Ok. I will admit it. Sometimes I check my email while I brush my teeth. It’s true I do. I also check it while firmly stopped at red-lights, waiting in drive thru lines, and while pumping gas. And that is just an average day for me.

When you run your own business, or in my case, three of them, you have to learn to make every second count. Is this healthy? Probably not. But the fact remains. The down side of all this “running” is that unfortunately by the end of the day I often feel like the proverbial rubber band. You know the one. It’s been stretched so far and so much that it’s liable to break at any time. Fortunately for me, I have a great support system of friends, family and coworkers that are willing to get in there and help out when needed. The don’t even usually ask for money. Usually.

For the most part though, I find myself struggling to make every second count and every minute of my day be filled to the fullest. Thankfully, while statistics and reports claim that no one can multitask effectively, those who know me best know that to be untrue. I’m at my optimal operating level with more than one task going on and somehow I can manage to keep those tasks in line and in order.

I wanted to share some of the strategies that I employ to accomplish these Time Effeciency tasks, and I’d love to hear yours!

• Surround Yourself with the gadgets necessary: I have them all, iPhone, iPad, Laptop and so on and so forth. But if you check out my apps, you will see that the apps I use enable me to be more flexible with my time and optimize my output. From apps for blogging and social networking to invoicing and to-do list management, I’m almost always able to jot down an idea when it hits or take care of a client emergency on the “GO”.
• Downtime? What downtime? In a society filled with meetings, committees and more meetings it’s important not to waste valuable seconds while waiting on meetings to start or the long winded talker to finally finish his point. The great thing about these gadgets is you can use them for taking notes, and finishing business. Just make sure you’re able to listen, or you might find yourself left behind.
• Every second is an opportunity. I check and respond to emails while running errands. Waiting in line at Walmart, standing in line at Starbucks, regardless of the location, if there is a wait, I can be getting stuff done. Drive thru’s and traffic jams are also valuable to this efficiency thinking.
• To Do lists: No one can be efficient without an awesome To Do list and task tracking software. Personally, I’ve used  LOT of things, from large systems like SugarCRM to small systems like Remember the Milk, but the one that works best for me BackPackIt by 37 Signals. BackPackIt provides To Do Lists with completion tracking, Calendars, Collaboration and Write Boards all in the same application, so I’m not having to log in and out of different things to accomplish my tasks.
• Headsets, speaker kits and earbuds can make all the difference for an efficient phone call and a time consumer. I will take calls and continue to work with no problem. Especially if I’m doing  a creative task or something mundane, then multitasking in that regard is no problem.

Now that you’ve heard my tips for efficiency, share you’re own. Maybe we can all learn something new!

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The past couple of weeks I’ve been having migraines. Now, I’ve always been prone to headaches but recently my stress level has seemed to go through the roof and the resulting cycle is more headaches and I can get less accomplished, equally LESS prodcutivity which causes more stress resulting in more headaches. It’s a vicious cycle. Get it?

Well, because of this, I’ve done some research on stress relief and everyday things you can do to eliminate or expel stress. Yesterday I took a day off work both formally and client side for the most part and spent the day treating myself to recovery. And today, I can honestly say the results have paid off big time! I feel amazing!

So here are some of the things I did  . . .

1. Take a vacation day just FOR YOU. That’s right, try to make minimal plans so that you can simply do what YOU want to do. For me, this was a little difficult, as when I finally decided to do this, I already had scheduled 2 client meetings and an oil change. The oil change I was able to reschedule but I went ahead and kept the meetings, they were with some of my favorite clients anyway.

2. Sleep in and then just lay there. I had no problem with the sleeping in part until my phone starting ringing off the hook and alerting me to new emails and texts. Yeah, unfortunately I actually had to get up. Take my phone to the other end of the house. Even on silent, the phone still vibrates ever so slightly and I realized even that sound of work piling up was NOT going to help me relax. By the time I got up at about 10 I had already received 4 phone calls, 3 client texts and 24 emails.  After I had finally decided there would be no more sleeping, I went back, found my phone and made some calls, chatting with family members and catching up on things that were happening. Snugly under the covers. For me, that in itself was relaxing as I’m normally talking on bluetooth or earbuds while accomplishing other tasks.

