Freelance Design - Richard Baird

Update 7th December

2009-12-07T16:39:00.002Z

I have created a new logo pond account where I have around 25 of my logo's on display which can be viewed here. My main reason for uploading these is that it's a good way of protecting my design work/style as a date can be attributed to it's creation (upload date but better than nothing) should anyone try to rip them off which is becoming a lot more frequent, the design community is blaming the rise of the 'stock logo' website. Hope you enjoy browsing my work, please feel free to comment on any of these.

Thanks for reading.

Update 3rd November

2009-11-03T11:22:00.005Z

I was quite busy this last month working on branding for a new organic haircare product range. Below is one of my early concepts, there were a few directions I felt this concept could of gone but the more modern concepts were preferred. When the brand is fully finalised I will post on this blog.

I have been working on my own personal identity (below) for over three years now, it is a play on my own name and the term dicky bird used to describe small birds. I am planning on using this to brand my illustrations in the future.

You can now follow and comment on my work via Facebook, all opinions are appreciated.

Thanks for reading.

Update 6th October

2009-10-06T16:34:00.002+01:00

My packaging work 'Hotcan' is featured in the new book 'Packaging Identity' by Pedro Guitton. You can read more here

5th October

2009-10-05T12:27:00.008+01:00

Further to my previous post here is another photograph of the bakery I branded Bakerino.

Above is the finished packaging and branding for Big Softy I designed in collaboration with Sellers & Rogers. This will be the first sub roll product available in UK supermarkets.

I was lucky enough to have a few more pieces of my work selected for book entries. You will be able to see these in the following books:

My Own Business Card - Marc Praquin (November)
Design & Design Of The Year - Marc Praquin (December)
Logo Basics - Index Books (2010)
Packaging Identity - Pedro Guitton (2010)

Event poster for the second Liquifi night in Nottingham.

I will also have some new packaging released within the next couple of months which I will post as soon as the photo's are available. Thanks for reading!

27th August 2009

2009-08-27T10:23:00.022+01:00

Over the last few months I have been busy working on a variety of commercial and personal projects. Below is an overview of this work, if you have any questions or thoughts please feel free to e-mail me.

As I have mentioned in earlier blogs I have been working with the online radio station LiquiFi Radio whom I help run, DJ on and do the design work for. We have now expanded into the club scene and recently launched our first night in Nottingham showcasing our resident radio DJ's.

As part of this new venture I designed a flyer and poster campaign to promote the night. This gave me a great opportunity to extend the brand and build on the logo. I have had to adjust the Q in the logo as people felt it was illegible when printed on small stickers.

This month I managed to secure a new client who was looking for a freelance designer that could help brand their products and design labels. I always find it really interesting when I start work with a new client as you often have to adapt to their work flow and expectations. Once the first project is complete then both parties understand what is required and how to improve future work flow. Below are images from this first project, a set of slimming products under two brands. The first is a modified font while the second was created from scratch.

With a background in 3D design I was able to offer a visualisation service as part of the project. This particular client wanted to get the products up onto their website as soon as possible so a 3d visualisation provided a stop gap before the actual products were delivered.

Below is packaging and branding project I worked on in July, which was fantastic as the client is quite high profile in Europe (my Czech girlfriend Zany was surprised as she had a pair of their scissors!). Below are two of the concepts that I delivered to the client.

I really hope you have enjoyed this months blog. Thanks for reading!

Update - 13.08.09

2009-08-13T11:51:00.003+01:00

I now have a Facebook page where you can see and comment on my past work. Click HERE to visit the site.

Update - 16.7.9

2009-07-16T09:24:00.005+01:00

Bakerino

Below is a photo of Bakerino a new bakery in the centre of Nottingham. As posted previously I designed the brand and developed the shop front. The concept is a low cost bakery selling good quality food.

Let me know what you think.

Update 9.7.9

2009-07-09T09:36:00.027+01:00

The last few months I have been really busy working on a wide variety of projects, below is a summary of a few of these projects. If you have any questions regarding freelancing or any of my work please feel free to email me.

June

I continued working on some new packaging for a cosmetic cream, this has been a long process but its looking like a September release. I also have been working on OSD's (On Screen Display) for two new computer games. I have designed a couple in the past so this was a great opportunity to continue to develop this skill. I never expected to be working on these kind of projects when I began but find it a very challenging and rewarding experience.

