I've been using SignNow.com to have clients electronically sign documents. I frequently need signatures for agreements and acceptance forms, and SignNow.com gives me a free, simple, legal way to get them. These are the general steps: Upload your document to SignNow. Enter the other party's email address to invite them to sign. The other party […]
Today is my first full day of freelancing as a web designer! Until now, I’ve been moonlighting; working in the mornings before my day job, on my lunch breaks, during evenings, and on Saturdays. Starting today, I’ll be freelancing 1 full day each week, and I’ll be adding days over the next few months, transitioning […]
The Web Design Business Kit 2.0 by Brendon Sinclair My rating: 5 of 5 stars This SitePoint kit is packed with actionable advice and recommendations for web design and development businesses. The author draws on 10 years of firsthand experience plus tips from other successful web professionals. It’s a well-organized, easy read with summaries and […]
I refreshed my branding for 2012 because I converted OptimWise from an IT services business to a web design business. The branding refresh included a new logo and color scheme, so I redesigned my web design business site, OptimWise.com. Besides branding, the other impetus for the redesign was to use responsive web design, so the […]
These are my favorite audio podcasts covering web design and related topics such as web development, usability, and freelancing. Maybe some day I'll write a review for each one, but for now, I just pasted the description from each podcast's site or iTunes page. I've listed them roughly in the order I like them. For […]
Starting Your Career as a Freelance Web Designer by Neil TortorellaMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I’m starting to freelance as a part-time web designer, so this book was exactly what I needed. It addresses all areas of freelance web design, including the design process, rates and billing, contracts, insurance, client relations, and marketing. Tortorella […]
Note: The Freelance Jam podcast has been discontinued. This week I discovered Freelance Jam, a podcast for web freelancers. The iTunes description is "Freelance Jam is the show for independent professionals who build the web. Hosted by Brian Casel (@casjam) and Dave Yankowiak (@daveyank) with guests from across the web industry. Topics include freelance business, […]
I thought my post 9 best WordPress podcasts for WordPress tips, reviews, news included all the active WordPress podcasts, but Dustin R. Hartzler left a comment recommending his podcast, Your Website Engineer. I've listened to several of the recent episodes, and so far I'm impressed! There've been 31 episodes since it started in December 2010. Give […]
Sexy Web Design: Creating Interfaces that Work by Elliott Jay Stocks My rating: 2 of 5 stars A simple introduction to the principles of presentational, front-end web design. It’s a very easy, visual read, full of colorful examples. It covers several specific techniques, but it’s more inspirational than a reference book. I was hoping for […]
Web Design: A Beginner's Guide Second Edition by Wendy Willard My rating: 2 of 5 stars This book is probably only useful if you're completely new to web design. The book itself isn't very educational, but it includes dozens of references to tools, sites, and services that are useful for learning web design. The most […]
Interested in learning about Google's products for small businesses? Jason Kehrer and I discussed a few of them at the Chamber Tech Lunch on April 21, 2011. About 70 attendees shared their experiences and asked and answered questions, mostly about Google's tools for online marketing. Tips for all Google products PageRank Google AdWords Google Analytics […]
I talked about careers in Information Technology and Web Design at Career Day at a high school on April 22, 2011. Here's my presentation, plus a few resources for students interested in these fields. Hint: click the play button, then click More in the corner of the presentation to switch to fullscreen. Presentation Resources