3. Take a long bubble bath with aroma therapy and spa supplies. Now, obviously if you’re a guy this is probably not on your list of “relaxing things”. If it is . . . well, don’t tell me . =P  But for me, I took the time to relax, gave myself a pedicure and a facial and treated my hair to a leave in conditioner as I was getting ready to go to lunch with a client and my business partner.

4. Enjoy the sunshine. Yesterday in Tulsa was a beautiful Spring day, at 71 degrees and sunshine I was able to drive my convertible. The sunshine made such a difference on my outlook! Days like that certainly make a difference. If you don’t have a convertible, consider opening your windows, sunroof or just go for a nice long walk out in the sun to get the right chemicals awakened in your brain.

5. Sing at the top of your lungs. This was something that I read during my research last week, but singing at the top of your lungs, whether in the car or in the shower, will actually alleviate stress! Try it . . you’ll be amazed how much better you feel.

6. Wash your car. Did you know that a seemingly simple task, such as washing your car can be very relaxing and rewarding? It can. Not only will you be subconsciously proud of how your car looks afterward when you’re driving, but there is something about “cleaning” that affects our brains. We expect things to be clean and when they are we have peace. Between errands I spent about 45 minutes washing/waxing and vacuuming my car I felt so good

7. Express yourself. As an artist, it had been a really long time since I’ve done any traditional art. So I bought some new small canvases yesterday and spent the evening painting. It was not only therapeutic and relaxing but also used an entirely different skill set for me.

8. Drink hot tea. Yeah, it may seem strange. But if you’re not normally a tea drinker take the time to slow down and enjoy a good herbal tea or something a little stronger like a nice black tea. Yesterday I picked up Chamomile and Earl Gray.

I’m sure the list could go on and on, and we all have things we “do” to get ourselves back on track, but don’t overlook the little things you can do to really set yourself right. Not only will your designs show that you are relaxed, but I’m sure your customer service will improve as well.

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Ok, the title may throw you a bit, but as a participant in the annual “Blog Action Day”, I am bound to break out of the norms of our topics here on ISOD and explore something a little more ‘political’ and a little more ‘environmentally friendly’. At first, honestly, I was at a loss as to HOW to connect this year’s topic: “Climate Change” back to design. But as I researched and read other articles on the topic I realized that this past year’s GREEN movement has really affected the way most companies look at their waste management and the products they are buying. You may notice that the same holds true with your clients and their design needs.

As more and more people move to digital resources to save paper, save money or save their own headaches of postal prices skyrocketing, design also must evolve. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not to say that print design is dead. Not for a moment, but it is being complimented more and more by it’s digital counterparts in an effort to save resources and still communicate our message effectively.

Now, one thing that I noticed recently was digital media businesses (I won’t name any names) touting the  fact that they are “Green”. Uhm. Yeah. Of course they are. They sell digital media. But as a designer, how do YOU become more conscious of the environment and your waste? I have a few ideas, the good news is, not only will these tips help “save the planet” but they will also help save you some GREEN too.

1. Proof on-screen for typos. We all know that to get accurate colors you will need to PRINT out your designs for comparisons, etc. But why not start your proofing processes by sending PDFs to your clients to check for typos, text changes, and overall design approval? Doing this will save paper, ink and probably a lot of back and forth time with your client!

2. When in doubt, use digital! In today’s society you may not even KNOW what a film camera is, but for anybody out there still using film, drop it and go digital. Again, it will save you money in the long run and you’ll be creating less waste. Memory cards are reusable– rolls of film are not. If you wanna get REALLY conscientious use rechargeable batteries too!

3. Support Paper re-growth. As designers we can pick and choose the paper companies we deal with. Know what you’re paper company is doing to replenish the forestry supply and choose to work with those companies that are doing the most.

Feel free to comment and share any other tips or ideas you may have to help the environment and share your knowledge with others!