I worked with S&R branding a new hygiene division for Imperial called 'Solutions For Hygiene' The design was slightly amended by my client to include the Imperial logo below the flower but the rest is my work.

I continued to work with Bakerino on promoting their new business through promotional flyer's. I kept the design very simple and single coloured to express the budget element of the bakery. Although I am not a web designer (I can only do HTML so do single pages as a favour to my clients) I created the front page for the Bakerino website based on the design below, it can be viewed at http://www.bakerino.co.uk/

One of the best projects I have had to date came in the last week of June. I client of mine is developing a new racing computer game, as they cannot use real manufacturer logos to adorn the cars I was asked to come up with 30 individual logos across a variety of industries. Although I wasn't to spend too much time on each one they still needed a sense of relevance and to look good. It took me 3 days and both the client and myself were very happy with the results. This was the most challenging but the most enjoyable project I have worked on yet.

July

My friend finally launched his online radio station LiquiFi Radio. To increase listeners I was asked to design a flyer which will be going out to record shops and bars in the local area. I really like working for this guy as he really appreciates my style and is often happy to let me get on with it.

Thanks for reading!

Update - 20.05.09

2009-05-20T09:51:00.018+01:00

It's been over a month since my last post, this is down to quite a hectic schedule of new design work from new and existing clients. Below I have put together a brief run down of some of these projects.

A new client asked me to brand a new South African Boutique Hotel. It had to include a strong nature theme and express a refined atmosphere.

This is my personal favourite, I have built a horizon and ridge into an overall leaf shape reflecting the beauty of the environment the hotel is situated.

This is the design the client finally settled on.

Tyrrell Design asked me to develop a brochure for specific areas within the building industry and create a family of icons to extend the brand. I really didn't want to alter the icon but the client insisted on this route. The first is the original identity, the second is 'Fire Risk Assessment' and the third is 'Energy Performance Certificates'. In each case the logo has had elements added to reflect these areas, I really wasn't happy with burning the logo but the client liked it.

Mixm8 wanted to re brand as they felt the previous logo looked too dance music orientated and wanted a more editorial look. The concept is based around Polaroids and can be used to mask related images, the chunky text also facilitates this. I built a family of logos which adds a flexibility to the brand in a number of applications.

I am a keen DJ and my friend is launching an Internet radio station that we will playing out on. The station will deal mainly with Drum and Bass, I really wanted to avoid the 'Detonate' style associated with this genre.

I got my business cards photographed for the book 'My Own Business Cards'

Bakerino is a new bakery/coffee place in the centre of Nottingham, I was commissioned to develop the brand, work on the shop front and flyer. It is opening in June so I'm really looking forward to seeing my brand in a prominent place in the city centre.

Hope you enjoyed viewing my latest work.

Update - 12.4.9

2009-04-12T12:13:00.009+01:00

For some reason this month has got exceptionally busy with the majority of my clients asking for work to be done. These were quite an interesting set of briefs which include branding for a computer game and bakery and a website redesign with an editorial look, something I haven't done before and pushing me to learn new styles. As well as these new briefs I decided to get some photography done of my magazine features/articles for my website. I really love photographs of printed material and really wanted to lift the quality of my website.

Working with the photographer was a new experience for me as they required art direction which I didn't really anticipate. I luckily brought in some images of effects that I wanted to achieve which the photographer managed to capture. I have posted below a few of my favourite images.

Let me now what you think, thanks for reading.

Update - 27.3.9

2009-03-27T15:40:00.004Z

I have finally picked up a copy of Computer Arts Projects which I featured in as part of the Designer Challenge along with two other designers. This months challenge was to create a set of promotional stickers for a fictional designer. I am really delighted to have this published as its the first piece of work I have had in a design industry magazine. Let me know what you think email me

You can find out more about Computer Arts Projects Here

Update - 16.3.9

2009-03-16T18:30:00.008Z

Website Update

I have had a chance to tweak my website a bit, adding a latest news element to the home page and links to this blog and my istock portfolio using the font I am developing. I have been working on the font as a hobby and it is still a work in progress. One of these revised elements is a change in the angle of the 'i' to match other letter elements this can be seen in my logo above. I have also changed my blog header to include the new typographic elements and create a consistancy between this page and my website.

