I recently had the pleasure of meeting Dean Rieck.

You might have run across Dean from articles in DM News, Inside Direct Mail or any number of other publications he’s been in.

As a copywriter, Dean, and people like him, are partners with us as we work to create successful marketing material for our clients.

So I read with interest his Open Letter to Direct Mail Designers.

One thing that stood out to me was this comment:

I’m not trying to win awards. I don’t care whether people are impressed. My only concern is helping the client increase profits. I sincerely hope that is your concern as well.

And hopefully that’s your goal. The best award you can “win” is a happy client who keeps coming back to you because you’re helping him make money.

I’ve told this story before, but if you’re new here… One of my first clients years ago needed a cover for his special report. I got way too fancy with Photoshop. In an e-mail back to me, the client said, “My wife hates it.”

His wife was right. It wasn’t good. The second version was a winner, but I was still embarrassed.

To this day, I cringe when I think about it. But that’s part of the rookie learning experience.

However, there’s no harm in learning from what other more experienced people have learned. So read what Dean has to say and take it to heart.

Your clients don’t really care that you’re a whiz with Photoshop or that you’re Adobe Certified in InDesign. That’s great if you are. But if you can’t apply that to successful direct mail pieces, your client isn’t going to be impressed.

Unimpressed clients hire someone else.

As I mentioned here, I joined Twitter earlier this month, albeit reluctantly.

I also mentioned that I would keep you updated because I know others are in the same position I’m in: Wondering if the hype can translate into work for a freelancer.

I’m certainly aware this is a process that takes time, so you’re not going to read about all my job successes via Twitter today because there aren’t any yet.

But I have learned a few things about how I need to approach Twitter and how some of my early assumptions were off-base.

One of the reasons I joined Twitter was not just because people I knew were having success finding work there, but also because I realized my beliefs about Twitter were not based on personal experience. Since Twitter accounts are free, it was easy enough to create an account and see things up-close for myself.

Remember, I’m doing this strictly for business reasons and there’s a certain level of professionalism I want to maintain.

For that reason, one of the first things I wanted to do was ditch the horrid backgrounds Twitter offers, and create an icon that was useful.

First, the background. I did a search for “twitter backgrounds” and came across a great site that had Photoshop templates that you could alter. So this is what I ended up with: http://twitter.com/dmdesigner

I saw that other people did something similar. Sometimes the results were stunning, sometimes embarrassing. In my case, I wanted to provide useful information like how to contact me, my websites, what I do, and what my focus on Twitter is. (More about that last point later.)

It did also occur to me that making professional backgrounds for companies is a potential income source. When you see how simple a background template is, anyone with even minimal knowledge of Photoshop could crank these things out.

For my picture icon I created something incredibly simple that tells people what I do and clarifies my Twitter name: dmdesigner which is short for direct market designer.

Most people seem to use their personal picture which, in this case, isn’t such a bad thing. But because most people seem to do that, easily readable text as an icon with a white background actually stands out in a stream of tweets that someone is looking at, filled with personal photos or complex images.

Based on numerous recommendations, I downloaded the free TweetDeck to manage my account. It’s a separate program that runs independent of your browser. For me, it’s far more efficient.

I’m still trying to find the best folks to follow. I do follow some colleagues and other “names” in the industry. I’m still a bit shocked over how some big names seem to pass along rather useless information, like what they had for breakfast that morning.

If my family and I, scattered all across the country, were following each other on a personal level, what everyone ate would be fine. But for business, I’m not so sure.

I was following one person whom I thought was going to be providing a solid stream of design-related info. He didn’t. He seemed to have an obsession with one topic in particular. After about a week, I stopped following him.

I’m not sure, but I may be breaking protocol in not automatically following people who follow me. I do take the time to check out the people who follow me. If I see that they have something to offer that I can learn from, I’ll follow them back.

But some people following me are simply on a mission to get others to sign up for their “get rich” product. I’m OK with a little selling, but when just about every message from you is a sales pitch, no thanks. Or, they seem to look at Twitter as a sport in that they want to have as many followers as possible.