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Enjoy this guest post by Senior Designer, Amanda King! With a solid degree in Communications, Amanda King found herself exploring her creative nature through an internship with a ministry in Tulsa, OK. Quickly her innate creativity was revealed as she was assigned more and more tasks and today, the rest is history. King’s responsibilities include creative branding for a variety of groups and ministries. She frequently finds herself working on print projects ranging from letterhead to magazine layout.

I know we have all had to work with people that aren’t always easy to work with and lets be honest, that drive us crazy! But sometimes, we get the opportunity to work with someone that is not only easy to work with, but that challenges you to do better. And you come out with a product that wouldn’t have been as good if you hadn’t worked with that person.

Collaboration is one of the most important tools at our disposal as designers. I had the opportunity this last week to pick up a job from another designer in the office. Long story short the job I picked up should have taken about an hour or two to complete, but the concept behind the design was a little more difficult to create than initially anticipated. So, it literally took myself and the original designer assigned to the job, a whole day going back and forth on the design until we really nailed it. And I have to say, I definitely couldn’t have gotten to that point without the collaboration with my co-worker.

So don’t be afraid to ask some of your co-workers, colleagues, friends, whoever, that you trust of course, for their input. They may be able to see something you don’t, or have an idea you haven’t thought of, and that’s okay. Sometimes we get stuck in this competition mindset. There are times to be competitive, don’t get me wrong, I like a good competition, but sometimes you need to let someone else give you an honest constructive opinion, and that’s when something good can become something awesome!

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Early on, my plans of art and the design world were almost thwarted. Looking back, I can see many opportunities throughout my life that I had to allow rejection to shake my confidence and send me in another direction.

My first bout with this client-induced distress came when I was 10 years old. As a small child I had grown up in a family of crafters. My parents build very nice wooden children’s furniture: table and chair sets, rocking chairs, step-stools and desks. My mom eventually began painting on the pieces, the latest children’s characters, teddy bears, tractors or trains; she had  a large repretoire of designs.

Being a busy child I wanted to help and soon a natural knack for drawing and painting was discovered. Before long, I had surpassed my mom in the ability of personalizing the furniture in our home shop. However, when we were "on the road" at trade shows and craft fairs, it was my mom that did the majority of the work, dealing with customers and meeting their needs. Customers were able to select a piece of furniture and my mom would paint the child’s name or names on there while they waited.

In the fall, my mom had a severe case of bronchitis. It became clear that she would not be physically able to attend the upcoming Craft Show we had booked a year in advance. Needing the money, my grandmother suggested that I could take the show that weekend and she would be willing to help me deal with the clients and I would be able to handle the painting needs.

As I said, I was 10 years old.

The prospect of handling my first show was exhilarating. I was so excited and nervous. Anxious about my age, my grandmother helped me set up an area in the back of the booth where I couldn’t be seen. All day long I busily personalized the pieces, selling my work quickly as my grandmother handled the customers who never saw the young girl that was actually doing the painting.

Then it happened. A customer came back to pick up a $5 wall-hanging coat rack she had purchased. I still remember it clearly. The piece had a fluffy white lamb painted on it, and I had painted the name "Ashley" for her granddaughter. My grandmother turned to me, as during a slow moment I had walked to her side to watch the people browsing the auditorium.

She asked, "Jen, did you finish that coat rack?"

"Yes!" I replied and hurried over to where it sat, the paint finally dry.

I handed it to the customer, hopeful. She looked at me sharply, "YOU painted the name on there?"

"Yes ma’am!" I replied, proudly.

She looked at it closely, shook her head and said, "The letters are crooked and it doesn’t fill the space properly, I want my money back."

I was stunned, hurt and angry all at the same time. Having grown up in the shows, I knew better than to express my emotion. My grandmother curtly told her that I had been very successful this weekend, so her measley $5 wouldn’t matter and that someday I would be a successful artist, regardless of how I had been treated.

When the lady walked away with her $5 in hand, I sobbed to my grandmother, "I’ll never paint again, I quit."

My grandmother, being the wise woman she was, explained to me, that if I quit painting and doing what I loved, then I had let that woman beat me. I learned the tough lesson of dealing with clients: You can’t always please everyone and sometimes, they will be downright mean."

