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With so many freelancers and design agencies out there, finding work can often be a major struggle, especially for those who are just getting started. A growing number of designers are using social media as a means of marketing their services, in addition to simply using it for interacting with friends. While social media marketing can be extremely effective, it can also be a big waste of time. In this post we’ll look at some tips that should help you to ensure that your time with social media is well spent.
1. Know What You Want to Accomplish
One of the most common mistakes that is made in social media marketing is not having a purpose or a goal. Many businesses and entrepreneurs recognize the power and potential of social media and social networking, so they feel that they need to be involved. However, simply having a Facebook fan page or a Twitter profile is not going to make a real difference.
Developing a social media marketing plan requires having a specific purpose or goal (if you’re using social networking only for fun or personal reasons then, of course, this does not apply). Web designers may want to use social media to find more clients, network with other professionals, or maybe to build links to their blog or portfolio site. The first step to using social media effectively is to have a clear understanding of what you want to accomplish. This will shape the approach that you take and the way you use the social media sites. Without having a goal or something that you want to accomplish, there is really no way to know if it is working for you and your business.
2. Market Passively
Users who are new to social media and motivated to use it to market their business will often make the mistake of marketing too aggressively. By nature, social media is all about people interacting with people, and when there is an obvious marketing initiative, many users can be turned off. Aggressive marketing is rarely successful for this reason.
In the case of a designer, an example of passive marketing would be the use of Twitter to communicate with other designers, and possibly with potential clients. Maybe the designer provides help or feedback to other users from time-to-time. Others may see this designer as being helpful and qualified, and when they are in need of services they may reach out to this designer.
3. Choose the Right Sites
There are hundreds, probably thousands, of social media and social networking sites out there. Of course, you cannot possibly use them all or even be active at a large number of them. It’s much more effective to have an active presence at just a few social media sites than to have a not-very-active profile at hundreds of social media sites.
The best approach is to decide on a small number of social media sites (maybe 2-4) that would be ideal for what you want to accomplish. For designers, Twitter is a great place to be active because almost every designer is on Twitter. If you’re hoping to use social media to promote posts on your design blog, niche sites like Design Bump and Design Float can provide a much more targeted audience (although significantly less traffic potential) than major social news sites.
Chose a few sites that work well for what you are trying to accomplish, and don’t worry about not being active at all of the other social media sites. Focus your social media efforts on the specific sites you are targeting so that you can have enough time there to make an impact.
4. Be a Consistent Part of the Community
Once you have chosen the specific sites that you want to target, make an effort to use them on a consistent basis. Social networking is one of those things that can easily get pushed to the back burner when you are busy, so if it is a priority in your marketing strategy, make sure that you have some time allocated for social networking on a regular basis (preferably every day, but at least several times per week).
Social media users are pretty good at picking out who is using the site to truly be a part of the community and who is using it strictly to market themselves or their business. If you become a consistent user that really becomes a part of the community, occasionally marketing your products or services will generally go over a lot better than if you are not a consistent user, and only participating when you want to market yourself.
5. Be Helpful and Approachable
The designers who are most effective at using social media to promote themselves have developed a reputation for being helpful and approachable. People often choose to do business with people that they like. Developing a good reputation and making some friends can go a long way towards improving your business through social media. Rather than using Twitter to always announce your availability for work you could take a few minutes to answer questions asked by other users.
6. Have a Blog
Social media and blogging often go hand in hand. A high percentage of social media users also have a blog, and a high percentage of bloggers also have some social media profiles. Having a blog allows you to use social media for drawing traffic to your site and to build links as well. Blogs are also great for interacting and communicating with others.
Just like you need to have a purpose for your activity on social media sites, you also need to have a purpose for your blog. Are you using the blog to attract visitors who may be potential clients? Are you using it to connect with other designers and developers? Do you want to use the blog to increase your profile in the industry? Do you want to use the blog to supplement your income (such as ad revenue or template/theme sales)? The purpose of your blog will determine the types of content that you publish.
7. Share Your Work
If you are hoping to pick up new clients or to increase the awareness of your work through social networking, you may want to share your work. If you’ve just finished a client project that you’re really proud of, consider sharing a link on Twitter, Facebook, or whatever sites you are using. Showing your work (assuming it is quality) can help to put yourself in the minds of those who may be looking for a designer.
Although it can be helpful and productive to share your work, it also goes back to the issue of being an active, consistent user. If you’re only using social media to showcase your work and not interacting with users in other ways, it is unlikely to be very effective. However, if you’re an active user who has developed a strong reputation and you’re occasionally sharing your work and looking for feedback from other users, it can be much more effective.
8. Link to Your Portfolio and Blog from Your Social Profiles
Almost every social media site will provide you with a profile page that allows you to link to your own URL. Doing so will not send floods of traffic to your site, but it will make it easier for other users of the social media site to track you down or just to learn more about what you do. People who do not know you may come across your social profile and click through to your blog or your portfolio site, and this may even lead to new clients.
9. Integrate Social Media into Your Blog
Having a blog also provides a lot of opportunities to cross-promote your social media profiles and to improve interaction with blog readers. There are plenty of ways to display recent tweets on your blog, to integrate your Facebook profile, or to encourage social media votes with voting buttons or widgets. Among design blogs, buttons for niche sites like Design Bump are common, and re-tweet buttons are also very common now on just about any type of blog.
By integrating social media into your blog you can increase the number of people who are following you or interacting with you via social media, which of course can increase the impact that you are having with social media. Ideally, you’ll want to use social media sites that a high percentage of your blog readers are also using so that there is maximum opportunity for people to connect with you.
