’s good practice to keep track of your monthly outgoings to help determine the minimum amount you need to charge to make a profit. Here’s where most of my business funds are spent. There are the standard utilities — mortgage, electricity, heating, phone and broadband. If working from home, you can reclaim a percentage of…
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Thoughts on design crowdsourcing
My answers from a brief interview about design crowdsourcing for the Design Bureau Magazine. Do you believe that crowdsourcing (spec work) can ever be good? For example, what if it was used to benefit a noble cause for the common good? Donating time and ideas on a pro bono basis is commendable. I recommend it.…
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Reflections on design self-employment
If you’re thinking of quitting your salaried job to start your own design business, here are a few designers who’ve reflected on their time in self-employment. Photo via Slim 69 Guy Moorhouse of Futurefabric shared 10 lessons learnt after one year in business. Nathan Barry reflected on his first year after quitting his job as…
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When pro bono design pays off
Working pro bono is an excellent way for inexperienced designers to build their portfolios, and for experienced designers to do great work for causes they love. Javier Mateos of Mexico-based design studio Xplaye helped both himself and others with a successful pro bono effort. Two years ago, Xplaye started a series of tribute exhibitions that…
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On finding design work in a new country
Romanian graphic designer Iancu Barb?ras? shares the story of his 2010 move from Bucharest to London, and how he found design work in his new home.
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Studio Culture at the Design Museum
If you make what you want to make, that’s what people will pay you to make.
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You don’t have to be as good as everyone else
Renowned writer and creator Neil Gaiman explains how to get new business. Freelancers attract new business “…because their work is good, and because they’re easy to get along with, and because they deliver the work on time. And you don’t even need all three. Two out of three is fine. “People will tolerate how unpleasant…
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Too many ideas
One of my first projects in self-employment was to create a logo for a South African web hosting company called Circle. In my eagerness to please, and when my initial ideas weren’t accepted, I suggested that I publish a blog post showing all my sketches, inviting readers to share their thoughts. I was at a…