Si - is a web designer and has been working for Liquid Light for about 4 years.
Mich - is a web designer and has been for about 10 years, she started with Liquid Light about 5 years ago and has been there ever since.
Most of the business that Liquid Light gets has been through word of mouth, they have only just recently set up a blog for the designers to post what they are thinking about and what they might be learning about at the time.
The Foot in the Door
- Get as much experience as you can, whether that be via friends, community groups, online communities or freelance anything to build up your portfolio.
- NO ONE will hire you if you have NO experience.
- Portfolio counts for everything. CV is worth doing to get noticed, so lay out your CV in an imaginative and creative way. Get their attention.
- Example - One guy sent in a box of chocolates with his CV, which then got passed around the office, and at one time everyone was talking about where they got the chocolates from.
- Work you way up - start at the bottom, even if that means just getting coffee or something.
- Know your value (don't work for peanuts, and don't sell your self short; as people will ask why so cheap?)
- Standard Freelance rates are between £20-40 per hour.
- Keep your ear to the ground (this industry moves fast, especially the website business) - Read blogs/Look at other websites/Be inquisitive.
- Know your limitations of new technologies - especially with web design - you don't want to say you can do something and then can't.
- Get an understanding of the technical side of things - so you can be more employable, and you are not just a designer.
- For web design you need to know CSS/HTML/JQuery.
Suggested Blogs to look at for updated technologies:
- Smashing Magazine
- CSS web gallery - Site Inspire/Best CSS Gallery
Their process of a job:
- They first receive a bried from the client. (Get a specific and structure brief, which is out lined right at the very beginning with the client).
- Get everything in writing and signed off by both the designers and the client(s).
- They make up mood boards to show the client.
- Design Wireframes and Site Mapping so that they know exactly what they need to do.
- UX testing - which is in house.
- Build the website (coding)
- AB testing/CMS (Content Management System)
The Reality
- You will need to compromise at times to get the jobs which will be your 'bread and butter'.
- Develop a thick skin - everyone won't be nice!
- Learn how to manage expectations (i.e. Control you clients)
- Learn how to define boundries (i.e. when to put your foot down)
- Learn how to network - GLUG (open meeting)
- Be passionate about what you do!
- Remember this is a business (you can't always do what you want to do!)
- Work hard. Rewards will come.
The Portfolio
- Personal Sites - make them clean and simple.
- Behance - This is a portfolio site (social interaction is built in)
- Physical vs Digital - print outs are quite good to view designs in context
- Moo Cards - site for business cards.
Social Media
- Think before you broadcast your thoughts, especially if you are being negative about someone else's work.
- Be positive and constructive
- Learn things - try and learn at leats 1 new thing everyday.
- Go to Dribbble, Flickr, Twitter, Pinterest and Behance for inspiration.
- Also look at Computer Arts (which is a magazine) and Creative Review Blog (Sometimes have open competitions for anyone to enter).
Keep the Fires Burning
- Have interests which are outside of your job - make sure you keep those interests up as they can inspire you in your job.
- Diversity in life leads to a healthy imagination - don't limit your imagination.
- If you are working hard on one project and hit a wall go away do something else, so that you can have some fresh eyes when you go back to it.
- Do what you love.
- Always remember that you are designing for the end user not yourself (usability is key!)
- Find your niche (jack of all trades, maste of none). It is always good to have a speciality.
Recommended Sites For Hosting and Domain Names:
- Ratspace
- Media Temple
- 123 Reg
This meeting with Mich and Si was really useful because it was from a designers point of view, and they have been in our position and they demonstrate to us what we can achieve. The whole experience was helpful especially if I was to go into that side of the industry.
Also they taught us that even though when you find your perfect job, you are always learning whether that be a new technique or even a new technology to make your work better and up-to-date with the times.
I would say the most helpful parts of the talk was the bit about CV and the way to stand out in front of a crowd, so to speak.
