How to get and stay inspired
Whenever I start a new project, my first step is to review my idea collection. I’m constantly scouring the web for inspirational textures, photos, layouts, and coding techniques and saving ideas I find for different needs – these hits of inspiration help form color and layout choices and push me to think differently. If you […]
Why being the nice guy pays off
If you've ever run any type of online business, you've probably encountered a tech issue of one sort or another. Servers have glitches, plugins don't co-operate, maybe you forgot to renew your domain and everything's down. At some point you're going to have to contact tech support (whether you're the designer, the client or the […]
My biggest business mistakes…
Over the years I’ve learned a thing or two or twenty (and some lessons I had to learn multiple times!) Here are a few lessons I hope you can take to heart and avoid my costly mistakes. 1. Buying products on behalf of the client A huge error I discovered a while ago — I […]
Everyone’s a critic…How to deal with haters + criticism
Here's the real deal that no one wants to talk about. You aren't imagining it. Everyone is judging you and the work you put out there. And yeah, they're looking at your source code too. And wondering why you didn't make that site responsive. Or why you used that photo. Or why you didn't make […]
What makes a pro?
Recently a reader asked what I considered a professional designer. It isn't how much you make or how flawless you think your code is – it's your actions and behavior that make you a pro. What makes a pro in my eyes? You respect your clients, your peers AND your competition You work with a […]
Digging into your toolbox
I'm pretty lucky that my dad is a smart guy – (and a technical wizard to boot) The first thing he does in any new house is setup his extensive tool bench. He's got electronic & mechanical parts that are older than I am — but that means he's able to fix pretty much anything. […]
Set yourself up for success
When I first started my business, I lived in a studio apartment in DC. I naively thought running my own business meant I could do anything anytime I wanted. Distractions abounded. I could see everything that needed to be done around the house. I had always worked for someone else – and someone else's timetable […]
Providing value behind the pretty
I’ve been designing software and websites since the late ’90s. And while trends and technologies have changed over the years, one thing holds true. The value you provide your client. This week I did a video site review for a consulting client – besides the glaring technical issues with the site, there was no clarity […]
What can you really charge?
I know it can get really frustrating when you look at portfolios and you see other designers charging higher rates than you for similar work. But here’s the key point – what ends up on the screen isn’t the only way to judge the value of their services. A pro designer carefully considers the solutions […]
The mistake I see over and over
I’m constantly looking at sites for inspiration – and if I like a site, I’ll often check out the designer who created the site. Recently I liked a cool coding trick and was looking at the designer’s site. Curious, I started reading their blog and recognized immediately a common mistake I see newer designers (and […]
The art of the sale
How do you convert people who say they love your work into paying clients? My #1 tool for converting prospects into sales? TALKING to them on the phone! So often we hide behind our computer and email back and forth. Humans crave connection – they want to know you’re a real person. Sometimes it takes […]
Choosing the right tools
Last week I got a great question from one of my readers – how I came to choose Genesis as my WordPress framework of choice. I've been working with WordPress for almost 7 years. To expedite my workflow, I developed my own system for coding my work. I've been working with HTML since the late […]
When in doubt
I don’t know when as a culture we became so averse to talking on the phone. I get it – we work odd hours, prefer to communicate via email and use our inbox as a to-do list (we all do it, it’s ok ๐ The easiest (and quickest) way to resolve an issue is to […]
The importance of creating relationships
I’ve talked before about creating long-lasting relationships with your clients – but this week I want to focus on the importance of creating relationships with fellow designers, developers and other creatives. For the longest time, I didn’t reach out to the design community – I initially perceived them as competition rather than a source of […]
The one thing you must do
As designers, we’re usually the last ones on our priority list. We’re typically so busy that we neglect our own sites. I know it takes time and you have a million ideas, but at the end of the day, your site is your calling card. Until recently, my own site was a shoddy representation of […]
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