I’ve been producing a lot of work this year, and I came to the realization that I needed a more rapid turnaround on updating my portfolio. Cargo Collective is used by a great number of incredible artists, so I decided to bite the bullet and try it out. I was thoroughly impressed by their functionality, and have just finished replacing my entire portfolio with a new one built upon Cargo.

The new design is my customized version of their SpaceCollective theme. The organization may not be original, but it’s dead simple to update, and even simpler to browse. No doubt you’ve seen it before (James White’s Signal Noise Gallery).

From now on, my personal and professional portfolio will reside at: http://cargocollective.com/fringefocus. Exciting! Because Cargo is sexy is hell.

As designers (and developers) we always have the option of building our own system.
Custom code, or a WordPress theme, we sometimes create a more complicated solution. But if your professional life depends on speed and reliability it’s totally justifiable to move towards a third-party system. This new portfolio means the difference between “Eh, I’ll post it next week” and “Hey, I’ll post it now.”

For those of you with difficult websites or dated portfolios: Try out Cargo Collective, Squarespace, or any other third-party if you feel like you need a change. You could even go further and live entirely off of Flickr, Dribbble, Forrst, etc. to show your work. We no longer have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to showing off our work, there are plenty of new outlets that get the job done. If you still dig doing your own thing, stick to it, it’s all good!

Fringe Focus will remain as my blog & portal for everything, but my permanent gallery has moved to Cargo, that is all.

I hope you dig the new work, let me know what you think in the comments!

Earlier this year, I ran an exciting and successful Kickstarter project. It was tons of fun, and it resulted in printing a ton of my designs and shipping them all over the world. Thanks to everyone who pitched in!

Now, I have extra prints of various designs, and I’ve made them all for sale in case you’re interested / missed the Kickstarter / want more posters.

ALL prints are limited edition, so once these designs sell out, they won’t be available ever again. This is because it’s more fun for me to design new artworks, and nobody wants a print that’s one of a million copies. Most of the designs consist of 30 prints, Although some are 70, 80, or 100. ‘Eight Balls’ is almost entirely sold out, but there’s a decent stack of the other prints.

Now that the store is up, I can spend more time on new designs. I have a ton of ideas, and I’ll tackle them whenever I start to get some free hours. Could be a while, but the good news is I have enough ideas to last a lifetime / kill me. :/

Here’s a link to the Fringe Focus Poster Store.

Thoughts? Comments? Hit me up in the comments! Or follow me on Twitter: @FringeFocus

We’re Project Gluttons

As creatives, we’re always hungry for new ideas, new challenges, and new opportunities. Whether you’re a full-time designer at an agency, an established creative director, or a freelance web developer, your ears perk up when there’s an opportunity to make something new. Not unlike wild beasts, designers learn from their hungry times to pounce on new opportunities when they arrive. But like any glutton, gorging ourselves on delicious ‘new project’ meat can often cause more harm than good.

Time constraints, budgets, creative burnout, and other responsibilities are often reasons for not pursuing new work. Usually, however, new opportunities approach us. Whether it’s a phone call, an e-mail, or a meeting, sometimes you have to tell a potential client: “No.” Even a moderately successful business or freelancer will have to turn down many more projects than they accept, there are only so many hours in a day.

Saying No is Hard

That said, we’re in a service business so “No” just doesn’t cut it. Most people that approach me are really friendly, cool people just looking for design help, so it can be a huge pain to say: “Sorry, you’ll have to look elsewhere.”

Even worse are situations where current clients ask for work that you simply can’t do. It could be outside of the current project’s scope, it could be rushed timing, it could be ethically questionable, or just something you hate doing (MySpace designs, anyone?). Since you already have a good relationship with your client, it can be very difficult to jeopardize that relationship by saying “No” to something they really want you to do.

Saying Yes Might Kill You

Abundant opportunities, and our disposition towards rejecting them, usually lead to insane hours and headaches. As a freelancer, I once took on so much work that I was routinely working 16 hour days, and this eventually led to my first migraine. I went blind a little, for real. Turns out barely sleeping – and programming all the time – is what doctors call ‘stress’.

