#39 Portfolio Strategy for Creatives

You may wonder what to include in your online portfolio. Those can be hard decisions.

Your web portfolio is the second best sales tool after client referrals. But even referrals need a place to go to check about you and your work. So I put together this small site full of tips

You can visit my tips for portfolio websites here >

#38 Color differences between screen and print

I've solved the wild color differences between screen and print by teaching the client that reflective color (print) and emissive colors (screen) are never going to appear the same. If they do, it's an accident or illusion.

Pantone swatches are supposed to show the "Real McCoy" but even ink mixing can be botched. Drying time, paper choice, lighting conditions, etc all affect the perception of printed color. For screens, it can have to do with make, model, angle, age, calibration, etc. No two consumer-grade monitors render color the same. No two printers render the same --especially when specifying in Pantone colors.

Clients also need to "see" how RGB, CMYK, and Pantone color space (gamut) overlap but are not the same.

Comparing color space RGB, CMYK, Pantone

Telling them this stuff is called "stress inoculation." Reducing surprises. They need to know it's a crap shoot.

WIKI: reference

The biggest problem is client expectation. They have to realize, at some point, tweaking the colors isn't going to make that much difference to someone (the audience) who has never seen the piece before. Nor in the desired results. They have nothing to compare to. The client becomes biased because they've seen the work under different conditions than the final. And "Approved" it!

Color, of course, is important for selling fashion goods and food. Green flesh tones are alien. No one wants to buy green or purple bread.

You can train clients. It takes time and energy. Build that instruction time into your price. I used to do all of my client proofs with printed output. Eventually, I got clients trained to use PDF proofs and to TRUST my judgment. I only use paper now for invoices. :)

Credibility is trustworthiness, expertise, and enthusiasm. That's what they buy when they hire you.

#37 How to handle pro bono (free) work?

My rule is choosing one pro bono project per year. But I treat them like a "real" client with the same priority as if I was getting paid. I try and do the best for them I can. I usually include "teaching and coaching." And yes, a contract or agreement is necessary to establish good boundaries.

I do not put design credits on my work. Advertising is not my motive. I simply want to do something good for someone. Who's the most deserving is a personal choice. If the work is creative, aesthetic, and succeeds at accomplishing goals, word gets around.

So far these have been some of the most difficult people to work with. You really have to spend time educating them about why design is important and how it can affect people. They frequently expect rush work as if they were overpaying you (or creative ideas just fall out of your head on-demand.) So it requires some fortitude. In some circumstance, I had to quit. They were becoming too parasitic or demanding. That's why I think one project a year is plenty ulcer for most designers.

We've been given gifts and need to "payback" something to the world. Pro bono is always needed. The best, of course, is when a pro bono client says, "You're the expert. You do it your way." Nice.

But generally, pro bono work requires some suffering. It's a sacrifice of love for people and for design.

#36 Pantone color guide

You can spend a lot of money on Pantone color printing guides.

I really recommend buying old used ones on ebay. You don't need the latest and greatest. Nor do you need all of their products to be a designer.

As far as the "aging" goes, unless it has been left laying in the sun for years open (very rare), the colors will be fine.

Coke and Pepsi have shelf-life expiration dates on them, too. But they are not required by law for their products because they have an infinite shelf-life. They only put the dates on to encourage turnover. and it works great for them.

That's the same for Pantone. Old fans and swatch books are fine.

Do not worry about that "replace by" date. It's a ploy.

#35 Doing favors for people vs. Never making any money.

I only have so many nerves left. And a designer friend hit one: design abuse.

Remember, 50% of people who approach me for work are not qualified clients. My designer friend was showing infinitely more tolerance than I would for a request to surrender all of the work she had done for a client.

What they're asking for is a "free style guide." I produce those for money. Even if I already did the work and it's all packaged up and ready, I'll hand it over for $900. That is my price. It's my "creative mind" they're buying, not just graphic components. It stings just enough that they'll value the information and respect it.

A qualified lead has 1) the right timing, 2) the budget, 3) the right application, and 4) works within your specified limits and skills. That doesn't mean you can't do favors for people. But you may be wondering at the end of the year why you didn't make any money,

You have to say, "No." Not all of the time --but 50% of the time. Price tags are the best way to control those who would abuse us. And we're prone to being abused. Many designer are introverts who work for extroverts. We can easily become doormats or hostages trying to please people. And sadly some people can never be pleased. We never should have taken them on in the first place. I screen all my clientèle with two quick personality tests. They actually feel like they have qualified to become my client. They are special. They have become part of the project team. They realize I won't tolerate certain behaviors. We have an understanding and they realize I can walk away if they aren't pleasant people.

From what my designer friend described, she *likes* this client to a degree and want to stay loyal to them. But they must not think much of her. Because it's plain, they're using her and taking advantage. They are NOT even willing to trade something for her services.

I've had some experiences where people want me to design something and they say they have no money. So I say, "What do you have to trade?" They usually are speechless. So I make some recommendations, "I see you have an iPod. My kid would like to have an iPod. Will you trade for that?"

Oddly, some people will not give up anything even if it's junk. Suddenly, that old lawn mower or junker car or clunky computer has more value than what work they want from me for free. And that is the problem. They *want* it but don't really *need* it. Otherwise, we'd find a fair trade. I've traded a lot.

So yes, I tell people to hit the road if they can't pay the price or trade. I know that sounds rude or brutal but we, as one-person studios, cannot save the entire world from themselves.

Half of my prospective client are not qualified leads. I do not accept everyone as a client. In fact, I make them take a couple of fun tests to see if they are a good match.

Any client that thinks they know more about design than me is in the wrong 50%. If they do know that much, why are they hiring me and then bossing me around? I tell them to find a designer up to their "high standards."

I have the right to refuse service to anyone who's unpleasant.

#34 Theming with Color Psychology

Here is information on the reverse thematic process, let's assume you'll use Photoshop and do your Pantone conversions there to save time:

1. Run the image through an online image-to-palette converter.

2. Convert the colors to Pantone.

3. Choose a theme using the reverse lookup tool. In this case, I chose Serene. Normally, with so many "blues," we'd just say it's a cool theme and leave it at that. But we can do better even though three colors landed in the "cool" theme. We can shake it up a bit.

4. We then look up the two "Serene" colors --indicated in red-- and find their textbook companions.

5. Then we test the color hierarchy with the image. Notice the two new colors in each layout are not inherent in the photo --nor are they simple harmonics or color math. They were chosen by a color expert (not me) and made into a database (by me). They are "psychological" combinations. In other words, based on feelings and memories.

I can now tell Mister Blueberry vendor that for his "Brand Manual" the official theme is "Serene." There are many more color combinations that will work to create a serene theme --and still work with blueberries. I have only demonstrated two.

#33 Terms and Conditions

I wrote my own single-page design agreement (Terms and Conditions). I send it as a PDF email attachment. The scope of the project is usually defined in the email. Below is the "web design" version. All my "contracts" are fixed-bid with time limited expiration. I've never had a legal dispute. I mainly supply this to the client so they understand the rules of the design game.

I keep it simple. Too much legalese tends to intimidate the client. If you have a deadbeat client, there really is little recourse. The contract serves to get them on the same page as you. I don't call it a contract. I call it an "AGREEMENT". Less scary. I have had various versions of this agreement.

Click to enlarge.