David Airey

Category: Self-employment

  • Business goals and my “painted picture”

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    David Airey
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    This is my “painted picture” — the shape of my business in 2014 (three years from now). The idea is that by putting it into words, my picture has a stronger chance of coming true. What I do I do what I do because I have a passion for design. In particular, brand identity design.…

  • You don’t need a designer

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    David Airey
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    “I need a logo. I know exactly what I want. I just need a designer to make it happen.” On the contrary, you don’t need a designer. You are the designer. You need someone who knows how to use computer software. Save yourself money by finding that person instead.

  • Quality vs quantity

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    David Airey
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    I’d make a lot more money if I accepted every project on the table. But there’d be consequences. Pantone leaves by Chris Glass Each project would get less of my attention. The quality of my work would suffer. Clients would be less satisfied. I wouldn’t get as many future offers. So it’d be a short-term…

  • Showing sketches to clients

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    David Airey
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    “Can I see sketches?” Design clients might ask, expecting to see a greater variety of ideas before choosing one. Fair enough? Well, no. Sketches from Nancy Wu’s Offsetters identity If, like me, you’ll sketch anything that comes to mind, from the most obvious to the most abstract, it’s only after sketching when we can separate…

  • Self-employment advice for designers

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    David Airey
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    Looking back after five years in self-employment, here’s the advice I’d give my younger self. Wood type photo credit 1. Look at the big picture Creating a modern business plan will help you think through the hard issues. 2. Tell your friends and family about your self-employment You never know what contacts they might have,…

  • How I became a self-employed designer

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    David Airey
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    I’m often asked how I made the switch to self-employment. Here’s a snapshot of that time in my life in 2004/05. In 2002 I started working for Myeloma UK, an Edinburgh-based cancer charity. I was responsible for print design, buying, and web management. For quite a while I’d been thinking of travelling the world to…

  • How pro bono design improves your portfolio

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    David Airey
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    You’re a design student with a portfolio full of fictitious projects. You want to work with clients to build your experience, but you need to develop your portfolio to get those jobs. That’s when pro bono design can be a massive help. Pro bono publico (usually shortened to pro bono) is a Latin phrase that…