When approached with a new project (however awesome), think about the emotional, physical, or mental stress it may cause. If it’s more harm than good, then a solid “No” is in order. But how do we do that?

Tips to Help You Not Do Stuff

1. Be Honest. This is true for most things in life, but especially in cases where you need to list plausible excuses. Don’t get caught up in lying about why you can’t do something – it’s much easier to remember the truth – and any good potential client will respect you for that.  Is the budget too low? Explain why. Is it creatively uninteresting? Say that you’re focusing on specific project types like album covers, posters, and logos. Say you’re not looking to add [insert boring spreadsheet project here] to your portfolio at this time.

2. Be Nice. If you have to say no, and you have to be brutally honest, then at least be nice and comforting about the ordeal. Some people may be super excited about their project, and don’t want to feel that you believe it’s not interesting. It may actually be a totally awesome idea, so let them know that! A few compliments go a long way in taking the edge off of a rejection (unless that rejection comes after proposing to your girlfriend).

3. Be Firm. You’ve been honest, you’ve been nice, but sometimes that doesn’t seal the deal. It may lead to a compromise proposal: “Well how about we throw in $100 more?” or “What if we promise to put a link to your website on our corporate bumper sticker?” If that fixes it, then you’ve got yourself a new project! Usually though, it just means you have reinforce what you said earlier. Often this is stage where a no can cave into a yes, but if a project isn’t the right fit – or would hurt you financially – you have to be firm. Some examples to throw in: “As I discussed earlier, I simply don’t have enough time available to work on any additional projects this week/month/season.” or “I’m truly sorry, but again, I’m only actively working on 80′s hair band album covers at this time.”

4. Be Smart. Think about your decision long before you give your answer. If you’re flaky, you’ll tend to err on the side of “Yes”. If you think taking the project might severely hurt your current clients’ timelines, or might cost you thousands of dollars, or might cause you temporary blindness, weigh that against the benefits of actually doing the project. I have never ever regretted saying no to an opportunity, but I have definitely regretted saying yes. There’s always more fish in the sea, but there’s nothing worse than a big annoying fish that makes you design PowerPoint presentations. If you’ve put a lot of thought into your decision, you will be more likely to stay sane and firm in your rejection.

5. Pass the Buck. In very sticky situations, being honest, nice, firm, and smart still won’t help you. The potential project could be from a very close friend or family member, it could be from co-worker down the hall, or it could be for a good cause that would make you feel bad for not doing it (unfortunately you may feel even worse if you did do it). If you work at small company like me, you can always blame your partner, boss, etc. Note that I think this is somewhat disingenuous, and should be used as a last resort. Freelancers, you can often cite deadlines imposed by other clients as legitimate reason that seems out of your control. Again I don’t think this is a great option, but if circumstances are out of your control, then that would be a good thing to remind your brother/girlfriend/dog-sitter/client of.

6. Be Selfish. In an effort for these tips to get progressively less professional and nice, I’ll leave you with selfishness. No matter if you’re an illustrator, a typographer, or a developer, you’re probably in your profession because you love it. If you have a passion for your work, and a potential project just isn’t lighting that fire, then say no. You’re talented, but that doesn’t mean you owe everyone favors. If you don’t want to do something, then don’t. Even one bad project can cause loads of stress that can ruin creativity across the board. I know that personally, I need to be in a pretty good mood to come up with great ideas. If a project will hurt your heart, your mind, or your wallet, you’re always justified in (politely) saying no.

Can’t tell if you should be saying no or yes to a project? Be sure to read my 8 Ways To Get Shitty Clients article.

Remember, be nice, be honest, but it’s important to stick to your guns.

Or check these articles out for additional advice:

Just Say No to Clients – Think Vitamin

Learning To Say “No” Nicely — How to Keep From Burning Bridges – Freelance Folder

How To Say No To Spec Work Requests – Grace Smith

Why the NO SPEC Movement Isn’t Working. And, Why That’s so Awesome! – Greyscale Gorilla

Hiring a designer: a client’s perspective – David Airey

Have any ‘No’ stories you’d like to share? Drop your tips / thoughts / comments below!

