More Related Content Similar to Design and the Art of Freelancing - AWDG April 2009 (7) Design and the Art of Freelancing - AWDG April 20091. Design and the Art
of Freelancing
Atlanta, March 2009
Dan Rubin
Sidebar Creative
2. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Hi!
Me, according to nGen works @ http://happywebbies.com/
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
3. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Web
Standards
Creativity
by Dan Rubin
(and 9 other
guys)
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
4. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Pro CSS
Techniques
by Jeff Croft
Ian Lloyd
Dan Rubin
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
5. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
The weather in
Fort Lauderdale
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
6. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
The weather in
Atlanta
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
7. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Q:
What is design?
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
8. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
A:
Design is
problem
solving.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
9. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Non-virtual
Examples:
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
10. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Successful.
Waste Reducing
Exfoliating Body
Cleanser (aka
“soap”)
Granted, this may leave you
with smaller bits of waste,
but it’s a creative solution we
can learn from.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
11. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Not so much...
Faucet FAIL
If your interface requires
instructions, it needs to be
redesigned.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
12. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Fitts’s Law:
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
13. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
The time to acquire a
target is a function of the
distance to and size of
the target.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
14. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Big buttons are
faster.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
15. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
This:
Button
is harder to click than this:
Benjamin Button
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
16. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Warm-up Exercise:
A right-handed user is known to be within
10 pixels of the exact center of a large,
1600 X 1200 screen. You will place a
single-pixel target on the screen that the
user must point to exactly. List the five pixel
locations on the screen that the user can
access fastest. For extra credit, list them in
order from fastest to slowest access.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
17. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
3 4
1
5 2
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
18. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Let’s expand
Fitts’s Law:
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
19. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Big type
stands out
more than little type.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
20. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Large content
areas are easier
to see.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
21. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Size explains
hierarchy.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
22. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Headings Layout
H1
H2
H3
H4
H5
H6
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
23. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Size matters:
✓ Bigger targets are easier to click
✓ Larger areas are easier to recognize
✓ Hierarchy communicates importance
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
24. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Enough with
the lesson
already, let’s
have some fun!
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
25. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Simple Trick:
Light Effects
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
26. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
27. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Almost any
image can
create an effect
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
28. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Random image
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
29. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Select a single pixel line
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
30. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Stretch to fill
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
31. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Create a solid color
layer below the image
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
32. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Use layer blending
modes to modify the
colors of the gradient.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
33. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Darken
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
34. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Multiply
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
35. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Luminosity
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
36. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Look to other
mediums for
inspiration.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
37. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Use texture to elicit
subconscious tactile
reactions:
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
38. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
39. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
40. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
41. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Now let’s talk
Business.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
42. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Business:
The Basics
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
43. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Decide whether you
want to be a great
business owner or a
great designer,
developer, or creative…
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
44. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
…for that decision
will define what kind
of life you lead.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
45. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Words matter:
Clients treat
“consultants” and
“agencies” better
than “freelancers.”
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
46. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Spec work: Don’t do it.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
47. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Get an accountant.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
48. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Always require a
deposit — if a client
wants credit, there
are banks for that.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
49. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Estimating gets
easier over time —
track your hours and
make each job more
accurate than the last.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
50. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Set invoice milestones
so clients know what is
expected financially.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
51. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Business:
Projects
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
52. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Project management
is the key to sanity
— get someone to
help if needed.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
53. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Use software meant
for projects:
Basecamp, Backpack
or something you
build yourself.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
54. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Business:
Clients
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
55. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Choose good clients
who share your
passion, whatever
that may be.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
56. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Trust your instincts
with new clients
(this will get easier over time).
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
57. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Bad clients can
destroy your soul
(fire them if you have to).
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
58. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
Discussion
(this is the part where you’re all on
the couch telling me your problems).
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com
59. Design and the Art of Freelancing Atlanta, March 2009
fin.
©2009 Dan Rubin » http://sidebarcreative.com