I couldn’t help but notice that some big names follow far, far fewer people than the number that follows them. Some type of lesson there, perhaps?

For some people who follow me, I have no idea what their Twitter purpose is. That’s not such a great sin because there’s no law that says you have to have a purpose. But if I’m going to follow someone, I want some sense of their focus.

That’s why I include a “Twitter Focus” on my home site… I want people to know what to expect from me so they can make an informed decision about whether they want to follow me. I might be inclined to follow some of these followers if I had a clue as to what they’re using Twitter for. (Although, it wasn’t hard to guess the purpose when “hornie hottie” started following me. Thankfully, the account had been banned before I could even block that account from following me.)

One thing that I had originally wanted to stay away from was non-business chit-chat. However, I think this is an area where I was wrong about how to use Twitter. A great lesson I learned (which I’m sure you’ve heard before) is that people like to do business with people they know. And, frankly, some of this non-business chatting is one way of doing that.

So I’ve made some comments totally unrelated to business, but certainly useful in just bonding with people on a personal level. That is a good thing. And, honestly, it’s a fun thing, especially for those of us who work from home and don’t have much face-to-face interactions like people who work in an office.

Like most others, I’ll still post links I find of interest, or some quote I find interesting. I wish I was providing something deeper, but I’m still new to this and can’t say I’ve found my comfort zone yet. If you’re just posting links and quotes, I think it’s a little harder to build meaningful connections. At some point, you’re going to want/need to actually have conversations with people.

Bottom line: Still learning, still finding my way, still finding the right people I want to follow, still trying to contribute something useful, no longer thinking Twitter is a complete waste of time, but not yet convinced it’s as amazing as others do.

To be continued…

This week Adobe gave a preview of the new Creative Suite 4 (CS4) which is due in October. One question I often get is whether a direct market designer should upgrade. They want to know whether the new features are worth the expense.

The “direct market” part is important since we traditionally don’t need lots of fancy features. It’s kind of like Word. For many years Word has been more than capable of handling your word processing needs. So the task for Microsoft is convincing you with each new version that there’s some new feature worth upgrading for.

To a degree, that’s Adobe’s dilemma as well. To their credit, each new CS4 product has at least one really neat new feature. But whether it’s enough to drop some serious money on is another matter.

It wasn’t very long ago at all that CS3 came out. And it suffered a bit from not initially playing nice in some areas with both Leopard and Vista operating systems.

This time, that shouldn’t be an issue… CS4 should work great with both operating systems right out of the box. But you really need to look at the list of new features for your favorite applications to see if an upgrade is worthwhile on release day.

This year, more than any other, I’ve been struck by how much I need to retain my ability to work with older versions of the Adobe titles. For example, I have one client who needs my files to be available in CS2 format. I create them in CS3, but I then have to save them as an INX file, reopen them in CS2 and save them as CS2 files. (Yes, I know… the client should be able to open the INX files in CS2, but it hasn’t worked like it’s supposed to.)

Thankfully, when I upgraded from CS2 to CS3, I was allowed to keep CS2 on my computer. And I expect that when I upgrade to CS4, I’m going to want to retain CS3. Also, you never know when some smaller print shops will get around to upgrading. So giving them files that include features their version of the software can’t handle is going to be a pain.

I say all this just as a caution not to jump into the CS4 pool immediately. It’s always tempting to get these new applications and start playing with the new features. But these days I tend to think it’s better to sit back and see what the “early adopters” have to say and decide objectively whether the new features are ones you’ll actually use as a direct market designer.

Personally, I see lots of great new features in Photoshop and InDesign (my two main tools), but I’m not seeing a lot that is going to significantly change the way I work. I’ll eventually upgrade, but I highly doubt I’ll be a “Day One” user.

Not unlike the views I shared about rush fees, today’s topic is likely to tick some people off.

A question came up in a discussion forum about whether designers should give clients their source files. For example, you do the layout of a magalog. The client approves it and you send it to the printer for printing. Then, the client asks for the files used to create the magalog. That might be your InDesign or Quark files, and any Photoshop or Illustrator files.

