The Young Designer’s Guide

As long as you stay within your limits and turn out a great job for everyone. Every job is a chance to make you a better artist and give the client what they need… And maybe what they weren’t even expecting.

There are countless amazing organizations out there that could use your help. And hey, it’s not like you couldn’t use the portfolio piece, right? Pro-bono work is one of the most rewarding things you can do with your design talent and spare time.

Before jumping in to donating your time and services, there are some things you need to consider: Do you have the time? Do you have the patience? Why do you want to do this work? What will you gain from the experience? Are you even a designer?

Aside from helping out non-profits, low-budget organizations and even your friends, there are plenty of reasons to take on the occasional pro-bono job:

Furthering and Supporting a Cause that You Believe in:
This is by far my NUMERO UNO reason for taking on pro-bono work. Nothing shows your support for an organization more than the donation of your time and services. It is a way for you to take part in and give to the community, make a difference and have a positive effect on the client company.

The Creative Control:
Usually when you take on a pro-bono job, many places will give you more creative control than you might get with a paying client. Or an art director.

The Experience:
The jobs that you do will be resume and portfolio-ready. They will also fall under ‘real world’ experience. They are work for real companies, not the made-up ones in your college portfolio. Finally, they will give you valuable “Client Contact” experience that most designers don’t get in a professional or agency setting, where there is usually a middle-man (or eight) involved. One of the best things you can do for yourself as a designer is to learn how the client thinks and perceives things. It will make you stronger and more efficient. This in turn will make your work better.

The Notoriety! The Job Referrals!
No publicity is bad publicity, unless you deliver an inferior product. Most companies will praise your work to others, and you’ve got your name on something that is more than likely going public. Furthermore, if someone is pleased with your product, they are going to refer you to their friends and contemporaries. This is never a bad thing.

Of Course, the Charitable Write-Off:
(Never the only reason to do this work) All work that you do can be claimed as ‘charitable’ or a ‘donation of goods and services’. Talk to your accountant about the finer points and details. There are limits for everything.

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There are some things to keep in mind when it comes to pro-bono and the donation of your time/work. Your time may be free, but your sanity never is. It’s very easy to get stuck in a never-ending process of making changes and adjustments to the job. Because of this, it is very important to make sure that both you and the client treat this as a paying, time-based project. Mutual respect is key in all relationships.

The Contract:
Outlining the details of the job, client/donors role and expectations, and a loose time line are all things that should be discussed and agreed upon before beginning a new job. I would never suggest to anyone that they begin a job without a signed contract; for your protection as much as your clients. The rate of pay should always be included, and a basic summary of charges, if any as well. The contract can also outline fair usage, updates and future work if you so choose, as long as it is something that the client agrees upon.

The Creative Brief and Schedule:
Creative briefs are highly important. Make sure that you have all of the necessary information before beginning, and also make sure to set a deadline or limit for the job. It will help keep the minor changes to a minimum. Always follow everything up with a summary email that both you and the client can keep for your records.

The Budget:
Some non profits and charitable organizations have a budget. You should always get this question out of the way first, so you know what you are working with, and within what limits. Take their budget into account when planning printed items, because paper and printing may not be free.

Billing and the Recording of Hours:
Even if you are doing the work for free, you still need to record your hours. This is for three reasons:
First, it will need to be recorded along with your usual rate of billing for when you file taxes (if you plan to write off the work as a charitable donation). Not to mention, it is always prudent to record all of your work for every job, charitable or paid.

Second, it will help your client to gauge how much time you are spending on all aspects of the project, and how much this WOULD cost if they were paying your professional rate

Third, the final ‘time bill’ will serve as a record for the organizations’ tax claims as well. Most organizations have to claim all donations, whether they are time-based or donations of goods/services.

Updates/Progress Reports:
Communication is also a huge part of every relationship. Whatever you are doing in relation to the project, let the client know. Even if you just shoot them an email to tell them that you weren’t able to get to the work one day, you are keeping the lines open. Everyone appreciates being kept in the know. Be nice. And don’t, under any circumstances, ever avoid your client, for any reason!! Nothing is more unprofessional (aside from yelling at them, also not recommended).

