Comments on: The Biggest Challenges Facing Independent Designers (I) http://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/ with all things, and in all things, we are relatives Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:08:39 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Vejen til freelance succes : Framelab http://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-2332 Vejen til freelance succes : Framelab Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:25:27 +0000 https://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-2332 [...] The Biggest Challenges Facing Independent Designers [...] [...] The Biggest Challenges Facing Independent Designers [...]

]]> By: Stephanie F. http://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-2316 Stephanie F. Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:37:37 +0000 https://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-2316 This is what ALL designers should know before they start as freelancer. This is what ALL designers should know before they start as freelancer.

]]> By: RanMan http://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-20 RanMan Fri, 18 Aug 2006 16:50:36 +0000 https://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-20 Great article. I can relate to every last word. Great article. I can relate to every last word.

]]> By: Designers who Blog: Design, Illustration, Photography, Web, Advertising, Branding … http://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-18 Designers who Blog: Design, Illustration, Photography, Web, Advertising, Branding … Wed, 16 Aug 2006 15:36:03 +0000 https://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-18 [...] The Biggest Challenges Facing Independent Designers (I) By Sean [...] [...] The Biggest Challenges Facing Independent Designers (I) By Sean [...]

]]> By: Geoff http://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-12 Geoff Wed, 02 Aug 2006 10:16:32 +0000 https://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-12 Excellent post. I'm a part-time freelance and I can feel the work/life split getting tiner and tiner. It's good to be reminded of it from time to time. Excellent post.
I’m a part-time freelance and I can feel the work/life split getting tiner and tiner.
It’s good to be reminded of it from time to time.

]]> By: Sean http://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-9 Sean Tue, 25 Jul 2006 13:31:19 +0000 https://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-9 I didn't realize there was such a huge on-line cult based around <i>Getting Things Done</i>. If you're into GTD, you'll find the following sites reeeeeeel interesting... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_things_done http://www.43folders.com/ http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=08614 I didn’t realize there was such a huge on-line cult based around Getting Things Done. If you’re into GTD, you’ll find the following sites reeeeeeel interesting…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_things_done

http://www.43folders.com/

http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=08614

]]> By: Cedric Hohnstadt http://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-7 Cedric Hohnstadt Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:03:23 +0000 https://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-7 This was a great article! As a freelance illustrator I could totally relate. I plugged it on my blog, cedricstudio.blogspot.com This was a great article! As a freelance illustrator I could totally relate. I plugged it on my blog, cedricstudio.blogspot.com

]]> By: aside blog : logo design | corporate identity | photography by naina   » challenges as an Independent Designer http://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-5 aside blog : logo design | corporate identity | photography by naina   » challenges as an Independent Designer Sun, 16 Jul 2006 16:55:44 +0000 https://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-5 [...] Sean, over at Position:Relative has written a very practical and readable article about the challenges faced by independent designers. [...] [...] Sean, over at Position:Relative has written a very practical and readable article about the challenges faced by independent designers. [...]

]]> By: Criss Ittermann http://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-4 Criss Ittermann Sat, 15 Jul 2006 21:45:32 +0000 https://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-4 Good points, all. My situation: My kid's on child health plus (a step above medicare), I rely on my knowledge of herbalism for my own healthcare. There's absolutely NO way to afford rent, bills and healthcare. Not happening. Not even if I feed the family ramen noodles. I work out of the house. I can't WAIT to afford an office, but for now it has to work. Again, no choice. As soon as possible, the spare money may go into afterschool for my son, because he's the most disruptive thing about me working from home. As for "overspecializing" I definitely agree -- to a point. I'm not the world's greatest anything. My selling point is that I'm the world's greatest everything ;) I learn, I teach, I advise, and I do. I don't procrastinate, but I don't hesitate to overquote how long something will take so that I have the leeway for emergencies or juggling an extra project or four. Most often, though, I'm fast, efficient, finished ahead of schedule, and while I'm not the best woman for any one job, in any case where a client really really wants only one person to handle *insert 5-10 things here* I'm definitely the right woman -- and if I can't do something, or haven't done it YET -- I say so. Period. Some people like that. Even if I ended up outsourcing, not that I have yet but I certainly wouldn't mind, everything passes through my hands and my breadth of knowledge means I know when I am looking at something of quality. I have HTML designers who come to me for back-end coding, but my knowledge of web design means I know how to keep my code out of the web designer's hair. Even if I'm a jane of all trades, master of none, it puts me in a terrific position for team management. I can cover for many positions on the team, give suggestions, show people a new trick or three, and learn something from them. It also means I'm not in the dark on any aspect of a project, bowing to my subcontractor's superior knowledge and being blind to errors. I'll know if a coder is slacking on documenting their code, for example; if I can't read it, they'd better clean it up. It's not for everyone, but concentrating on one thing is not for me. Good points, all.

My situation: My kid’s on child health plus (a step above medicare), I rely on my knowledge of herbalism for my own healthcare. There’s absolutely NO way to afford rent, bills and healthcare. Not happening. Not even if I feed the family ramen noodles.

I work out of the house. I can’t WAIT to afford an office, but for now it has to work. Again, no choice. As soon as possible, the spare money may go into afterschool for my son, because he’s the most disruptive thing about me working from home.

As for “overspecializing” I definitely agree — to a point. I’m not the world’s greatest anything. My selling point is that I’m the world’s greatest everything ;) I learn, I teach, I advise, and I do. I don’t procrastinate, but I don’t hesitate to overquote how long something will take so that I have the leeway for emergencies or juggling an extra project or four. Most often, though, I’m fast, efficient, finished ahead of schedule, and while I’m not the best woman for any one job, in any case where a client really really wants only one person to handle *insert 5-10 things here* I’m definitely the right woman — and if I can’t do something, or haven’t done it YET — I say so. Period.

Some people like that. Even if I ended up outsourcing, not that I have yet but I certainly wouldn’t mind, everything passes through my hands and my breadth of knowledge means I know when I am looking at something of quality. I have HTML designers who come to me for back-end coding, but my knowledge of web design means I know how to keep my code out of the web designer’s hair.

Even if I’m a jane of all trades, master of none, it puts me in a terrific position for team management. I can cover for many positions on the team, give suggestions, show people a new trick or three, and learn something from them. It also means I’m not in the dark on any aspect of a project, bowing to my subcontractor’s superior knowledge and being blind to errors. I’ll know if a coder is slacking on documenting their code, for example; if I can’t read it, they’d better clean it up.

It’s not for everyone, but concentrating on one thing is not for me.

]]> By: Sean http://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-3 Sean Sat, 15 Jul 2006 12:20:49 +0000 https://positionrelative.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/the-biggest-challenges-facing-independent-designers/#comment-3 Thanks Von! GHI HMO too, they suck like an Electrolux. Thanks Von! GHI HMO too, they suck like an Electrolux.

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