Let me know what you think. http://www.richardbaird.co.uk/

Update - 12.03.09

2009-03-12T16:16:00.007Z

New Illustration

I have been working on a new illustration I like to call micro illustration and involves creating a large piece of work with lots of tiny illustrations. The piece below is called 'Microbes' (click the image to enlarge).

Hope you like.

Update 23.02.09

2009-02-23T14:52:00.007Z

I was really busy last week as I was contacted by the editor of Computer Arts Projects to take part in the 'Designer Challenge' for March's edition. I put in a fair amount of time completing this work as it is a great opportunity to boost my profile and wanted to come up with a strong concept. I think I might also have a page in the 'Showcase' pages as I wrote a bit about self-promotion the theme of the magazine for that month and they asked for some images that can accompany the article. I am trying not to get excited as I know these things can get dropped at the last moment so I'm keeping my fingers firmly crossed!

I had to do this while continuing with all the work I had booked in so my desk got quite messy. I am currently working on a brochure for Tyrrell Design, I designed their logo (below) and brand guidelines so this is a great opportunity to continue to build a strong brand narrative.

Update - 11.2.9

2009-02-11T11:00:00.005Z

The microsite mixm8 i designed is now live. The aim of this site is to build the community before the 2.5D social networking and music site is launched. I designed all the pages including banners and the mixm8 logo. The backgrounds have been designed by graphic artist Jon Burgerman.

Freelance Design Blog - 9.2.9

2009-02-09T13:05:00.017Z

After three and a half years of designing I finally have my worked featured in a book. I submitted work for 'Symbols, Pictogram's and Symbols' by Marta Americh and published by Index Books (see below) over half a year ago so it has been a long wait to see my work in a book.

The unfortunate thing is they have spelt my name slightly wrong even though the proof was correct. When I began freelancing I would have been really annoyed and frustrated but these days I just laugh it off and focus on the next publication.

I also got confirmation that my work on 'Hotcan' will also feature in the book 'Packaging Identity' scheduled for release this winter.

I have submitted work for two other books including the popular 'Logo Lounge' series. I see publications as an important factor in promoting my work within the design industry and spend at least a couple of hours each week looking for publications to feature in.

Above is a recent illustration I did for mixm8.com and is also available for license.

I will aim to post shorter but more frequently so check back soon. Thanks for reading.

Freelance Design Blog - 15.01.09

2009-01-15T10:24:00.010Z

Happy New Year !

So a new year has begun and I'm hoping that all the seeds I have planted will grow into some nice projects. This year I expect the launch of the premium cosmetic packaging and a new virtual music/networking/socialising website I designed and branded. Each of these are potentially quite big and innovative so I'm hoping for some good exposure.

I began this year with a Redbull website set for the PS3 and have started work on a power point presentation for a very large online advertising company (unfortunately not Google). I have also in my spare during the Xmas break developed my illustrative skills. I have decided to keep these off istock and license these myself and get them onto more high profile campaigns and websites. I have already had a take up and these will feature as backgrounds on a new website alongside illustrations created by the celebrated graphic artist Jon Burgerman which I am very excited about. I have posted some of the work below.

Please e-mail me if you would like to license any of these images.

I hope you like this new work and look forward to reading your comments.

Freelance Design Blog - 19.11.08

2008-11-19T12:23:00.016Z

I have finally accepted that this is now becoming a monthly blog but I hope everyone can carry on reading and sending their opinions which I really appreciate.

November

I was in Rotterdam at the start of this month for an event called Full On Ferry which was at the Ahoy, it is a dance event with around 10,000 people in attendance. While I was there dancing I went to there to get a drink and to my amazement just as I got the bar I saw a girl wearing a T-shirt with one of my prints! It is one I did for istock, the problem is you don't know where they go or who uses them as long as they buy the right license, so they can end up anywhere in the world. I was more surprised at the coincidence of me being in Holland for the first time amongst 10,000 people and to meet that one person at a bar at that moment! Sometimes you start to question coincidence. I politely asked to take a picture (I'm not sure the boyfriend was sold on the 'I designed your T-shirt' line) and she kindly let me which I have posted below. I have also included the original illustration below that.

