Tracey Halvorsen is a blogger, painter, author, speaker and Principal and Creative Director at Fastspot, a Baltimore, Maryland-based interactive agency. I had chance to speak with her about many aspects of running a design business, including dealing with client requests, graphic design pricing, building a portfolio and social networking for design businesses.
Graphic Design Pricing
Budgets are complicated, especially when you are getting started. The value something has in dollars may be outweighed by the value a project presents in terms of your portfolio, connections, future work, etc. I recommend doing a pros / cons list for every prospective project and ask yourself the following questions, before you think about budget. Read More
How to Build a Graphic Design Portfolio Without Existing Clients
You can always get a portfolio going without clients. In fact, it may be the favorite work you get to do for several years! Here’s how I built my initial portfolio, and I did this while attending art school, so I was not creating anything for school assignments, I was painting! Read More
Tips and Advice for Starting a Freelance Design Business
Most important is to find a balance when you are getting started. You will have to put in more work and effort, and you will be the only one left holding the bag when things go wrong. It will take time for clients to trust you, and to pass your name on to others. Being the best you can be when it comes to direct communication should be your number one priority. I would follow these few basic pointers to ensure your freelance efforts get off the ground in the right way. Read More
Social Networking in a Design Business
Social media really expands your ability to connect with like-minded groups, especially Twitter. Not only is Twitter useful to broadcast and interact, it’s also incredibly useful to research prospective clients, learn more about potential employees and watch what your competition is up to. I really enjoy following other agencies and seeing what interesting tidbits they post, and I try to do the same. It’s a nice way to mix personal with business, and I think that is the best approach. Read More
The Importance of Writing for Freelance Designers
Reread everything, have a parent proof it, and get feedback. You would rather have your college roommate tell you your promotional email sucks before you send it out to hundreds or thousands of prospects. Read More
More Advice from Tracey Halvorsen
More questions from the interview, including dealing with client requests, the importance of failure, keeping a creative agency happy and being a woman in the web design and technology field. Read More