HTML 5 is on its way to becoming the standard for web development. Although it’s still in development a lot of people are ahead of the game. Check out the sites below for some great examples of what’s to come…

1. Jamie Calabro

2. Tim Benniks

3. Nimbupani

4. Antilight

5. Jeroen Homan

What are the biggest differences between the good freelance designers and the great freelance designers? If you are thinking raw design talent you are wrong. Yes it’s a plus if you have a talent in art and design, but that talent alone can only take you so far. Here are 5 hidden talents that make up a successful freelance designer.

1. Secretary/Accountant

Know your business. All great freelance business owners spend lots of their time running financial reports, tracking client payment schedules, answering calls, returning emails, scheduling appointments, and following up with prospects. You already know how to design, so why not take a little time to focus on the business tasks? This will greatly help you in the long run and ultimately lead you on an upward path to success.

2. The Salesman

All great freelance designers are salesman. You have to know how to sell yourself and your work! Don’t be afraid to go after the big clients either. The worst they can say is no. Use your professional knowledge and quote the client out properly. Also make sure to always ask for their business!! For more tips on how to close the deal check out 7 tips to help freelance designers close the deal.

3. Time Managment

All of the best freelancers have great time management skills. Let’s face it, being a freelancer leaves you with a lot of “free” time on your hands. Set aside your work schedule and stick to it. Something I love to do is set weekly and daily goals, working diligently until I have completed my tasks. Then I reward myself for all my hard work.

4. Administrative

Running day to day business administrative tasks can be extremely daunting but it is an understood practice amongst the great freelance designers. I would highly recommend spending lots of time on this section of the business before hiring someone else to do it for you.

5. PR/Marketing/Account Management

Every great designer out there is also a social butterfly and spends countless hours marketing themselves, going to social events, blogging,  promoting their company, and updated stats feeds on social media sites such as facebook and twitter. This is an absolute “have to” when it comes to being a successful freelance designer. You never know who you might bump into!

What about you?

I know there are multiple other hidden talents that us designers have so what is your secret weapon? I would love some feedback. Leave your comments below.

There are multiple browsers out there to view the web but did you know that most of them also have lots of useful add-ons and plugins that really help with efficiency? I choose Firefox as my browser of choice because its smooth, easy to use, and there are multiple add-ons that help me out with day to day web design tasks. Here is a list of my top 5 favorites. Hope you enjoy!!

1. Window Resizer

Resize your browser to various standard resolution sizes.

The Browser Window Resizer is useful for testing different screen sizes. It accurately resizes your browser so you can test to see what a web page looks like in all of the standard resolution sizes.
Supports the 640×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1600×1200 resolutions.
Resize the current page via the Context menu, Tool menu or Toolbar button.

2. Grid Fox

GridFox is a Firefox extension that overlays a grid on any website. If you can open it in Firefox, you can put a grid on top of it. It’s easy to customize, allowing you to create the exact grid you designed your layout around.

3. HTML Validator

HTML Validator is a Mozilla extension that adds HTML validation inside Firefox and Mozilla. The number of errors of a HTML page is seen on the form of an icon in the status bar when browsing.

4. CSS Viewer

A simple CSS property viewer.

5. Pixel Perfect

Pixel Perfect is a Firefox/Firebug extension that allows web developers and designers to easily overlay a web composition over top of the developed HTML.

What About You?

What is your favorite add-ons. I would love your feedback. Until next time…

Designer: I want to be able to keep track of my project time on my iPhone. Is that possible?

Apple: Yes! There’s an app for that….

There is an app for just about anything these days. Some are paid and Some are free. Below I have compiled a list of 5 of my top used apps for production. All of them are FREE. Hope you enjoy!

1. What Da Font

Ever seen a great font in a magazine ad, poster, or on the web and wondered what font it is? Whip out your iPhone and snap a photo, and WhatTheFont for iPhone will identify that font in seconds! WhatTheFont for iPhone connects directly to MyFonts’ acclaimed font identification service, which has been helping customers pinpoint mystery fonts for 10 years. It works via Wi-Fi or the mobile phone network, so you can get your font fix right there on the spot.