Work in brief

My brand development for bankcareersdirect went live on their website, this was designed for Curve Corporation a London based digital design agency. I felt the logo should have a more corporate banking feel to it while retaining a link to the company's original colourway and features typographical modifications. It was also the first time I had to write some brand guidelines which allow the designer to maintain a level of quality after it leaves his or her hands. I recently saw a logo I designed where a web designer had put a white stroke around it completely destroying the impact, this wouldn't have happened if there were guidelines. I did mention it to my client and they agreed to have it changed. Phew!

I completed another brand development this month for start all over this was also designed for Curve Corporation. The square icon was originally designed as a circle but the client really wanted to have it as below. I designed it so the arrows show an anti-clockwise motion to signify to go back and to start a-fresh reflecting the companies recruitment angle while featuring typographical modifications and a modern colourway.

I have just finished work on a micro site for a new social and music network which looks quite modern and I am looking forward to seeing the final development. Although I tend to stay away from websites when a brief comes in that is interesting and can be approached from a more graphic angle I will usually say yes!

I have had a chance to slim down my website and focus it on graphic, packaging and branding (removing furniture products and visualisations) as well as refining my own identity which you may notice is no longer 'work in progress design'. I initially thought it would be a good idea to build a company name rather than my own but recently felt that it leads to confusion and wanted to promote my name instead. I now own www.richardbaird.com and www.richardbaird.co.uk which I was delighted to find available. I would definitely recommend that freelancers use their names, yes it is cool to make up quirky pseudonyms but from a business perspective it makes more sense that people can relate to you on a personal level as well as aiding word of mouth. People also tend to think that individuals will provide a more direct service and can be more cost effective, pseudonyms will give the impression you're a company and may be a turn-off for new businesses.

I recently got some packaging samples back for a new product which uses a brand new opening solution. It's one of those great moments when a designer gets a step closer to having a commercial product on the shelf. It has taken a while to get to this stage with a lot of revisions but it is finally coming together, as a designer patience is paramount never rush things!

Well that's everything that I can actually talk about, check back next month as I should be able to post a link to the micro site. Thanks for reading.

Freelance Design Blog - 22.10.08

2008-10-22T12:31:00.009+01:00

It has been another busy month of branding, packaging and web design but I have decided to have an hour for lunch today and squeeze in a bit of blogging.

Non-disclosure Agreements (NDA)

I recently was given an NDA to sign which would restrict me from promoting myself with specific pieces of work. I am aware that NDA'S are an important part of containing information when working with bigger business's but what it would effectively do is cut me from my work. My main concern was what if in the future that particular brand goes global or starts investing in TV advertising flashing their logo on screen which I designed? The NDA would act as a gagging order which I know would REALLY frustrate me and I would loose some valuable exposure. So my angle was to (and I would suggest this to other freelancers) is to ask for an NDA which pertains to individual projects specifying what can and can't be promoted. In my case all web stuff I'm happy to go with a promotions black-out as I'm not interested in promoting myself as a web designer. But when it comes to branding new companies I asked to have the ability to use it in promotion effectively becoming the named designer but fitting neatly under whichever company I was contracting for. My client has never heard of a contractor asking for such rights but I believe that it is important for a designer and their design to be allowed to maintain a relationship.

I design for the opportunity to create a lasting mark that I will be recognised for. By taking steps early in my career I can hopefully reap the benefits in the future.

Netelek

This was a very exciting project to work on as renewable energy has an exciting future feel about it which I wanted to capture in the mark. Netelek are manufacturers and installers of renewable technologies including tidal, solar and wind farms. Each wave represents the energies in a dynamic motion, the typography was developed to express the technology aspect through a bold and slanted typeface. The name was originally a cool gray chosen to bolster the technology aspect but the client asked for it to be changed to orange like their old logo. I have warmed slightly to the orange but would of preferred the gray, as a freelancer you won't always get your own way and sometimes you just have to smile at the client and get over it. (That's after some serious begging).