What do you say to that request?

Surprisingly, to me at least, some designers say no. I’ve tried to figure out why they say no, but I have yet to come up with anything other than fear.

Even worse, they use this “logic” as justification: Does a restaurant give you their recipes just because you bought the meals?

This has got to be one of the most baffling reasonings I’ve ever heard. Here’s a little secret for designers… you’re not a restaurant. You’re not a mechanic either. Or a bank teller. You’re a designer. So don’t buy into this notion that what is done in some other occupation is what you’re required to do.

If you’re going to compare yourself with another occupation, you’re obligated to take it all the way. Do you only offer some design services at certain times of the day like restaurants that have different menus for lunch and dinner? Do you offer Happy Hour pricing for your services if people hire you between at certain hours of the day?

Honestly, I think any excuse for not handing over your source files to a client is, bottom line, fear. Fear that the client will take those files and use them to do future jobs without you based on your work. Fear that they’ll take those files and mess something up.

One of the joys of freelancing is not having to work with people again if they do things you don’t like. So if they take your source files and mess things up before it gets to the printer, don’t work with them again or have a clear understanding that source files are just for their archiving purposes, not to make changes.

Even worse than the “no source file” policy is when designers actually hand over the files if the client pays more to get them. So much for standing by your beliefs that source files are sacred.

Let me give you some reasons that I think you should be willing to hand over your source files.

1. With some jobs, you’ll have to give the source files to the printer. You can’t always just provide a PDF. At that point, if you’ve given the files to the printer, what is your justification for not giving them to the person who paid you to create them? Plus, your client could just get the source files directly from the printer if you’re not going to provide them.

2. There are times when the client wants you to do about 98% of the work with the rest being handled internally. Are you going to turn down jobs like that? I’ve worked on a number of projects, totaling thousands of dollars, where I’m doing the majority of work with some details handled later by an in-house design team. Wouldn’t it be silly of me to refuse to hand over the files? And it’s not a valid argument to say that it’s a different situation if you’re hired to only do part of the work.

3. I’ve worked on many projects where the original designer is no longer available or has lost the files, yet the project needs to be updated. If I don’t have the source files, I have to start from scratch. If you were in that position, wouldn’t you hope that the original designer had made the files available to the client?

4. Sometimes, last minute changes need to be made to the layout once you’ve sent them off. This happens frequently in the financial arena. You’ve done the work for some project where the numbers being quoted in the copy are time-sensitive. Right before printing, the numbers need to be changed. These changes may need to be changed by the printer or the client. How often do you think the client is going to want to work with you if you have a “no source file” policy?

5. Your time is valuable. Let’s say you do the layout of a book. A year or so later, the book needs to be reprinted with a different printer. Wouldn’t it be nice if the client could forward those files to the printer instead of contacting you, making you stop whatever projects you’re working on, dig up those files and get them sent off. A surprising amount of time can be spent revisiting past projects. (A topic I hope to tackle here on the blog in the future.)

Now there is at least one area to be aware of when it comes to handing over source files: font copyrights.

It’s generally accepted that you can send the fonts with source files to a printer. It’s not so clear-cut when it comes to sending those fonts to a client. So if you’re going to provide source files, you’ll either need to exclude the fonts, or make sure the client has the fonts you used on their own computers. You might even buy the fonts for the client and add that to the cost of the project. If there are other parts of the project that are copyrighted by a third-party, don’t ignore those copyrights.

If you’re going to have a “no source file” policy, fine. Just do yourself a favor and have a legitimate reason to give the client if they ask for the files. Please don’t embarrass yourself by responding, “Do restaurants give you the recipe just because you bought the meal?” That kind of answer appears to make sense on the surface until you dig a bit deeper and realize that the two situations aren’t the same in any way.

And if you have a reason for not providing source files that don’t translate into fear, e-mail me. I’d be happy to include your thoughts in a future article here.

One of the first jobs I got as a freelance designer came about when, on a whim, I e-mailed someone whose website I stumbled across. He sold PDF informational products.