I often think back on that lady and her $5, hoping that if I’m ever in a similiar situation I will graciously be an encouragement, not a road block to someone else’s dream. I thank God for my grandma, who didn’t let me quit and was an encouragment helping me see that it wasn’t MY problem if someone didn’t like my work and I wouldn’t ever let that stop me.

So today, even if it’s hard, I will continue my art, continue designing and continue my dream in the face of rejection or disappointment, knowing that while I may not please everybody, I am talented, I am gifted and I am in the right field, the field of my passion.

To suffix this story, I will mention that after that show, I no longer hid in the back when I tag-teamed with my mom. I looked the customer right in the eye. Soon, the customers lined up to watch me work. Our booth would have tons of people in it wanting to see the ‘little girl’ that did the painting. It was my first niche! I was the youngest business person there.

At a show nearly a year later, I had my first request for an autograph on my work. What a thrill that was. The lady who did that, far made up for the mean grouch at the first show. I had come full circle.

I hope this story is an encouragement to you as your work is rejected by clients, companys or even your boss. Don’t sweat it. Don’t quit! You will succeed. You have the talent.

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Number 4 in this series:

That’s right folks, you heard it here first. As designers, we all go through those phases. One mistake may snowball into several, or you get one of those jobs that never seem to end.

Jobs that never end? Oh yeah. I’ve had them. The simple little layout that you quote to someone who sounds sweet for less than your normal price. Next thing you know? Forty print-outs, 35 corrections, 4 stock photo sites and several months later you find yourself still working on it.

How do you get rid of this anvil around your neck? Cut it off! Do whatever it takes to end the project, even if it means having to eat a little more profit yourself. It’s worth it in the long run to get your time and aggravation back!

What about the jobs where you don’t get all the information upfront? Ever quoted a freelance job too cheap?  I have. It’s easy to do. I find myself wanting to help out the client, give them the best deal possible and then 100 hours into the project, I’m kicking myself.

How do you stop that? Well, for me, I’ve sat down and objectively outlined the main-stream projects that I do on a regular basis, logo-development, magazines, etc. As I outlined each one, I added a realistic price and time frame. My prices are there and set in stone.

I’ve got to admit though, I still get sucked in and drop them on a case-by-case basis.  As a designer, I’m not perfect, but I do hope that the clients I work with know that they have gotten their money’s worth and are pleased with the result.
 

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For those of you just visiting the site, this is the third post in what I affectionately refer to as my "Idiot Series".  Chances are, if you do anything that requires that you deal with people then you’ve ran across a couple of "idiots."

As a freelancer or even as an inhouse designer working with other departments or personnel it’s very easy to get discouraged when your client just doesn’t seem to "get it". You know the ones I’m talking about. They come in and they want you, the designer, to create something for them. Then, instead of letting you help them to achieve visual greatness, they want to continue adding elements, tweaking things or making changes.

You know the ones I mean. They want a logo of a dove, with a cross, and a sword, OH! and a Bible. How do you let them know that that is probably not the best thing to do? As a designer, I also feel that it’s not only my job to "create" something, but I also attempt to educate my clients on a few basics "dos" and "dont’s".

Through the years I’ve found that if a client is SEEMINGLY taking advantage of you, chances are they do so un-intentionally. Usually, all it takes on my part is a simple sit down meeting where I explain the situation from my perspective, staying courteous, respectful and professional, and allow them to see behind what happens on my side.

I ran into a situation similar to this earlier this week. After talking through the situation, the client actually left the meeting with a totally new perspective! It was incredible to see such a visible difference in his attitude and demeanor.

Does this mean that we are to argue with a client who doesn’t "Get It"?  Absolutely not! As a designer, it is my job to do exactly what the client wants. If this appears to be detrimental to their best interest, my responsibility ends when I offer any knowledge that I have on the subject. If they don’t take my advice? I do the best job I possible can on creating EXACTLY what they want. Then I just do not publish their pieces in my portfolio.

It sounds simple and sometimes it is, the danger is guarding our emotions. Do not let yourself become tied up with the argument. Remember your job is to serve. The client’s not really an idiot, chances are they’ve just never been taught. So teach them!