Kim Klelund

You should never design for your friends...I would disagree after designing this brand with Kim Klelund, she was very easy to please and a pleasure to work with. www.kimklelund.com

Tyrrell Design Ltd

I have been working with a building design firm on a re-brand. I think what was particularly interesting is how the client really understood the value of getting a more personal service rather than the £50 off the shelf logos. The mark is based on the Tyrrell Knot but features three connected houses. The temptation is to go blue and green when working on building and architectural firms but wanted to avoid any of the 90's. The result has a homely welcoming feel, the key was to avoid coming across as too exclusive and expensive without looking cheap. I also added a touch of nostalgia by referring to the iconic red Monopoly houses in the mark.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my latest blog and look forward to any comments or questions.

Freelance Design Blog - 23.9.8

2008-09-23T16:24:00.007+01:00

My apologies for not updating as frequently as I would like, expect something by the end of this month including new identities for a structural design company and a recruitment website. I also have a few more Sony Home screen grabs as well that I will post.

Below is picture of my website rebrand, the font is Logan Caps I designed a while back, hope you like.

Please check back soon!

Freelance Design Blog - 7.6.8

2008-07-08T14:35:00.021+01:00

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Let me begin by apologising for the delay in writing my latest blog entry, things have changed a lot since then as I have taken on a lot more work and clients which has kept me extremely busy. I have made a special effort to take a couple of hours off to write this blog and hope it is an interesting read. Ideally I would of liked to have put together this entry in chronological order but as it has been a while recalling the order would require me to pull out all the invoices which would take a while. To keep things simple I will just discuss the more interesting elements.
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Outso

I posted some early concepts for the company 'Outso' on earlier blogs but can now add the final concept. I also designed the website outso.com. The company couldn't exhibit samples of their work on their website due to their clients copyright agreements so had to rely on an identity that could express their experience within graphics and software development. The concept emerged from juxtaposing a floral element with a circuit visual inspired by the movie 'Tron'.

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Redbed

Again I posted the early concepts on previous blogs but can now add the final logo, I also designed an number of adverts which featured in targeted magazines. The final logo concept is very literal but really fits within the industry. I have been working with the people behind this brand since I began freelancing 3 years ago which has allowed me to continue to build a graphic portfolio after studying 3D design. It's possible for new freelancers to cross industries and shouldn't be afraid to tackle new disciplines as it can often lead to meeting new people and new business.

Shower Safe

This company had a great product but a very poor visual presence, I was employed to create a new brand narrative which included a new logo and artwork direction for a marketing pack.
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The logo came to me very quickly and cropped up about 30 minutes into designing which can sometimes happen. The client was with me as I was creating this and could say yes there and then. This isn't a process I would usually do but as there was not a project fee agreed but an hourly fee it ended up being very cheap for the client. I would suggest that other freelances set up a project fee to avoid this happening. The final identity has a dynamic quality with the droplet changing colour to suit the environment it is placed. I felt that with it's strong identifiable shape that it was possible to avoid using an obvious blue.

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I directed the marketing pack concept to have a governmental info pack feel, by numbering the documents and placing safety information on the front it takes on an official look. The idea was that although the product isn't a legal requirement that it should be a moral one.
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Scarlett & George

Scarlett & George have finally released their identity which I developed with them over a number of months. The company use's only quality natural ingredients wherever possible, synthetics are only chosen when no natural alternative exists or delivers the quality and safety you expect. They aim to avoid the use of preservatives and solvents where there is a general suspicion of their safety (e.g. parabens). Scarlett & George only use natural colours and fragrances.

The 'Magic Leaf' within the design represents the harmony between science and nature while the swirl (A Maori Koru) is a symbol of creation, peace and personal growth (based on the shape of an unfurling fern). The dynamic wave below the typography symbolises the curves of the body.

I have been working on the packaging for a family of cosmetic creams which I will post when they launch in the near future.

Gallo Wines

I was commissioned by Gallo to create some concepts for a new boutique wine called Bridal Wood. Below are two of the concepts I developed. The first was designed to look like a chalk board, using small symbols to break up the copy I created a short story telling of a vineyard hidden away where many generations have made wine. The second is a illustrative piece giving a fresh approach to bottle labelling and represented the flourishing environment the vineyard is situated in.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog post and will try to update it as soon as I have some more work published. Thanks for reading.

