You know you're a freelance designer when ...

you come in the office and your computer's gone?!

Clearly because I am not there permanently, they think they can just take away the computer that I am using and it's OK. To make matters worse, they deleted my files. It cannot just mysteriously disappear. I chose not to point fingers (but in my mind I'm blaming the IT Manager who was responsible for the switcheroo.) and I just waited patiently sipping my soya mocha, checking my FB account and personal e-mail and charge them by the hour.

The Manager, bless his heart, came up to me and apologised for all the shenanigans! I wasn't expecting that!

I've been a freelancer many times before, the beauty of it is that you are not involved with the office politics. You come in, you design, you get paid, you go home! Yay! I don't really need to be nice to any one else except the one that hired me.

And I have worked with many freelancers before, I give them my most hated job to finish! And when they are not in that day and something goes wrong in the design studio –  we always blame him or her. FUN!

What are your experiences with or as a freelance designer/ contract worker?

It's not final until it's final final.

I have labelled artwork before with 'filename_finalver1.pdf.' Which is silly because FINAL means 'this is it', 'the one and only' but not in the design world. Only designers will know and understand that there's a final version 1, 2 3 or even 4.

When you've uploaded final files to the printers with the approval of Art Director, Editor and Publisher/MD and you are packing your bag to call it a day. Comes in the Publisher/Managing Director who showed the front cover to the CFO last minute and HE is not happy with the picture. And you are thinking in your head - "What do they know about photography?!?!?!"

Should I bloody explain why the image of the girl is slightly blurred in the background and the drinks in her hands are more prominent? BECAUSE IT'S A LIQUOR MAGAZINE NOT A WOMAN'S MAGAZINE.

People think designers should just do what they say ... we are not monkeys trained in CS6. You hired us for a reason. Generally, I wouldn't care but in some cases – show some respect!

Okay ... this is now becoming a rant. Which is not intended. I was just amuse at how I name my folders lately.

Final Final Final perhaps? I hope not!

Doing Magic ...

I remembered many times as a designer being told to 'do my magic' ... I wish it is indeed magic but it's actually a combination of many things. Different designers will come with different designs and one might not be better than the others. 

I would like to say that my design will be a combo of my past experience (in design or as a consumer), my education in communications, from the guidance of my previous art directors/creative directors and my good taste.

I just want to particularly write about a certain job I did recently for another small business. There wasn't a brief given. I was just forwarded a PDF file and was told to improve it ... 'do my magic'. Ahhh where's my fairy wand?

So, I did and then e-mailed them back with my design. 

But it wasn't really as easy as that!

First and foremost, I forgot to ask important questions prior to designing. There can be a lot of questions but the common and most important ones are such - dimensions and medium for the design (print or web).

Other things I would require from clients - hi-res logos, images and the text. I got none from this client!

It took me about an hour to do the layout, search for logos online and re-type their information. And another 15 minutes to do minor changes. I almost did it as a favour. I wanted to wow them in the beginning so that they will come back to me for more magic.

NOT my design

MAGIC!