December 11th, 2008
The new Wordpress 2.7 has just been released and it looks great. I udpated to the RC1 earlier this week, and was very impressed. I wasn’t expecting the full version to be released so quickly afterwards, but I would highly recommend it. The new UI far trumps 2.6. The video below is a good run down of what has changed.
December 9th, 2008
I’ve posted on creative workspaces before, but I can’t get enough of seeing the creative spaces that design shops put together aside from the traditional cube farm. So this time around I’d like to post some pics of more cool workspaces.
Those are a few of my favorites lately, which were all pulled from This Ain’t No Disco, which also has a Flickr pool too. What are some of your favorite workspaces?
November 11th, 2008
Working with clients on cool projects can be an amazing experience. But to get to that point, you need to know how to choose your clients wisely. Just like educating your clients, because they aren’t always right, it takes time and practice knowing how to weed out, and say no to, potential problematic clients. In other words, learning to turn down projects.
It’s not exactly a science, but learning how to read people and how they plan to go about a project are key areas that should be paid close attention to. It can be hard to pick those things up through communicating only through email. This is why discovery meetings are extremely important, and one of the most important meetings to have on any given project. Whether over the phone or in person, they are necessary.
So what’s the point of discovery meetings? It’s not always to talk about how you’re going to design/build a website. That can be discussed when a contract is signed. It’s a time to feel each other out. Ask questions about their business, how it operates, what their role in the business is, etc. The overall idea for discovery meetings is to make sure that both parties are a good fit for the project. It’s a time to make sure that business personalities mesh in order to have a successful project.
Any detection of red flags from a [potential] client, then turn it down. I’m sure many have learned, that no price tag is worth dealing with an extremely problematic client. It’s unnecessary stress to have. So, to be safe (unless desperate), don’t second guess any red flags that you notice in discovery meetings. If you have negative thoughts, it’s probably for a reason. Go with your gut and turn it down.
What are some of the red flags you look out for when choosing clients?