Since the only thing I knew how to do at that point was 3D book covers in Photoshop, I figured I had nothing to lose in introducing myself and explaining that I could handle his 3D book cover needs. (Those are the covers you see on websites that illustrate downloadable products.)

About a day later, I got a phone call from him. He liked the samples on my website, but here’s why he decided to hire me instead of someone else: I had my phone number and my address on my website.

He said that it bothered him that some people he might use for design and copywriting didn’t include that information. There was usually an e-mail link, or an e-mail form, but from his experience very few sites he visited listed a phone number or mailing address.

Sure, he might get that information after he e-mailed or hired the freelancer. But he felt that having the phone number and mailing address on the website said something about the freelancer. To him it said that you weren’t afraid to be accessible if someone had an immediate question prior to hiring you.

Maybe he was old-school… not one who wanted to type out long e-mail messages and then wait around for answers or wonder if the e-mail got through a spam filter.

Of course, his feelings on the matter were just his opinion. Not having a phone number and address on your site doesn’t mean you’re an untrustworthy designer and it doesn’t mean you’ll never get jobs. It just meant that, in this particular case, I stood out simply because I had that information on my site.

If providing that information on your site could land you a few extra jobs here and there, would it be worth it to you?

And that’s my point… sometimes we don’t do the easy things that might sway a potential client in our favor. Was it hard to have my phone number and address on my website. Not at all! But we do have to take the time to thoroughly think through what potential clients are looking for when they visit our sites. It’s not always just about displaying your design skills.

As I was writing this, I was contacted by a freelancer who was requesting some information. I went to his site and didn’t see a phone number, address or even some indication of where he was located. That says nothing about his design skills, but there are people out there who want to see that information before they contact you. No, it doesn’t completely make sense, but it’s a reality for some clients and you’d be wise to take that into consideration.

Here’s something I did a long time ago and I’d recommend you do the same. I looked at my website, my home page in particular, and asked, “What information is missing that a potential client may want to know?” And, “What information is currently there that really doesn’t need to be there?”

In the end, I restructured my whole site to make it as lean as possible. My contact information, instead of being on a Contact page, is at the bottom of every page. I also knew that people thinking of hiring me would be in a hurry. So I made sure my home page had all the important information:

1. An overall view of what I do and my Unique Selling Proposition
2. A list of the types of projects I handle
3. A few samples of my work
4. My contact information

Now let me tell you a piece of information that I removed from my home page that I used to think had value: a list of some of the design tools I use. What I found was that, for the type of clients I target, there’s already an assumption that I’m using professional-level tools and not doing something like magalog or book layouts in Word.

While the list of tools I use only took a sentence on my home page, it didn’t meet the criteria of what I thought was the core information my target clients would want if they only had time to look at my home page.

These days, if they only look at the home page, they have a pretty good idea of what I’m all about, what my skills are, and how to reach me. If they need more information, a larger portfolio and testimonials are on sub-pages. Or, they can pick up the phone and call me.

Is your home page providing only the most useful information to your potential clients? Or are you spilling your guts and overloading people with more information than they initially need at first glance?

I continue to be amazed (and thankful) at the quality training podcasts that are available for free.

A new one dedicated to Adobe Illustrator has surfaced called Gradient Mesh. As I write this, the podcast is only two issues old, so time will tell if this is a podcast that direct market designers will get some use out of that they can directly apply to their projects.

But as someone who has been having to spend more time in Illustrator recently, I welcome anything like this that’s going to make me more comfortable moving around in the program. (Side note: I’m seeing a Lynda.com subscription in my future very soon to get some extra training.)

Gradient Mesh is presented very professionally by Justin Seeley. It reminds me a lot of one of my favorite podcasts, The InDesigner which is a similar style in terms of solid information without what my kids call “silly business”. “Silly business” is what you see a lot of in Photoshop User TV, another great podcast, but one that I find myself fast-forwarding through a lot these days to get past the silliness and on to the tips. That type of silliness gets old quickly and, frankly, I don’t have time for it anymore. (Still, it’s free so I hate to complain too much about it.)