If you know me personally, or follow me on twitter, you may have noticed that I’ve been working on a big personal project recently. This project is actually much more than just a website, I’ve actually shifted entirely away from freelancing and now own my own design company. I co-own the venture with my incredibly talented design partner, Lisa Bun.

Plans for starting this studio began in 2009, or possibly in 2008 when Lisa and I worked together at a small web design firm. It wasn’t until early 2010, after having both freelancers for quite some time (and going a tad insane after being home alone 24/7), that our discussions reached a fever pitch and we decided to just roll with it. Lisa is super smart and independent, and I’m not comfortable unless I radically change my entire life every 12 months or so.

Our official name is Collision Labs, Inc. and we’ve technically been operational since March of this year. We’ve even had few great projects already come through our door, all before launching our website. As we all know, personal projects can suck every ounce of time and energy that you have for what seems like forever. Fortunately, forever is over:

You can visit Collision at www.CollisionLabs.com

Collision is a full service design studio, or more accurately: an awesome world where I’ll get to continue my graphic design, web design, photography, and motion work… except in a kickass office. An office where I recently drew a T-Rex DJ:

I’ll keep writing articles on Fringe Focus about freelancing, but it’s really interesting to learn the ins and outs of owning a real business.  I’ll give you a hint, it’s boring! Well, the paperwork is boring, the work is fun as hell.

By the way, if you’re in Chicago, come pay us a visit.  We have a killer office with brick walls and such.

Let me know what you think in the comments!

Kill It With Fire.

You already know what I’m going to say. You’re thinking about that work you did two years ago, that project you just had to throw up onto your portfolio. You might have thought “This isn’t the best website/logo/poster/thing I’ve ever done, but it’s alright.  Besides, I need more work to show clients.” Or maybe your first thought was “This is awesome, everyone will want to see this.” Except a few months or years later, you can point out a dozen things you could have done better. Maybe the shadows are too dark, maybe the textures are weak, maybe your attention to typographic details was lacking; for whatever reason, this just isn’t your best piece of work.

I want you take that work and place it carefully into your arms. Embrace it tenderly. Take it out back, and whisper “I’ve never loved anybody but you.” Then shoot it in the back of the head. Burn the evidence. If anybody ever asks you about that work again, just say “What work? I never made anything like that” or move to Canada as a fugitive.

Portfolios & Donuts. A Dozen is Enough.

You wouldn’t walk into Krispy Kreme and ask for 29 different donuts. Your clients won’t visit your website and look at 29 different projects.  12 is often enough.

The amount of work any freelancer or company should display is also dependent on your field. A motion graphics artist might get away with five or six pieces, due to both the length of time it takes to produce them, and having the luxury of compressing work into a 30 second to 2 minute demo reel. A print designer, however, could get away with 15 or 16 pieces, if some were smaller projects like business cards or flyers. Ideally, small pieces of larger projects should be combined. If you designed business cards, letterhead, and condom wrappers for a client; show them all in one shot or page. Ultimately, 12 projects should suffice.

Why?

Let’s say you had 29 projects.  A potential employer or client might spend time taking an honest look at five or six of them before either deciding to contact you or moving onto another designer’s portfolio.  What if that person were to look at your WORST five or six projects? Sure they’re probably not terrible, but you want to increase the likelihood that they’ll view your best projects.  So cut it down.

Killing the One.

Most of your portfolios are likely already a good size.  If you have a broad range of services, you may need 12-15.  If you’re a specialist you could show 6-8. The subject of this post is about finding the single, worst piece of work you currently have online (or on paper), and killing it in cold blood.

You most likely already know which piece I’m talking about.  If not, look at your portfolio right now. One of those pieces is lacking behind the others. It could be old work that doesn’t reflect your current skill level, or new work that just doesn’t feel right, or was rushed.

Delete it.