2. Font Shuffle

Wouldn’t it be great if a whole font catalog would fit into your shirt pocket? If you could find a typeface without knowing its name, just by comparing its shapes? If it were possible to e-mail the marketing department your desired typeface for a client presentation while still at the airport?

3. Toggl

Toggl released a native iPhone application for the popular Toggl time tracking website. It enables you to track your time on the go. The timer supports online tracking and also works offline in case you have no network connection. Data is synchronized automatically with the server the next time you’ll be online.

4. Thinkink

It’s revolutionary. And it’s free. The Think Ink iPhone application from Neenah Paper puts powerful design and color theory tools in the palm of your hand.

5. Evernote

Use Evernote to save your ideas, things you see, and things you like. Then find them all on any computer or device you use. For free.

Here are some other resources for paid applications that I love also:

Inked.com – 25 Best iPhone Apps for Designers

Moonsail Design – Top 10 Free iphone Apps for Designers

Web Design Ledger – 15 Best iPone Apps for Web Designers

What About You?

What apps do you use to help with production. I would love to hear about them. Leave your comments below. Until next time…

In case you are new to Twitter, a feed is the time line of your live tweets. Your feed includes your messages, links, hash tags, time, and date. If you are twitter fanatic like me then it would be really beneficial to show your feed on your website. Being active in your industries community is the best way to establish your self as a professional amongst your peers.  Here is the easiest way I have found to add your feed to a static website or your facebook account.

1. Go to www.twitter.com/widgets

This is Twitters own widget creator. It is super easy to set up, implement, and it is fully customizable. With multiple display options you can show your visitors as much or as little of your feed as you would like.

2. Select “My Website”

After you select “My Website” you will see 4 display options. They all have detailed descriptions so you can pick the correct one for your needs. Select the one that works for you and then add your Twitter user name.

3. Customize as needed

You can now use the tabs on the left to customize your preferences, appearance, and dimensions of your feed widget.  When your finished select the “Finish & Grab Code” button at the bottom and that’s it! Add the code to your website, refresh your browser and now you have a live twitter feed on your static site.

When it comes to good designs I usually tend to go with a clean layout and great typography and Bound By Stars has just that. The bold headers are easy to read and compliment the nice image scrolling effect to show off Jeff’s portfolio. From the logo and branding all the way to the contact form and footer this site has a great look and feel. Take a look below.

About Bound By Stars – Boundbystars.com is the online playing ground for Jeff Boshers, an ambitious twenty-something from the No Coast area of the states (Tennessee), who dreams in Illustrator and lives in CSS. Jeff brings diversity and creativity all in one package, not being shy of the off the wall and unique elements other designers seem to be afraid to tackle. Jeff is willing to take risks that he believes will benefit not only the client but the client’s customers. Taking risks is how real success is made. Jeff turns ordinary pre-existing websites into rare masterpieces that will transform the way your customers access your site.

To see more website goodness make sure to check out www.boundbystars.com. Also make sure to follow @boundbystars on Twitter. Until next time…

Freelance Folder posted an article the other day called 7 reasons not to meet with prospective clients. It was a very well written article that led me to think, maybe most designers don’t know how to run effective meetings? With a downward spiraling economy and the amount of freelance competition out there now, running an effective meeting can be crucial to getting more design work. Here are 7 tips that will help you seal the deal and show your clients you are the person for the job.

1. Prepare Yourself

Know who your prospective client is before you step in the door for a meeting. I can’t stress enough how important the information you find can be. If you get nervous in meetings now you will have something to break the ice with. You may also learn something about their financial status which will help you to know what price is appropriate to charge for your services.

2. Keep Your Body Language In Check

You would be surprised how many people do not understand this technique. The trick is to mimic the person you are meeting with. If they are relaxed and leaning back in their chair, than you need to do the same. When done correctly your client will start to subconsciously feel very comfortable with you, ultimately leading you to be the designer pick of choice.