Justin also has a Photoshop podcast, but I have yet to check it out.

In my mind, this new Illustrator podcast fills an underserved arena. I just haven’t run across many Illustrator podcasts that are updated consistently. Of course, when people are doing these podcasts and offering them for free, you want to cut them some slack. But I’m hoping Justin steps into this void with lots of great tips and hints.

My very first computer was an Apple 2e (or ][e for those of you old enough to remember they way they wrote it out back then.) But over time, I moved over to a PC and eventually ended up working for what some people humorously refer to as The Evil Empire. (That would be Microsoft.)

As a designer, I work on both a Mac and PC, with the PC being my primary platform. Until now. As the years have gone on, I’ve grown weary of battling Windows for control of my computer. And I have a high tolerance since I’m a bit more familiar with making Windows run smoothly than the aveage user.

But as I’ve had a Mac and PC running side-by-side on my desk, I’ve noticed something: The Mac works better. There are some aspects that I don’t think are as good as a Windows machine, but those reasons are dwindling.

So, this weekend, I started migrating my files over to the Mac, including my mail. I’ve still got some projects I started on my PC that I want to finish there, but I think I’ll be starting all new projects on the Mac.

Now, I’m not telling you this just to share my personal life. There’s a design aspect you should be aware of.

When it comes to software, the main tools of the design trade (InDesign, Quark, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, etc.) all work on both PC’s and Mac’s. And in most cases, a client doesn’t care if you’re using a PC or Mac.

But…

I’ve never had a client require a project be done on a PC, but I have had the requirement a few times that it be done on a Mac. If you’re a PC user, don’t worry. There’s still plenty of work for if you’re only using a PC. But if you’re at that stage where you can go either way, go Mac.

This is just my own experience, plus a little inside knowledge from my time as a Windows tester at Microsoft, but the Mac operating system is more stable than Windows, and it doesn’t even matter which version of Windows you want to talk about.

I’m not saying OS X (the current Mac operating system) is perfect. I am saying that, by and large, it has fewer problems and will get in your way less often.

There are some downsides to using a Mac, so in fairness I’ll raise those issues.

First, if you depend on Office like I do, the current Mac version of Office is inferior to any of the recent PC versions, especially when it comes to Entourage (the Mac version of Outlook.) While a new version of Office for the Mac is due later this year, based on a few things I’m reading, I’m not entirely confident of what we’ll get or if it will be vastly improved. I hope I’m proven wrong on that.

Second, I always advocate a back-up system in case your main system dies. PC’s are so low in price I wouldn’t be surprised to see them given away in cereal boxes if they could fit. But Mac’s are another story. They’re pricey and not something you can find easily at Costco or some discount computer store.

If you’re running your business off a Mac and it dies, how easily can you get it replaced and be up and running again? A lot of people who use PC’s actually have more than one in the house, so temporarily moving to another PC if your main one dies isn’t as big a deal.

So those are a couple of potential downsides to be aware of. I’m sure there are more. But for me, I’ve had it. I’ve been battling Windows since version 3.1. I’ve served my time. The main design software I use runs just as easily (if not better) on a Mac than it does a PC, so there’s nothing holding me to Windows except old habits. I’ll still have a PC on hand for projects that require it and for non-business software that is PC only. (And, no, I don’t intend to run Windows on my Intel Mac.)

So the next time you read a post here from me, it will have been written on a Mac and I will have cast aside the daily shackles of Windows!! (Ok, that’s no big deal and it won’t make any difference to you in how you read this blog. I was just trying to end on a dramatic note because this is a really geeky topic to be discussing.)

On the day I’m writing this, Adobe has just let the world in on what to expect with next version of the Creative Suite due toward the end of April here in the U.S.

Without a doubt, I’m upgrading. (I’m kind of a geek that way.) But I always hear this question from beginning designers: Do I need to upgrade? In other words, they’d love to get the latest and greatest, but it’s not cheap either.

I’ll cut right to the chase…you won’t stop getting jobs if you are using older versions of InDesign, Photoshop or Illustrator. So don’t feel you have to get CS3 in order to keep up with everyone else.

