Posts tagged Graphic Design

Freelancers: What are your best work hours?

Jan 13th

Freelancers, designers, wahms, tell me… What are your best work hours?

For the past week, I have been really focused on working on my network of blogs and on generating quality content. This means that a single blog post can take anything from 4-6 hours to do from start to finish.

Sometimes I work on them for longer, days even, designing some related custom graphics etc and generally tweaking and retweaking the layout until I’m happy with it.

In the past I have always found that getting up early, like around 4am has worked really well for me.

I get up, put the old fluffy slippers on and shuffle through to my home office and put in a solid 2-3 hours before my kids or husband even wake up.

This week however, I’ve just been too tired to get up in the morning, looking like I seriously need the best eye cream that the world has to offer, but of course the work still needs to be done.

My youngest son is back at school after the holiday break, but my older son is still here, and taking up a lot of my day time hours. I love being able to spend time with them, but as every freelancer or wahm will tell you, that it is a constant distraction. No matter how many times I take some time out with him, I’ll get back to work having set him up with a fun task to do, and bam, he’s right back at me clanking, shooting, spinning in the chair next to mine and just generally making noise directly around me and making it nearly impossible for to concentrate on a single word.

So I’ve been staying up late nights instead.

I’m finding it even easier than getting up early lately. Maybe because of the increased caffeine in my diet? I don’t know, but I’m getting to bed around 23h45 and last night was just after midnight. I feel better if I push myself to do this, because then I can just tumble into bed afterwards, it’s not like then I have to get out of my pj’s and rush headlong into my day.

As for fun activities, today I set my son up with MS Paint, on my husbands old PC laptop.

I was *astounded* at what he came up with. I showed him a couple of the tools and how to ‘fill’ and then left him to it so that I could get back to work.

After about 20 minutes of blessed, peaceful silence, I heard the words, “Look here Mommy!” and I turned from my iMac to see what he’d made.

How old do you think he is?

He-is-just-four-years-old.

Did you see the smoke coming out of the chimney and everything?

Four.

I think I’m going to be out of job in a few months at this rate.

Kids, they amaze you all the time.

So back to my original question…what hours of the day do *you* work at your optimum capacity?

Possibly Related Posts:

Freelancing, Graphic Design, Ideal Work Environment, MS Paint, Working Hours

Resources for Graphic Designers: Graphic River

Jan 11th

Posted by MacNessa in Cool Gadgets

No comments

Graphic River is one of the Envato marketplaces.

A unique group of websites that cater to the graphic designer, and creative techies in general. There is something for every level of designer, and even digital scrapbookers.

Each piece offered for sale is vetted before it’s allowed into the marketplace to ensure that it meets with appropriate standards, and that there are not too many of the same type of item. I can literally spend hours looking at stuff, being inspired by some of the amazing work, and planning my purchases for the next month. They have a great way of cataloging the work, so that when you find a designer whose style you like, you can view all of their work and add your favourites to a bookmarks folder for viewing later.

Aside from the graphic river section there are other marketplaces (all linked by one user name and password) offering audio files, flash files, code snippets, video files, web themes and more and the payment method is via Paypal or by depositing ahead of time using Paypal, or credit card.

Whichever way you swing it, it’s a great place if you are a creative person, and looking for inspiration or bits and pieces for a project.

Possibly Related Posts:

Audio Files, Flash Files, Graphic Design, Graphics, Icons, Premium Wordpress themes, Stock Flash, Stock Vectors, Video Files, Web Themes, Wordpress Themes

Free Blogger Background Fun

Jan 1st

Posted by MacNessa in Graphic Design

No comments

Most designers will know, that the urge to create is mostly overwhelming. A bit like ones desire to say, breathe, or maybe eat. But not necessarily in that order! So this morning, I find myself just having a go at making a blogger background.

I think I may have spent exactly 2.6 seconds making this one, so really, it’s not my best work, or even near the standard that I would create for someone who commissioned a special background, but it’s all fun and games, and hey, it’s the 1st of January so I’m really just amusing myself, whilst writing down my goals and plans for this year.

There it is for those of you who are interested, by all means go and grab the larger size for your backgrounds if you want it. Consider it my New Years Day Freebie! If you do use it, please link to this post, or tweet it or something, not too much to ask for something free eh?

So I find myself at home on New Years Day, and naturally, when home, will be at the iMac. But this is a time of year when many find themselves on family holidays, especially in the Southern Hemisphere where we are enjoying really great Summer weather. In fact, I would go so far as to say that so many people are on the roads right now either going to their destination, or returning home, that it is probably a good idea for them to have a decent motorhome warranty or they may find themselves in a pickle if they have a prang!

Lastly, speaking of motorhomes and caravans, I’m going to the Top Gear show at the Grand West Arena later this month, and can’t wait to see Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond in real life. Going to be awesome! Especially if they blow something up!