If you have an easily updatable website (WordPress, Squarespace, Cargo Collective, anything with a CMS) this should be easy. And if you built something more complicated from scratch, don’t worry about building a whole new portfolio right now.  Just spend time today deleting the images, the page, and every link or reference to it.  Never speak of it again.

Remember!

Just because you deleted a page, doesn’t mean the internet has forgotten.  There may be blogs, websites, or tweets linking to your project! If you remove a linked page, be sure to set up a 301 redirect for it. If you don’t know what that is, it essentially is a bit of code you place on your site that automatically redirects users on missing pages to a proper one.  So if they click a link to the old project they’d be redirected to your homepage (or portfolio page, etc.)

You could also simply delete links or reference to the project, but LEAVE the actual page intact. No new visitors would see it, but old links wouldn’t be broken.  But it would be like being haunted by the ghost of your dead project.

Enjoy the Funeral.

Delete the project (or rip that page out of your printed portfolio), and feel better knowing that the rest of your portfolio has just improved. Finally freed of the scourge that was a kind of shitty project, your new portfolio will soar to grand new heights of… whatever, thanks for reading. Have fun killing.

Tell us what you killed! Leave a comment!

You’re sitting there, in a remarkably comfortable office chair that you wish was your own. You’re thinking about how many business cards you’ll need to hand out, and whether or not any of them were accidentally bent in your wallet. You’ve brought your laptop, but have no idea if it was necessary to bring it along. Suddenly, two guys dressed a lot more casually than you are enter the room. You’re told: “So you’re a designer, tell me about yourself.”

Job interviews are always a challenge, and they’re made even worse in the current economy, where dozens of applicants are interviewing for the same position. Designers may have an even harder time, with thousands of new design graduates each year and only a handful of positions.

Not every aspiring designer will land a job. In fact, many will give up and move onto other career paths. Fortunately for you, you’re reading my blog, so here’s some tips to help you land that killer job. These apply to job-seekers, interns, and freelancers alike.

1. Don’t be nervous, nerd.

Maybe it’s your first interview, or maybe it’s your twentieth: either way the process can be pretty stressful. You never know if you’ll be speaking to one person or five, if you’ll need to answer questions about your work, or your favorite font; you may even be asked to draw something on the spot. The bottom line is that there’s a lot to think about, which leads to a lot of anxiety.  Here’s the good news: having given a few interviews, I can tell you this: We care a lot less about this interview than you do. If it’s before 12, we’re thinking about lunch… if it’s after 12, we’re thinking about what we already ate for lunch. Job interviews are probably the most relaxing part of the day for your interviewer.

Employers are used to lackluster interviews; they’re used to sitting through a lineup of mediocre talent, and they’re  waiting for someone interesting to come along.  So be interesting! Express your opinions, project your voice, make jokes, make it an interesting conversation. The fact that you’re in the room at all means they liked your portfolio, you just need to show you’re smart and capable. So be yourself, pretend you’re talking to your friends. Handle yourself the way you would if you were working there on a day-to-day basis, because that’s what they need to see. If you have fun with it, and you work is good, you may have just landed yourself a job.

2. Have a website

This should be obvious, and the fact that you’re even getting an interview means somebody probably went through your website already. But perhaps you don’t have a website and you simply wrote a good cover letter, or you were a referral from a friend, or they saw a specific piece of yours out in the wild.

I know this is more of a tip to help you get an interview than it is to help once you’re there, but I’ve been to plenty of interviews where they’ll throw your website up on a projector or laptop. If you’ve put together a great collection of your work online, and they ask to see it in the interview, then you’ve scored a solid 10 minutes where you have a lot of great things to talk about. Let’s face it, we’re all very visual people,  so the more time you can spend talking about yourself with a visual aid, the better.

A lot of these ideas apply to print portfolios as well, but honestly, most people would rather browse your website than flip through a booklet.

If you’re not a web designer, don’t worry. All you need is a clean collection of your work online. Use a WordPress theme, or try Squarespace. There are also  quite popular and easy to use portfolio services such as Krop, Cargo Collective, or Indexhibit.