Freelance Design Blog - 4.4.8

2008-04-04T13:13:00.002+01:00

Its been a while since my last post as I have been extremely busy, my apologies to those expecting a weekly blog. So I have managed to flunk rule number 1 of blogging - keep it regular and consistent.

The past few months

I have continued to work with the cosmetics company and moved on to their second more youthful/funky product brand and packaging which is a really exciting as it has a broader consumer market. I have also started to create their website, although I tend to avoid these they are very happy taking a more simplified stylised approach rather than high quantity database/e-commerce website.

I recently hit a problem with the printers who didn't let the ink dry long enough on some business cards and it rubbed onto the ones in front. I'm not a confrontational person and find it difficult to complain. But to the printers credit they were very helpful and reprinted the lot. I would say to people new in the industry is don'to worry about these things, go in and be polite, everyone can make a mistake and often they are happy to sort it out. Don't let the problem build in your head it will probably sort itself out.

I have been working on some digital artwork for a virtual space which was very new as I'm more used to designing to convey information rather just for looks. It's really quite different as you have to view it from a more arty perspective and I'm no artist! It worked out well and look forward to seeing the final environment and doing a bit more in the future.

Went to meet another potential client (a big design consultancy) who really liked my portfolio and got a bit of feedback. It gave me another opportunity to re-assess my work and print some more stuff out so the portfolio was fresh. Try to assess your portfolio every couple of months. Have you printed your work out to the highest quality? Have you structured your portfolio in a cohesive manner? I always put one of the best pieces first and end on something really impressive. Take the viewer on a journey and show then how diverse you are.

That brings things right up to date, sorry there are no pics, maybe next week. I bet I'm going to get a release on all this work at the same time and have a massive picture blog. But until then thanks for reading!

Freelance Design Blog - Eighteen and Nineteen - 22.2.8

2008-02-22T14:21:00.009Z

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istock image of the week - New Character
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My full istock portfolio can be viewed here.
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Stats so far.
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Uploads. 165
Downloads. 1057
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So I finally cracked over a 1000 downloads, been contributing since April 2007 so it's been a long slog and a lot of rejections but it's really been worth it and would recommend it as a way of supplementing a freelance income. If you want any tips on submitting work please feel free to e-mail me.
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Past weeks.
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I have managed to neglect my blogging duties again and post two weeks late so my apologies for anyone expecting a post last week. But I'm glad to say it's down to a hectic work load juggling a variety of clients. This included the design of an advertisement for the back of a double decker bus which is first for me and quite exciting. As the bus has a lot of vents and lights it was quite taxing to work around these elements to create a striking design which included a bit of illustration as well. The clients are really happy with the work but the venue launch date has been pushed back so I don't think it will be on the streets for a while. I will post a pic as soon as it's out.
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The Outso clients were happy with the branding job, I have included some early concepts below, I will post the final artwork at a later date. The Outso and Insignage companies are owned by the same group hence the combined concept. The client can't show much of their work due to copyright so wanted a brand and website to express a real insight into new graphic design and get clients excited about working with them.
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I picked up the cosmetics companies' stationary today which I'm really happy with, the silver metallic has come out really well and I'm looking forward to delivering it to the clients next week. Now the focus is on finalising the packaging which is close to a resolution so fingers crossed it will be with the printers next month.
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Let me know what you think of my work and new WIPD brand (top right), thanks for reading!

Freelance Design Blog - Weeks Sixteen and Seventeen - 6.2.8

2008-02-06T16:51:00.000Z

iStock image of the week - Alien Robot Invasion

My full iStock portfolio can be viewed here.
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Stats so far.

Uploads. 160

Downloads. 986

Hello, it's been two weeks since my last blog and again this is due to the hectic schedule of work which is a great place to be. I read an article recently about how freelancers aren't being affected by the downturn in the economy which is great news and really strengthens our position as the PAYE's take the burn of this changing market. So what a great time to leave your job and set up on your own.

The past two weeks

The cosmetics brand work continues with slight amendments to the packaging as well as working on their presentation boards for a meeting this week which included 3d visuals. I was planning on purchasing an A3 printing to cut costs in the long run but managed to get a good deal at my printers. As a freelancer I have had to often decide whether to purchase certain equipment with the prospect of saving me/making me more money in the long run. There are few things that a freelancer will need but others that will be dependant on the job and how much work/income you're getting. I wouldn't suggest cutting corners but you won't need to fork out for heavy duty printing equipment at the start, I have compiled a list of things I bought at different periods as a freelancer at the bottom of this blog.