Having said that, if you depend on these programs, I’ve seen enough to know that each one has improvements that make life a little easier and will probably make you more efficient.

For example, InDesign has a new “multiple place” feature. In CS2, you can only place one thing at a time in a document. That’s not fun when you have a dozen or so pictures you want to put in a document. It’s just so repetitive to have to go through the process of opening and placing each file one at a time.

With the ability to place multiple items in one whack (you do have to click to place each one), you save yourself time.

That’s what I mean…nothing really earth-shattering, but with so many little improvements, your life is going to be a bit easier.

Also, for you Intel Mac folks, this version of CS3 was created to take advantage of the Intel processor. You should find it runs much smoother than CS2 does on an Intel Mac.

For you Vista folks, I’m sure everything will be fine (in fact, Adobe says it will be fine), but do some research before you buy to make sure CS3 and Vista play nicely together. Being a former software tester at Microsoft, I’ve seen it all when it comes to a brand new operating system working with brand new software.

The web design tool, GoLive, is no longer a part of the Suite, replaced by Dreamweaver. (Raise your hand if you didn’t see that coming.)

And in certain Suite configurations, Flash is now included. (There are multiple configurations for you to choose from. I’m going with CS3 Design Premium.)

I continue to stand by something I’ve said when people just starting out in design ask what software they should buy: If you buy an Adobe CS product, you basically get a complete design studio in one box. (Of course, it’s up to you to learn how to use it.) It can be pricey, but with one purchase, you’re on your way.

And, obviously, you can buy any of the software titles individually…so if you just care about InDesign, you can buy it alone.

But, again, if you’re a current Adobe software user and finances don’t allow you to upgrade, you’re going to be ok unless you run into a client who demands you use something you don’t have and I haven’t had that happen too often.

A lot of people have done great work today to provide video previews of new software in CS3. I’m going to point you to those if you want to learn more.

First, for an overview, head over to the Adobe website.

Adobe Creative Suite Podcast – This is primarily a slide show overview the whole Suite, but also includes some video demos. (Watch the 3D stuff in Photoshop and Live Color in Illustrator. Waaaay cooool!)

InDesign Secrets Podcast – New features in InDesign (audio)

The InDesigner – New features in InDesign (video)

Photoshop CS3 Learning Center – Lots of videos showing off the new Photoshop

Real World Illustrator Podcast – New features in Illustrator

Total Training Videos – Despite being pricey, hands-down the best professional video training you can buy.

This is kind of an exciting year for major software releases. First, Windows Vista is out. Later this year, Apple will release it’s latest operating system.

For designers, the new Adobe Creative Suite 3 will be out, probably before Summer. (Actually, more info is going to be released about the next Suite on March 27th.)

The reason I bring this up is because you may want to hold off on some software purchases.

For example, if you’ve been thinking of buying the current Adobe CS2 in the next few weeks, you may want to wait until CS3 comes out if possible. No point in getting used to CS2 – and spending money on it – only to feel the need to upgrade to the new CS3 a few months later. (And from what I’m reading, CS3 is going to be worth the wait.)

Also, if you own, say, Photoshop and you’re thinking of buying some plug-ins for it, again you may want to wait since some plug-ins may not work on the upcoming Photoshop, assuming you plan to upgrade. You want to make sure the plug-in makers are going to make your favorite plug-ins compatible with the design tools you use.

Those of you who have upgraded operating systems in the past know the challenges of getting all of your old software and hardware to work on a new operating system. So it usually pays to plan upgrades as best you can and ensure the software you need will still work. (And that the operating system you choose is stable.)

It’s hard to recommend to people what they should buy without knowing a lot about them and their goals, but I will say this: If you are totally new to design and don’t have ties to any type of software or operating system at this point, hold out until Apple releases their next OS (Leopard, I think) and then get Adobe Creative Suite 3 and a new Apple computer. (I use an iMac.)

