Every Pixel Matters
“Those pixels are the pieces you will need to build your character as a designer...”
When you’re starting to set your goals, you want to have it perfect right? So does everybody else.
The first time I decided to resign from the company I’ve work for and go freelance I imagined that the road would be easy and that I could design whatever I wanted. Well, it hasn’t worked out completely as I originally planned. The freelancing path isn’t always smooth. Many times in my first year I had to make myself available and dedicate time 24/7 to projects. This sounds pretty similar to what Caleb Ogden describes in his article Learning to freelance.
It is always good to learn from other freelance designers who have had the experiences during their journey from the start to the top. From their experience you will be able to take advantage of what steps to follow as a starter or what to avoid when dealing with annoying clients. However, I often found it impossible to follow their footprints. It’s not because I don’t have what it takes. It’s simply because I want it to be how I want it to be. Isn’t it annoying sometimes, when you really set something on your mind only to find something that interferes with your journey? Just like how clients would want to dominate their visions on your designs, which of course you think is the best solution for them.
Then again, we often do whatever it takes to get to our goal. Just like what I did. For some freelancers, which in this case applies to me too, the first year is a horrible year to set everything in order.
Whether it is to schedule my time better or looking for more clients to support my finance each month, it was all a challenge for me. A few times I got myself in the situation of trading work for “work” which I will never ever do again, and neither should you once you read Trade Work is Fools Gold. Other times I wish I had the power to say no to a client. Don’t get me wrong, I love to have a new client. But when it comes to long term professional relationship, I’d prefer to have a nice client who respect my work and time. When it comes to being a freelancer, it is best to have quality clients than large quantities of client. They don’t have to be a well known companies, I have several start-ups which have been growing with me for over 2 years now and we have a great long term professional relationship.
If I were to put my freelancing experience into a single bitmap picture, I’d be looking back to see every small pixel of my every decisions and steps that helped me to achieve what I have today. From freelancing to a design company, just like how I want it to be.
Everything I’ve experienced during my first year of freelancing is what builds me as a person, a designer, and my design company today. Those pixels are the pieces you will need to build your character as a designer and the impression that clients will see of you; as someone they can trust to provide the needed solutions for their projects.
Andrew Groat
Ari, that was a great read!
It’s really good to hear a candid summary of one’s personal experiences. In my opinion it reveals more than a depersonalized article about the same subject.
Thanks for putting your personality and honesty into your writing :)
Ari Krzyzek
Thanks Andrew, I tried to share my experience as best as I could to others. Glad you find it useful :)
John Nerush
Fantastic read, thank you for sharing your experience and good luck for the future.
Ari Krzyzek
Thanks John, really appreciate it :)
Marco Berrocal
Yesterday I was doing a mockup for a client, and I was using the Pattern Stamp Tool to remove some things I though were imperfections with some images. My girlfriend asked me how can I be wasting my time removing that, because I have to zoom in to see them? Which I had of course, for greater control. You could see the imperfections at plain sight, I told her. She said, nobody would notice. I said, I would and this reflects who I am and what I do. I aim for things to be as perfect as humanly possible.
Even though she has a point, I feel she didn’t understand what I truly feel about doing what I do. To me it matters just as much. It’s part of the whole thing, it’s appreciating great work even if it gets unnoticed by some.
Anyway, I am going through my first year. I relate completely to what you do. I just accepted some trade work..lol because I really think I need to build a portfolio and fast. I am competing versus other designers after all.
I just can’t cope with the uncertainty of this sometimes. This is why I want to develop a web application where I charge monthly and have some steady income. I love Web design, developing and the community behind it. I can’t stand how uncertain and undervalued our work is sometimes.
Anyway, at least your article brings me SOME hope. Thank you for writing this.
Ari Krzyzek
Hi Marco, a perfectionist… it’s always sad when some people think that even on the most detailed or smallest thing in the middle of a billboard or on other media, it won’t be necessary to have it perfect. But we’re designers, it’s definitely our job to make a flawless work. So be proud… and be cautious… because you never know other designers who might criticize you just because you forgot to put the shadow layer on top of an object. ;)
Jeffrey Francis Tovar
Wow, great read! I’m on my 3rd year of freelance and it’s still a bit a bumpy road. There’s so much to learn both on the business and creative side of things. I’m at the point now where I am looking for a full-time, but freelance has taught me a lot about people in general and most importantly, how NOT to approach a lot of things.
In a perfect world, we’d all be pixel-perfect, eh?
=)
Robin Cannon
Ari, it’s great to see someone being honest about the difficulties of freelancing, but also determined to maintain their own personal standards. Yes, it’s important to make compromises when you’re trying to win clients and new business, but there has to be a point when you refuse to over-compromise (or, at the least, learn the lessons when you do give up too much).
Freelancing was a huge learning experience for me. I was lucky to have some early solid clients who I enjoyed working with. I’m not freelancing now, just because of some great opportunities that came up. But those lessons have been great whether I’m in a freelance environment myself, or not, and I know that in the future, when I do want to build a genuinely great web design agency, I’m going to have far more solid foundations.