I have taken on another client recently which has been another coo, as they have pretty much left it up to me to take it in any direction. They wanted to rebrand two of their sub companies and come up with website concepts. The key to these projects was the ability to convey a sense of graphic style and ability as they were unable to show samples of their work due to copyright restrictions. I don't actual build websites and often turn projects down, so it's really great to design it and have someone else build it. I consider myself really and ideas person and think it shows with the concept they really loved so will post a link when it's up, but it's very illustratively driven!

Currently I'm working on the second brand and website, they have asked me to juxtapose swirling nature, ink on paper styles with a digital feel which is there main business. It's really quite difficult but I think it's starting to work and have literally made the break through which is a relief as the delivery is Friday.

I have also started to build some fonts as a sideline inspired by the last project I worked on. I have added a sneak peak below, still got a lot of work to go, but any opinions are always welcome.

So as promised here are a list of things for a freelancer starting out based on my experience.

Starting out.

A computer (obvious but i'm sure someone would say if I didn't put it in). I use a laptop so I can easily travel to locations and I'm planning to purchase a better monitor for the occasions I'm working from home.

Software - Dependant on the industry and how much you've got to spend. I used what was left of my student loan to fund Photoshop and illustrator and later bought Quark.

Printer - Don't go over the top it's just a good idea to see how it looks on paper - don't trust the colours but the text size is better seen printed.

A bit later on.

Pantone colour guides - A colour bridge is a good idea as it gives a guide to process colours as well.

Paper Sample booklets - Possibly Conqueror but any free samples are good.

For the future - These are on my list of future buys.

High res monitor - Possible tuned to Pantones.

A3 Printer - This will allow you knock off clients presentation boards saving time and money in the long run.

An office - To impress clients

People - If you want to expand and make more money.

That's it for another week, thanks for reading!

Freelance Design Blog - Weeks Thirteen - Fifteen - 18.1.8

2008-01-18T16:09:00.000Z

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iStock image of the week - Collection of Stylised Animals
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My full iStock portfolio can be viewed here.
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Stats so far.
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Uploads. 160
Downloads. 926.
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I must apologise for being a poor blogger, after Xmas I found that I had a lot of work to be getting on with, coupled with two new clients I have found little time to get down to some writing. Luckily I have freed up an hour today to give you an update of whats going on.
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As I have mentioned in the past I have been working with a new furniture shop called redbed designing their Branding. My latest work was for two newspaper adverts advertising their grand opening one a large half page and a second two column advert. (See below)
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I must admit that I didn't come up with 'Everything bedroom and a bit more..' which I must say I really like.
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I will be attending the launch night which will be filled with local business so if anyone has any advice on mingling with these business people it would be appreciated. It will be the first time I have attended a launch but I'm really looking forward to it.
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Scarlett & George
The cosmetic company work is coming along a treat and I have completed the packaging, branded stationary, leaflet insert and am working on their presentation boards which included 3d renderings as the packaging isn't printed yet.
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I would recommend that new freelances get involved in 3d rendering/visualisations as often its an additional service you can offer clients and can get the wow factor. The more you can keep for yourself the better!
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Curve.
I was delighted to get a call from a London based digital design agency with regards in-house promotional items. They had seen my website and were keen to let me come up with my own concepts and artwork with little direction. I really like working on advertising as there's room to create slogans and strap lines creating a bigger picture rather than just some informative artwork. I will post some of the work once they have launched the campaign.
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Outso.
Another new client this year have commissioned me to come up with a modern graphic art website and new brand identity for their company. This is brilliant as its really going to be quite conceptual and hopefully I will create something really unique. I'm moving away from all the glossy buttons and reflections of last year and feel textures and depth of field will be this years big looks. If you have opinion on this feel free to e-mail me!
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So that wraps up what I have been designing since the beginning of this year, just so you don't think I'm completely consumed by design, I do enjoy hanging out at the Orange Tree in Nottingham so if any new freelancers/Designers/Design Students want to chill out and talk design give me an email.
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Thanks for reading!