Presentation:
No matter what, always keep your finished work neat and presentable. We are talking about being professional, here! Keep your explanations short and to the point, and allow time to get the clients views. Take notes. They are helpful later.

The End:
After the work has been completed, it is a great practice to send a thank you note and continue to keep in touch with the client. If your contract covers updates to the work, stick to an agreed-upon time frame or on an as-needed basis. I put my former clients on a mailing list, to send updates and holiday cards to. It will keep you fresh in their minds, should you want to do more work for them in the future.

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Many designers don’t have the time or the inclination to do pro-bono work. If it is something that you are thinking about doing, the best way to start is to seek out organizations that you may have some kind of personal interest in. Wherever you start, make sure you finish on a high note with great work. Plenty of rewarding opportunities are out there and within your reach. All you have to do is take them.

Please keep in mind that every person you meet will have a “horror story” about that crazy, ridiculous, unmanageable client. Do not be discouraged by the stories, or the fear of failure. Overall, most clients are grateful and appreciative of the work you are doing for them. Good luck!

A new client can be a tricky thing. You never know going in what it will be like. Kind of like dating. They could be your dream client, loving every design idea you create and trusting your abilities. On the flip side, you’ll run into clients who will haggle over cost.  If you give them an inch they will take a mile, or worse yet they think they can design and you end up feeling like technical support. The best thing you can do is prepare yourself and stay within the scope of your project.

Here are some tips on preventing freelance nightmares:

Revisions—I’ve learned the best way to quote time is include a block of time for revisions. Not rounds or phases. That is too ambiguous. Some client may want a lot of little changes or overhaul of the design. Quoting a set time and stating in the contract that a certain amount of time is alloted for revisions gives them an idea of what they have to work with. To protect yourself from endless revisions, add in a clause stating “If time needed to complete the projects exceeds more than 10% the quoted time the client must grant written approval before any work is done.” If you are upfront about it then clients usually understand.

Scope— It’s VERY important to fully outline the deliverables in the contract. That way if they start adding in little things, for example an extra web page. You can reply, “Sure, that’s no problem. I’ll email a work order for the additional work.” Make sure to always get it in writing even if it’s an email approval you save in your records.

Deposits— Always get at least a 50% deposit before you even touch your keyboard. There are bad people out there who may try to take advantage. This way you’ve gotten part of your compensation. May you never have to go to court. (Most often it’s not even worth it.)

Rights— My philosophy is if you are paid to create custom grahics for someone it is theirs to own. Just make sure to include a clause that stats you have right to use the work for promotional use. Your credit is included on the piece and if it is a print piece at least 5 copies of it for your portfolio. If it is a website I recommend including a software licensing clause that they own the site, they can modify it as they wish, move it, but can not sell your programming for profit. You build a template, they can’t turn it around and start selling your template. Mention that you have the rights to reuse the code in your future projects. It makes no sense to remake the code from scratch.

So They Think They Can Design— One way to steer clear of directions such as, “Make this blue, that bigger, and add a border” is by telling them “Let me know how you feel about the design. Is it too dark or not professional enough and I will work on it.” Sometimes you can nip it in the bud, but certain clients happen to be control freaks by nature. Then you may have to end the relationship. I always tell clients that it’s better to let me explore the possibilities and we may end up with something better than you could even imagine.

You just graduated, and now you have college loans to pay back and no job lined up. What are you to do?

Freelance.

All design professionals freelance, whether you hold a job with a major corporation or not. It is one of the “perks” of being a designer. My current profession is not in the art design world, but I still freelance. I will do a logo design here and there when I need extra cash. It is better than moonlighting!

If your in the same boat as me you have a job in another field and design is a “side” thing. If so, there is probably not much need to advertise. Word of mouth and referrals from past jobs will suffice.

But, if you want to be a professional freelancer, you are going to have to advertise. Sorry kids, but there is no way around it. Otherwise, how will anyone besides your grandmother and your best friend know you are a designer? It is kind of like trying to sell your car, you make the effort to put a “For Sale” sign in the window, but you park it in your garage. Even though you intend to sell your car, people still won’t know it is for sale. You are going to have to get the car out of the garage in order for it to sell.