3. Educate As Much As Possible

This is a helpful tip that will make you stand out over the competition. Most business owners do not understand what us designers do and how we do it. When your clients are educated about your techniques they will not only feel more comfortable with you, but also treat you as an industry professional. This leads to respect and many referrals from the clients friends and family.

4. Treat Your Meeting Like An Interview

This is your only opportunity to win over the client so make it your best attempt.  Ask questions, listen, and give out industry info. Just like the interview process, tell your client what services you have done in the past especially if you have worked with other companies in their industry. If their competitors are using your services, then more than likely they will want to use you as well.

5. Sale Yourself And Your Work

Have confidence but do not be arrogant. Show off some of your work and explain your thought process. Your confidence will shine within the way you carry yourself.

6. Show Excitement And Tell Them You Want This Opportunity

Passion and excitement is key. Let the client see how much you love your career of choice. If you are a freelancer you are also the owner of your company. There is a strong understanding between small business owners who are passionate and hardworking. The client will want you to become there designer and closing the deal will be a piece of cake.

7. Thank You’s And Follow-Ups

If you did not close the deal while you were in the meeting that does not mean the company decided to use someone else for the work. Maybe they just need time to think about what they want. Always send a thank you email and follow-up to see what they have decided. Worst case is that they will always know you are professional and are more likely to use your services in the future.

What do you think?

I would love to hear your thoughts on running a successful design meeting. Leave your comments below.  Until next time…

Gap Medics is one of my favorite sites this week for its typography, bold menu colors, ease of navigation, and overall organization.  This site has a trendy look but keeps the elements simple and to the point.  I love the contact forms especially in this site.  Take a look for your self below…

About Gap Medics – Gap Medics organizes medical and nursing placements and projects in Africa and Asia. They can efficiently organize a safe, structured placement that will provide you with genuine work experience and help you stand out on university applications or during your pre-clinical years. For more about Gap Medics check out http://www.gapmedics.co.uk/

Stay tuned for more of the website of the week series for web design inspiration.

Did you know a Giraffe can drink 12 gallons in one sitting? The Giraffe restaurant chain is a popular concept in the UK. Bringing you food from around the world, they have created a really nice brand and website that just works.  Their website portrays a fun friendly place to eat with a family environment. The navigation is easy to use, the typography is nice, and they have a lot of stunning visual ads.  Take a look below…

About Giraffe Restaurants – Juliette, Russel and Andrew decided to open the kind of restaurant they would like to hang out in.

Somewhere relaxed where people could have a great coffee and freshly cooked food at any time of day – all to the spirited sounds of world music so you could imagine yourself being anywhere from Sydney to Israel – somewhere sunny and full of smiles.

Russel always wanted to have a business called giraffe – hence the restaurant ‘giraffe’ was born in 1998 and the first restaurant is in Hampstead.

Thanks for stopping by. Stay tuned for more of the website design inspiration.

If you currently run a blog then you should already know that giving a user multiple options to share your posts is the most powerful way to get your content heard. If you are a newbie then now you know. When twitter came out people started implementing the retweet button in blog articles soon after.  Well, you can pretty much bet that Google Buzz will be just as popular soon, so there is no reason to wait. Here is a simple way to implement the “buzz this” icon in your posts.

Step 1 – Download the Wp Buzzer plugin.

This is one of the best Buzz plugins that I have found out there so far.  I am sure there will be more once Buzz starts to catch on. After you have downloaded the plugin, open up your WordPress dashboard.

Step 2 – Upload the plugin to the WordPress back end.

There are multiple ways to upload the plugin. The easiest way is to upload in wp-content/plugins folder on your server. After you have uploaded the files, head over to the WordPress dashboard and activate it.

Step 3 – Activate the plugin, adjust your settings and your done!

Below is a screen shot of the setting I use for the plugin.  You can also add your own CSS Style to adjust it to your post, and tell the plugin to place the icon at the top or at the bottom of your post.

This is a super easy way to implement the Google Buzz this icon on your blog post.  If you have any questions leave a comment or email me and I will be happy to help out. Keep checking back for more tutorials…