Unlike other dry business books, this refreshing, straightforward guide from Logo Design Love author and international designer David Airey answers the questions all designers have when first starting out on their own. In fact, the book was inspired by the many questions David receives every day from the more than 600,000 designers who visit his three blogs (Logo Design Love, Identity Designed, and DavidAirey.com) each month. How do I find new clients? How much should I charge for my design work? When should I say no to a client? How do I handle difficult clients? What should I be sure to include in my contracts? Davids readersa passionate and vocal groupregularly ask him these questions and many more on how to launch and run their own design careers. With this book, David finally answers their pressing questions with anecdotes, case studies, and sound advice garnered from his own experience as well as those of such well-known designers as Ivan Chermayeff, Jerry Kuyper, Maggie Macnab, Eric Karjaluoto, and Von Glitschka. Designers just starting out on their own will find this book invaluable in succeeding in todays hyper-networked, global economy.
Chapter One: Design as a Career What makes a good designer? On selling (the importance of sales) Ongoing education What design schools lack Self-teaching (never-ending) Finding your niche (we don't need another generalist) Working as an independent designer Sub-contractor Freelancer Working as an employee (team dynamics, limitations) Working as an employer (less design, more managing) Chapter Two: Starting-out Experience required (more helps, but its possible with little) Planning (creating a modern business plan) Home office vs rented workspace Choosing your brand name Designing your brand identity Launching your online presence Marketing tips and finding new clients Ethics in design Chapter Three: Pricing When to say no (be selective) Talk about money early The importance of clarifying expectations Knowing what to charge Handling payment Avoiding project creep How and when to raise your rates (and why it benefits your clients) On discounting (not for new clients, but for old clients) Alternatives Pro bono Collaboration and outsourcing Chapter Four: Communicating with your Clients You're the designer (the client isn't) Discover the problem (don't assume there is one) Highlight the importance of strategy Beware requests for spec Avoid the big reveal by involving the client throughout Design by committee is unavoidable The importance of showing your design in context Common presentation mistakes Chapter Five: Legalities Terms and conditions Why working without a contract costs thousands (Clemente case study) What to include in your contract Intellectual property Chapter Six: Before I Go Be proud of your skills Useful business tips Useful books
Accessing your eBook through Kortext
Once purchased, you can view your eBook through the Kortext app, available to download for Windows, Android and iOS devices. Once you have downloaded the app, your eBook will be available on your Kortext digital bookshelf and can even be downloaded to view offline anytime, anywhere, helping you learn without limits.
In addition, you'll have access to Kortext's smart study tools including highlighting, notetaking, copy and paste, and easy reference export.
To download the Kortext app, head to your device's app store or visit https://app.kortext.com to sign up and read through your browser.
NB: eBook is only available for a single-user licence (i.e. not for multiple / networked users).
