I created this widget so that I could nicely display the music I’ve been listening to on my blog, and I’ve made it available for anyone to use with their own last.fm account. It’s completely free to use with no ads or spyware.

Get the widget here, set your preferences and then copy the code and paste it in your site html code to place your custom widget wherever you’d like!

To use this widget, you need a Last.fm account.
Use the Last.fm Scrobbler to automatically update what you’ve been listening to on your computer or iPod.

This widget will then pull your most recent tracks and album art for display on your website/blog, desktop, or any other widget environment you’d like!

http://freelanceswitch.com/the-business-of-freelancing/are-freelancers-a-commodity-or-a-profession/

Having taken the plunge into the freelance life recently, I’ve been thinking about how to broaden my client base as I can now take on much more work than while I was working a fulltime job. As with anything else I want information about, I immediately looked to the internet and I’ve started watching these types of job boards for the last week with a raised eyebrow. I’ve never bid on anything, as everything I’ve seen so far doesn’t seem like a project worth my time. I don’t say that because I feel like I’m the best designer in the world that requires bags of the finest gold in the land to consider taking on a project. It’s just that I get the overwhelming sense that these boards are filled with ill-informed buyers and sellers who must either be quickfix-template masters or from third world countries where they can afford to live on such a low return for their time and energy.

Like I mentioned, I haven’t bid on any projects so my insight as to how the process actually unfolds is far from complete. For all I know, the majority of projects agreed upon there end in disaster. Or perhaps it’s strictly a place for low quality services at a low price. Y’know, kind of like your customer experience going to walmart. Except that designer/developer services are just that- a service. The experience and skills a designer brings to the table is much harder to quantify than, say, a 12-pack of toilet paper. I have my doubts about whether a walmart style business model can be successfully applied to designers. I can see how this might apply to a greater extent to developers. Not that they don’t bring the same value through their experience and skill, but just that they have more of a “product” that can be canned and sold. No doubt India and elsewhere have talented programmers who are willing to work their assess off for American customers, and charge just slightly more than they were making at the local call center.

But I digress… my point is that in this online environment, I can’t imagine any talented senior-level designer or developers residing in the U.S. having any interest in participating in these job boards. But this made me think, perhaps there is a void out there in cyberspace for people in my same situation. I’m going to think about this and start looking for existing services I may have overlooked. Does anyone know of any job boards already running that bring together professional designers/developers and their local businesses looking to take their marketing materials to the next level? At this point I haven’t given any thought to what checks and balances would need to be in place along with other logistical concerns, but if I find there is a demand for this kind of service, I’m putting it my idea box and will start putting it together. Or maybe I’ll farm out the work to one of those cutthroat job boards…haha kidding, just kidding.

It was given by Daniel Schutzsmith and he did a good job with it. Despite the subject matter, I wasn’t completely bored to tears. In fact I found it quite useful and so I actually took notes. The bulk of my “notes” taken at meetings usually consist mostly of sketched figures, circles with arrows pointing all over the place, and random phrases written in handwriting that only I can decipher. Well, ok, this set of notes was no different. But I was able to fit in alot of valuable info inbetween the drawings. What follows is my summary of the good stuff:

Any project can only be 2 of these:
Cheap + Fast = Crappy Work
Fast + Good = $$$
Cheap + Good = Great work, but done slowly as it takes a backseat to other priorities

4 major phases of project management:

DISCOVERY

Initial meeting with client, get outline of objectives, research, proposal, schedule, tech specs, sitemap

What are the main objectives of the project?
What type of project is it, how will it be deployed?
Define project scope, outline all steps of the process.

Logistics:
Who is the main contact person?
How quickly will I get feedback from client?
Is there established project management on client side?
How are invoices handled?
Payment schedule structure:

• 1/3 project start, 1/3 midway, 1/3 on delivery
• 50% upfront, 50% after delivery

Creative:
Original photography/illustration needed? Scope into cost.

DESIGN

IA / Wireframes
Rounds of comps
Revisions

DEVELOP

Database design, framework architecture
Programming
Backend/Frontend considerations
3rd party integration
Alpha, beta launch
Testing

DEPLOY

Launch
Wrap-up meeting - new projects coming up?
Style guide / user manual needed for client?
CMS - drupal, cakephp

Tips for Managing the Client

Assign Tasks/Objectives

when I need to get assets
feedback response time expected (24-48 hrs), and how that impacts schedule

Keep Consistent Communication:

at least weekly updates
note whats been accomplished
ask any questions that come up

One Channel of Communication

keep one person responsible for deadlines, expectations, etc.
watch out for scope creep

Be Honest

need more info to complete project?
time unreasonable?

Under Promise and Over Deliver

we’ll take a look at it and get back to you about that
buy time to do research on whether its possible
overbid project time to create buffer in case something goes wrong

Staying Organized

organize all papers in file folders
standardize file folder structure and naming scheme
organize daily, weekly, monthly tasks
catalog ideas whenever/wherever they occur

When Things Go Bad

Stay focused, don’t act too quickly, and don’t lay blame.
Something in the triangle will have to be sacrificed
Consider the problem and make a calculated decision
Outline steps to fix and deliver to client
Create official change order - what needs to be done, how much it will cost, time needed, sign it and get signature of client with date.
Make sure you have a termination fee in agreement so you are paid for work up to that point, no matter what the reason is for project ending abruptly.

What? I’m gonna have to actually update this thing on a consistent basis and provide real insights that readers find valuable? Damn, that sounds like actual work that will require a sizable time investment. Time I could be spending working on actual projects. Valuable time I could use playing guitar hero. And I love guitar hero. Ah well I’m up for the task, and who knows, this blog could turn out to be more fun than guitar hero. well ok, not “Megadeth - Symphony of Destruction” fun…but maybe Freezepop’s “Less Talk More Rokk” on expert mode fun. Which, believe me, is becoming less fun with every attempt.

Anyways, for my first bit o’ fun, here’s some study sketches for the latest painting I’ve just started. Those who know me well will recognize this character easily…

Alright, first post down, countless more to follow… including some with actual value for the reader, promise! Till next time… Joel