3. Tell stories

Simply answering questions in rapid succession is a good way to make your interview go fast, but it’s not a good way to get hired. Opening up and telling a story is a good way to avoid awkward silences, and it can usually help you loosen up.

Obviously you shouldn’t just go on about anything; try to think of an interesting story with a past client or project. Maybe it was a  past mistake of yours—maybe something really funny happened to one of your websites—just think of something that can keep people interested for a few minutes.  And while you have their attention (this is important part), make sure you include plenty of details that show your mastery of your craft.  If you’re a UI designer, tell a story about how you solved some crazy e-commerce checkout problem. If you’re print designer, talk about how you fixed a bunch of files with a ridiculous deadline because the client’s printer was a huge problem.

Telling a story allows you to be interesting and intelligent at the same time, which is always a good thing. Plus, a good story can reveal things about you or your work than your interviewer may have never known otherwise.  Remember, those who are hiring you are often not expert recruiters—they’re just trying to get a handle on who you are. They might not always ask the best or most pertinent questions. It’s up to you to make sure they hear everything they need to hear, and stories are a great way guide that conversation. Just don’t talk too long.

4. Care about the company

We already know you enjoy Facebook stalking your friends—here’s where that pays off. Google your potential employer, look through everything in their portfolio, read about their clients, and definitely read their ‘About Us’ section.  Reading about the history of the company can give you a good understanding of their values—and more importantly, the kind of people they’d like to work with.

Ultimately the purpose of an interview is about determining whether or not you’re a good fit. Stalk everyone’s LinkedIn profiles, check out the company’s Yelp rating (if it actually has one), be as creepy as you need to be. Just make sure you don’t walk in only knowing the company’s name. The more you know about what they do, the more you’re able to tailor your conversation to what they’re looking for.

The unfortunate drawback to this step is that after Googling your potential employer for a while, you might find that you do not want to actually work in that environment. This could result in you cancelling your interview, but I would highly suggest going to speak with them anyway.  You never know if a company’s website is a gross misrepresentation of who they are.

(That’s me. You should get those glasses.)

5. Dress like a designer

If you wear a suit, you’re going to feel awfully out of place. You can wear a tie, but only if it’s a really sweet tie that you actually enjoy wearing. If you feel out of your element, this can affect your demeanor, and lead to an awkward interview. Ladies, this means don’t dress like Hillary Clinton… not that I’ve ever seen anyone come in dressed in a pant suit anyway.

Ultimately, it’s all about honesty. Dress like you normally would, talk about real projects, and care about the company if you genuinely like them.  If you’re a talented and cool person, you’ll go far in this industry.

Have any other tips for interviews, or thoughts on the design industry? Leave a comment!

1. Use Craigslist

2. Show Old Work

3. Lower Your Rates

4. Offer Discounts

5. Be Shy

6. Do Spec Work

7. Work for Family

Doing work for family members is an easy first step into working with shitty clients. The close relationship or love you may have for your family member allow you to easily get taken advantage of both creatively and financially. You often know each other’s addresses (or may even live in the same house), so details like proposals or contracts aren’t even necessary!  Be careful not to work for a successful entrepreneur in the family (they may end up being a good client).  Ideally you should only work on projects involving their recent idea to launch an ‘e-book’, or something with ‘candle making’.

8. Say Yes to Everything

Last but not least, always say ‘Yes’. Every client, every budget, every revision. Being confident enough to say ‘Yes’ to a bad proposal is a good first step, but don’t stop there!  When confronted with low budgets and endless revisions, always say ‘Yes’ to keep your shitty client happy. This will ensure you an endless network of shitty clients that you can work with in the future!

If for some reason you prefer ‘Good Clients’, check out these links…

Freelance Folder - Ten Characteristics of a Good Client

Clients From Hell - Clients From Hell

Freelance Switch - 12 Breeds of Client and How to Work with Them

Greyscale Gorilla - Seven Rules for Building Online Portfolios

Just Creative Design - Why logo design does not cost $5.00

What do you think?  Leave a comment!