With the Apple computer and OS, you’ll get a solid system. With CS3, you’ll get virtually a complete design studio with on software purchase. (Learning to put it to good use is up to you.) Yes, the whole thing will be pricey…Apple computers aren’t inexpensive nor is any Adobe Suite.

But I’ve got PCs and Apples and just about every design software that’s popular. If I had to strip it down to the bare minimum, I’d go with Apple and the Adobe Suite and be confident that I could run a successful design business.

I’ve spent a lot of time recently looking at websites of freelancers…not just freelance designers and copywriters, but freelancers of all types.

Over time, I’ll share various thoughts, but I’ll just focus on one area today. This one is kind of specific to designers and copywriters. It may be a bit controversial, but just take it as one person’s opinion. (I guess it’s only controversial if you disagree with me.)

It’s not uncommon for a freelancer to list clients he or she has worked for. I don’t, for no reason in particular. But I have nothing against other people listing their clients on their website.

But that’s where we run into potential problems. How do you define a client? You’d think that would be easy enough, but not quite.

I’ve seen some beginners list companies they’ve done spec assignments for as clients. This is a gray area, but I don’t believe that just because you did a spec assignment for someone, that qualifies them as a client.

If that were the case, and I wanted to create an impressive list of “clients”, I could do a bunch of unsolicited spec assignments for Microsoft, Boeing, Ford and any other well-known name you could think of. I could even send my work off to those companies. Whether or not I got a job from them, or even a response, wouldn’t matter much because my main goal would be to list them as “clients.”

Does it make a difference if the company was actively soliciting for spec assignments? In my mind, it doesn’t.

Here’s how I define a client for my business: An individual or company that uses a design or layout I have created.

Notice there’s nothing in there about being paid. Although all my jobs are paid, my only criteria for being considered a client is if they used something I created based on their request for my services.

So what’s the big deal of listing spec work as “client” work? To me, it’s an issue of trust. As I’ve said before, the difference between you getting a job and not getting a job is often due to very minor, subtle things. And part of your job is to eliminate as many “red flag” items as possible.

I think, and this is just my opinion, that most potential clients interpret client lists as people you’ve done actual work for and that the work has been used.

If they ask you to provide details about your relationship with the clients on your list or about the projects you worked on for them (perhaps the potential client knows some of the people you’ve listed), you might find yourself in an uncomfortable position having to explain the true nature of your relationship with the names on your client list.

That could be enough to send the potential client to someone else. Never underestimate the importance of clients feeling they can trust what you say and do. Those initial feelings they get about you often seal the deal, for better or worse.

You might be asking, “So how do I catch someone’s eye if I’m not using recognizable names?” Simple…stick with samples that show the quality of your work. Highlight the fact that you know how to use your design tools by showing samples that make it clear. Focus your attention on a compelling message on your homepage that helps convince people to at least contact you for more information or to look at your samples.

While I’m against listing spec jobs as “clients”, I think it’s fine to show on your website the work you did on spec or the work you’ve made up. (As long as your samples page doesn’t say “This is work I’ve done for clients.”) That’s because you used your tools and skills to create it, whether anyone used it or not. And that’s the main thing clients want to know…whether you have the skills to do the job.

If you get asked about whether your samples are made-up or spec, or if they were for jobs in which you got paid, be honest and tell them. That helps you build trust.

I think the bottom line to all this is that you seriously consider the impression you’re giving people when they visit your website. You need to question how you phrase everything you say on your site and whether what you’ve included on your site is helping or hurting you.

You want to be completely confident that your site is the truest representation of you, your skills, and the way you do business.

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Forgot to mention that the first issue of the new Adobe Magazine is out. (It’s a free digital magazine.) Boy, was I disappointed! I was hoping that the magazine would be full of great tips on how to use Adobe software like InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. After all, who better than Adobe would know how to squeeze the most out of their software?

No such luck. There are some tips, but it feels more like a bunch of stories about companies and people who use Adobe software…almost like case studies. The magazine is free, so I suppose I shouldn’t complain, but I was so disappointed. For tips about getting the most out of Adobe software, stick with Layers Magazine or some publication that is specific to the Adobe software you use.