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Whoever said, "the best things in life are free" was probably referring to Word of Mouth adverstising. Few things go farther and have a bigger impact that a positive referral from a client, colleague or friend. As a designer/web designer it’s important to me that my clients always feel like they can refer me and my work to their friends.
 

So far, so good. Since I’ve been in business, I’ve spent very little money on advertising, instead I’m constantly receiving a steady stream of clients through "the grapevine". Someone in Oklahoma knows someone in Alabama who knows someone in England. Yep! Word of Mouth advertising is so powerful that it even crosses the big pond!
 

The secret to positive referrals and good testimonials? Treat the customer with respect and integrity, both in business and personally. That’s it. It’s very simple. If you give your word, bust your butt to keep it. If you make a mistake, admit it. If you miscommunicate, pay for it yourself.

Above all the client should never be charged for a mistake you make.  But what about the clients that just don’t seem to like you and can’t be pleased? Evaluate yourself. If you’ve done everything you knew to do, and worked with integrity, shake the dust from your feet and go on.

I heard recently some interesting statistics:

• 25% of people will like you, but could be persuaded not to
• 25% of people will NOT like you, but could be persuaded to
• 25% of people will like you and stand by you till the end

and finally

• 25% of people will NOT like you no matter what you do.

So chalk those clients up the that last 25 and continue to do what you know is right!

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Ever wonder why some designs tend to stick out more than others? What makes the distinction between good design and "great" design?

As early as childhood artists begin to develop an "eye" for some things. Looking back at early crayon drawings some elements just seem to flow while other kid’s are still perfecting their stick figures. Like the musician with music, a true artist can "sense"  what’s appealing and what’s not.

Can it be taught? The methods and techniques can be taught, but I believe a true "artist" must have it within themselves. For them it’s not a "teaching" but a developing of the talent that is already placed inside of them.

So what is this secret key that poses the difference between good and great? It’s being where you are supposed to be. Using the talent you have been given. Not seeking to fulfill a position that you’re just not cut out for.

If you are struggling to be a "great" designer. Evaluate yourself, make sure you are in the position you are supposed to be in. All creative people shouldn’t be creating brochures, some are better at physical creativity such as interior design, point of purchase displays and creating stunning displays.

If the whole computer, adobe, design software thing isn’t your gig, don’t push it. Don’t try to be something you’re not. Just be GREAT at what you ARE!

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Co-workers. Depending on your environment they’re either friends or foes. Whether you work with a team, independently or in small groups I have no doubt you’re familiar with the joys and sorrows that often come from having to co-exist with other people!

Let’s tackle the teamwork scenario first: A "team" project has always elicited groans, sighs and rolled eyes. Inevitably at least one member of the team either honestly has no idea HOW to do their part, or just has no DESIRE to do it.  Both can be incredibly frustrating. How do we handle our share of the load and that of our co-workers?

Most importantly, we have to keep our attitude in check. This is the hardest thing to conquer: OURSELF!  We have to remember that God sees the work and effort we are putting into a project. Our feelings and emotions often try to get into the mix. It’s easy for us to become offended and feel sorry for ourselves when we feel that we are working harder than other "teammates."

Now, let’s say you work independently. So, what about the co-worker who can tell you’re on a big project, facing a tight-deadline and suddenly needs one of your files? And they need it ASAP! Especially if we suspicion that the other party just doesn’t want to put forth the effort to do their part. Or better yet, they attempt to sabotage the project (yep, it happens!).

I had to learn that I cannot let other people "pull me into the boat with them."  When they send vicious emails I respond sweetly, and they eventually give up. If I respond just as viciously, often that response will spur them on to make our lives a living hell. One word leads to another and before you know it you don’t even speak when you meet them in the hallway.

Thankfully, I work in an environment where my co-workers are also my best friends. We hang out on the weekends, enjoy time at each other’s houses and other activities.

Recently, a co-worker decided it was time for them to move on. Never before have I seen an office pull together and bless a fellow co-worker like that one. We raised over $300 dollars for him and a video game system he was wanting. It was truly awesome to be a part of.

All that to say, no matter how desparate your co-worker situation may look, stick with it, continue to do the right thing, and you’ll get to the other side, before you know it!

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