I used to furiously switch from task to task, completing small tasks as they came up while also working on a larger, longer term project. This felt good, like I was accomplishing things quickly — each small task crossed off the list was like increasing my score in the game of productivity. But while the small […]
Two years ago I authored a simple project visualization plugin dubbed “Project Status.” The inspiration for Project Status, was a simple question I heard frequently. Over the past ten years of client services, I’ve received numerous e-mails and phone calls with the simple and reasonable question… “Where are we at?” It turns out, even with […]
Last week the 3.7 Designs team was invited to speak at LA2M about customer service and client expectations. We spent several hours discussing the topic internally in preparation for our thirty minute presentation. While we discussed a range of skills from planning for the unplanned to being transparent, the most important lesson we covered is […]
Don’t care why I created the plugin? Skip the explanation and download it here. The most valuable insight I have gained from running a design agency is an understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. Like most agency owners or freelancers, I got into the business because I love creativity. While business is exciting and I […]
Several years ago I wrote a post which became shockingly popular called “Free Project Management Tools.” Well a lot has changed since 2008, especially regarding free (or almost free) pm tools. When I first wrote the post, there were some good options but no great ones. Today, the opposite is true. There are so many […]
Due to a few interesting posts on Forrst.com and some interesting client interactions, I have been contemplating the designers ideal role in website creation. It was not long ago that I found myself constantly frustrated because, as the designer I had made informed decisions that people chose to ignore. Much of my energy was being […]
If you are anything like me you started designing on the web because you loved design, not because you wanted to be a project manager. Having met countless agency owners and freelancers it is abundantly clear that while project management is essential to the success of any web project most people struggle with the “best […]
I recently did a presentation at local marketing group LA2M in which I explained how changing the way you look at your website could double if not triple its performance. The group primarily consists of professionals who handle all areas of a company’s marketing plan with the website being one portion, so as a whole […]
If you are in the design business you will run into post-approval changes, nothing is going to eliminate this headache completely. It is easy to shake your fist at the client but in all honestly it really isn’t their fault. They want to end up with the best product possible and sometimes that means that […]
The four little words that make designers cringe, “make the logo bigger.” We joke about it all the time, sometimes with elaborate internet pranks like the make my logo bigger cream. Yet we get this request fairly often (myself almost every time a produce a design). So why is there this disconnect between designers and companies where […]