“But Corrie, I’m just out of college and I have no money!”. That is an excuse! You do not need money to advertise. You have to start at the bottom to get to the top. Here are some free (and almost free) advertising solutions.

Note: Keep in mind I do not consider business cards a “marketing” expense. They are the cost of doing business. Everyone in business has to have them, so suck it up and design some and print them out on your computer or have them printed professionally, I promise it is not something you will not regret.

• Craigslist.org: Cost = Free
  

If you are in a metropolitan area, craigslist.org is one of the best bets for you. Craigslist is an online classifieds website where people can post events, things they are selling, and SERVICES. You will be posting under Services.

First off it’s FREE! Second, it is a great opportunity for you to show off your HTML skills because it is a website. Worst case scenario, you waste 10 minutes of your time putting up a posting and you do not get a job that week. But trust me, if you do it again the following week and you do land a job, it will be time well spent.

• Networking Cost = Almost free, maybe a drink or two

Never has there been a better excuse to go out for a drink at your local bar. The first few times you go out don not mention to people your a designer, just be social. People are more likely to purchase from people they are familiar with and more importantly like. Your second or third time speaking with someone, be sure to mention you are a designer and perhaps even give them a few business cards. They may not be in the market for a designer, but a few weeks down the road a friend of theirs might be. They will remember that really cool, friendly dude/chick who is a designer they met at Sparky’s Bar and be sure to refer them to you.

• Cold Calling Cost = Free

Cold calling is a sales term for approaching random people you do not know and pitching them on a product. You can do this in person or on the phone, I recommend the former.

So dress up professionally one day with business cards and portfolio in hand and pound the street. Hit every business in your town. Walk in, be confident, ask to speak to the owner/decision maker, and introduce yourself and your services. You are selling yourself as a designer!

Make sure you have a plan before doing this. Examples may include pitching a local real estate agency on a “rebranding design package” where you redo their collateral and logo for a set fee. Restaurants pitches may include a new menu design. Target the package you are offering for each specific business owner.

If the owner is not in need of your services at that moment, be sure to leave them a business card (a business card CD is even better, but I’ll get to that in another post) and DO NOT FORGET to ask them for a few business owners/friends that they think might benefit from your services. It is better ask and possibly of get 2 jobs for one than to not do so where the best case scenario is to get one.

Cold calling may not provide instant freelance jobs, but it is yet another opportunity to network and become known for what you do in your community. I guarantee you your hard work will pay off eventually, resulting in a phone call for a job you never expected.

• Post Flyers Cost = Almost free. Just the cost of copies at Kinko’s

Design a really slick looking 8×10 flyer that you feel represents yourself and your style, and that advertises the services you offer and your starting prices (I always recommend starting prices. If you tell them to call and ask for a quote, people may not call for fear your services will not fit into their budget. By listing a price you give them an idea of your price points and if they can afford you). I would advise purposely designing it to be black and white to save you money on your printing. Be sure to design it with tear off tabs at the bottom with your contact information.

Don’t post these on public property! Every town/city has different laws regarding public advertisement so it is better to avoid trouble to begin with. Instead, post it on bulletin boards at local grocery stores, or even ask local businesses if you can leave them with a stack to place by the door for customers to take. Worst case scenario? Someone will say no and you move onto the next business. Eventually someone who needs a designer is bound to see one of your flyers and give you call. The more your name is out there, the more chances there are of people seeing it.

• Referrals Cost = Almost Free

Referrals are the bread and butter of most businesses. Happy customers recommend other customers to you. When you are starting out, it may be advisable to start a referal program. Pay your past customers for jobs they send your way! You do not have to pay them a lot, $25 - $50 should suffice.

When you make $500 on a logo design job that was refered to you, spending $50 on the refferal and netting $450 instead is not a huge deal. Especially considering you did absolutely no work to get that customer on your own.

Other referal ideas include discounts on additional jobs. For example, if you are doing a collateral design for a business, tell them if they refer any additional business to you that you will take 20% off a brochure design (or any other service you think would be “appealing” to them). It will make it worth their time, while costing you very little dough.

In Conclusion:
There are many free and inexpensive ways to get your name out there as a freelance designer in your marketplace. All it takes is a little leg work and creativity. Creativity is why you went to school for design… is it not?

Author: Corrie LoGiudice