Possibly Related Posts:

Graphic Design

How To Establish Rates for Graphic Design

Sep 24th

Posted by MacNessa in Freelancing

No comments

Standard Rates For Graphic Design
By Marcus Peterson

Graphic designing is a profession where the raw material is creativity and the output is art. Calculating the work done in terms of money most of the times becomes an arguable issue. The fiscal calculations of a project depend on many aspects, though rough but different standards are established for various types of graphic designing.

Web site designing costs can be broken down to depending on the type of site, wherein sites are classified as low end, mid range and high-end sites.

A low site offers a 2-4 pages content and uses existing graphical themes or sock graphics are purchased. The designing package does not provide any animation page or any database interaction feature. The standard rates of such low-end site range approximately from $500 – $2000. On the other hand a mid range website costs approximately $2000 – $ 5000.

The website includes 5-7 pages of content out of which some is developed. In addition, the designer provides with 2-4 original graphics and a standard layout with some customization. Animation includes JavaScript mouse over changes but data interactions are not provided.

A high-end website involves a high cost and the standards range from $5000 – $10,000. A designer provides 12 or more pages of content, or even contents that are pragmatically/dynamically generated. The design has a unique layout and extensive graphics with navigation schemes. The animation is often done in JavaScript, Animated GIFs, Dynamic HTML, and Flash. In addition, designers also provide with SQL or Flat File database interaction.

The services of most graphic designers can also be calculated in hours. For instance the standard rates for basic graphic design are approximately $ 80 per hour, for custom graphic design $160 per hour, for 3-D graphic design $250 per hour, and for prepress correction and graphic adjustments $ 80 per hour.
Such types of calculation have greatly simplified the rate and cost problems of designing projects, as the designer is getting paid rationally if a certain project requires more time. Similarly, a client can give work in contracts that are based on hours.

Graphic Design provides detailed information on Graphic Design, Graphic Design Schools, Graphic Design Jobs, Graphic Design Companies and more. Graphic Design is affiliated with Graphic Artist Salaries.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcus_Peterson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Standard-Rates-For-Graphic-Design&id=429015

Technorati Tags: graphic design

Possibly Related Posts:

Graphic Design, Graphic Design Companies, Graphic Design Jobs, Graphic Design Schools

Freelancing: Here is a Really Helpful Site

Sep 10th

Posted by MacNessa in Freelancing

No comments

Every now and then I come across a truly helpful site, and this one feels like I just hit the motherload!

As a freelancer myself, I’m constantly on the lookout for ways to improve my workflow, increase my clientbase, market myself more effectively etc.

Every post is just loaded with information on various types of software from billing to project tracking to time management, to linking me up with other sites that are helpful to freelancers.

It is well worth checking out, if you have time – because you will be there all day going through the archives finding all sorts of buried treasure!

Please note that this is NOT a paid review.

Possibly Related Posts:

Billing, Freelancing, Graphic Design, Invoicing, Project Management, Time Management

Free Blog Button: Autumn up North

Sep 2nd

Posted by MacNessa in Blog Buttons

No comments

Because I couldn’t ignore the top half of the planet, in all my smug Springiness from yesterday.

Because it’s about 13 deg Celcius outside and I’m not feeling very Springish today.

Because Design is a totally obsessive pastime that I could not and do not wish to stop doing under any circumstances.

I give you, the Northern Hemisphere Autumn Free Blog Button! You can grab the code here, or find it later on my freestuff/blog buttons section by using the navigation bar across the top of the page. Enjoy!

Possibly Related Posts:

Blog Buttons, Blog Graphics, Graphic Design

Graphic Design is Everywhere

Aug 19th

Posted by MacNessa in Advertising Design

No comments

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Graphic Design really does touch SO many parts of our lives!

I stand in a store, the post office, the mall, the airport, literally anywhere, and I am bombarded by a gazillion examples of good (and bad) graphic design.

Everything from giant lightboxes, to signs on ABS board, to cardboard displays, to just about anything that bombards the eye with colour and type. Am I the only one who gets excited by this?

This world of design, and graphic design in particular never fails to thrill me with it’s diversity, and reach. Awesome!

Possibly Related Posts:

Cardboard Displays, Graphic Design

Look to The Masters For Inspiration

Aug 2nd

Posted by MacNessa in Advertising Design

No comments

One of my favourite websites at the moment, is Smashing Magazine. They are part techie, part designer, and just about everything they talk about I find absolutely fascinating, and very inspirational.

Today they did a post about the Bauhaus school of thought.

It took me RIGHT back to high school art class when I first studied the movement.

I felt the rush of excitement and pure pleasure at seeing some of the designs in front of me again. The image is clickable if you’d like to go and read it for yourself. They also talk about Kandinsky, Klee and a few other painters you may be familiar with if you’re an arto like myself.

It was a great reminder to me to always look to the masters when needing inspiration, refreshment and motivation. One should always seek advice and guidance from ‘those in the know’.

If you want to buy a new car, consult an expert, watch Top Gear, read a motoring magazine. If you want to lose weight, see a doctor, read a fat burner review or take a pill.

Consult those in the know.

It’s a good lesson.

Possibly Related Posts: