To be perfectly clear, most of the “bad clients” web designers encounter are a result of our own failure. As a designer, part of our job is to educate clients on the product they need…
Mar 09, 2015 — Advice · Clients · Web Design
Jan 30, 2015 — Ideas · Web Design
Thoughts on Supporting the Web Community
The web design community is remarkable at freely sharing knowledge, more so than most industries. I often wonder how some designers get any work done with the amount time they spend teaching online. Websites like CodePen,…
Jan 19, 2015 — Inspiration · Web Design · Web Development
A Smarter Web Through Transparency
A trend I’ve noticed recently is more designers and developers are openly discussing financial details, which I applaud. This sort of transparency benefits everyone — it helps the web industry see what is possible and it…
Jan 09, 2015 — Free · Personal Projects · Photography
Free Nature Stock Photos
In 2014, I stretched myself pixel-thin. With a new baby, my wife home full-time, and more bills to pay, I took on every client job I could. I worked on personal side projects as well—too…
Dec 31, 2014 — Web Design
Web Design Predictions Worth Reading
A lot of web design predictions have been passed around lately, some of them ironically outdated. “We’ll see large image headers and video backgrounds in 2015,” one article stated. Now let’s take a look at a…
Dec 19, 2014 — Creative Market · Design · Freelance
A Complete and Honest Guide To Creative Market
Note: This article has been updated multiple times over the years, which I’ve linked to by section below. Please read through it all to understand my full opinion of Creative Market. There are affiliate links…
Dec 05, 2014 — Advice · Design · Personal Projects
Lessons From Design Kindle
When I’m not focused on client work, I always have at least a few side projects in the works. In 2010, I created Design Kindle, a website dedicated to offering free web design resources. The…
Nov 25, 2014 — Site News
A Return to Writing
A few winters ago, I was in Massachusetts with a group of friends walking to the local bakery. We were chatting back and forth, telling jokes, and mostly self-absorbed as we made our way down…
Sep 03, 2014 — Advice · Freelance · Work
3 Common Freelance Myths Debunked
I’ve been self-employed for the last six years and it has been a challenging but equally rewarding experience. I regularly receive business questions via email and am often amazed at what others perceive the freelance…
Aug 06, 2014 — Humor · Web Design
Web Designer Lifespan
A lighthearted observance on the career of a Web Designer… Year 1: “Huh, why does Photoshop have an Export HTML option?” *click* “Holy crap, I’m a WEB DESIGNER!!!” Year 2: “Yeah, I can build you a website…