10. Focus on Depth of Relationships Rather than Numbers of Friends or Followers
When using social media it’s easy to get caught up in numbers of followers, fans, or friends. In reality, those numbers will not have nearly as much to do in determining your success with social media marketing as compared to the depth and quality of the relationships that you make. Having a high follower count on Twitter doesn’t necessarily mean that you are able to convert those followers into anything meaningful for your business. On the opposite end of the spectrum you could have a much smaller number of followers and still have a greater impact if you are developing real relationships with them and landing new clients as a result.
While numbers can be indicative of impact, that is not always the case. Rather than going after high numbers, make an effort to actually develop something meaningful by getting to know other users. A few solid contacts that come out of social media and networking will make it very much worth your time.
11. Take Advantage of Available Resources
There are plenty of resources available that have been created for the purpose of improving your experience with social networking. Twitter in particular has a huge number of of resources and apps that work with the API. Free options like TweetDeck and Hootsuite can easily save time in your use of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. There are also apps and software that you can buy for specific purposes, but in most cases the free options are pretty good.
By finding an app that will help you to make more efficient use of your time you can easily have a bigger impact and grow your network without the need to spend more time on social media sites. Since several great free resources are available there is really no reason to not take advantage of them.
12. Have a Long-Term Focus
If your goal with social media is to pick up a new client quickly because you’re in need of work, it’s probably not the most effective way to meet those needs. The best way to use social media for the purposes of marketing yourself and your services is to take a long-term approach. Building a strong profile and network on sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn can take a considerable amount of time, which lends itself to being more valuable in the long-term view.
With a proper long-term perspective, social media can tremendously help to improve your exposure in the industry and provide opportunities for getting to know others. At this point when you have established yourself and your social media profile, it is likely that more work will find you and you may not even need to use social media to actively market yourself.
13. Don’t Allow it to Consume Your Time
Although social media can be a great thing for designers (or other professionals for that matter), it can also be a serious waste of time if it’s not kept under control. It’s easy to lose track of how much time you are spending on social media sites, so be sure that your social media efforts are not hampering your ability to perform services for clients or to run your business.
What’s Your Experience?
Are you a social media user? If so, do you have any advice for using social media to promote yourself?
For more freelancing-related content please see:
- 15 Steps to a More Productive Workday
- Freelance Designers: 9 Ways to End a Productive Workday
- Having a Long-Term Purpose as a Freelance Designer
- 9 Tips for Establishing Your Own Marketing Method as a Freelancer
We frequently publish posts on this blog that feature tutorials for learning how to do various things with Photoshop, but we have rarely focused on just the basics. This post is intended for designers or aspiring designers who either want to get started with Photoshop or have limited experience and are looking to improve.
While there are plenty of great learning resources available online, it’s often difficult for beginners to know where to get started because everything seems to be scattered. With this post you’ll find links to plenty of resources to teach you all the basics and fundamentals of Photoshop.
Most of the resources and tutorials listed in this post will focus on teaching one particular aspect of Photoshop, such as how to use a specific tool. Everything is broken down into sections so you can find exactly what you are looking for.
Intro to Photoshop’s Tools and UI:
The resources in this section will serve as an introduction for those who are new to Photoshop. They will help you to learn your way around the interface and with some of the basics of Photoshop.
Getting Started with Photoshop
More resources for learning the tools and UI:
- 13 Key Elements to Mastering Photoshop – Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3
- 5 Common Photoshop Myths Solved for Absolute Beginners
- Photoshop Interface Tutorial
- Tip: Use the Grid in Photoshop
- Zooming and Panning in Photoshop
- 5 Highly Applicable Yet Easily Overlooked Features in Photoshop
- Photoshop Toolbox Reference
Layers, Layer Styles, Layer Masks and Adjustment Layers:
In order to be able to efficiently and effectively work with Photoshop you will need a solid understanding of layers. The resources in this section provide guides for working with layers in Photoshop, as well as layer styles, layer masks and adjustment layers.
Working with Layers in Photoshop
Photoshop Layers Essential Power Shortcuts
Saving, Loading and Reusing Layer Styles in Photoshop
Understanding Layer Masks in Photoshop
Getting to Know Clipping Masks and Layer Masks in Photoshop
A Basic Guide to Photoshop CS4 Adjustment Layers
Photoshop 101: Adjustment Layers
More resources for working with layers:
- Photoshop Layers Tutorial: Life without Layers
- Layer Style and Layer Mask Interaction
- Install Layer Styles in Photoshop
- Using Layer Comps for Design in Photoshop
- Photoshop Adjustment Layer and Retouching Tutorial
The Pen Tool:
Photoshop’s pen tool can be used for impressive results, but it can be very difficult to use if you don’t understand how it works. The following resources will provide helpful guides to explain the pen tool and how you can use it in your own work.
Photoshop’s Pen Tool: The Comprehensive Guide
Making Selections with the Pen Tool
Become a Master of the Pen Tool in Under 30 Minutes
More resources for the pen tool:
Brushes and Other Presets:
Brushes, patterns, shapes, and the other presets are an essential part of Photoshop. Whether you are using the presets that come with the software, downloading those created by other designers, or creating your own, learning the potential of these presets and how to work with them should be a priority.
Beginner’s Guide to Photoshop Brushes
Photoshop’s Brush Tool – Basic Guide
Installing and Managing Brushes and Other Presets
How to Create Your Own Photoshop Brushes
Guide to Patterns in Photoshop
More resources for brushes and presets:
- Mastering the Preset Manager
- Quick Tip: How to Load Photoshop Brushes
- How to Use Patterns
- Installing Photoshop Patterns Tutorial
- Creating Custom Patterns
- The Hidden Power of Photoshop Brush Tool
- Installing Custom Shapes and Brushes in Photoshop
- Mastering Custom Brushes
- Create Your Own Custom Brushes
- Photoshop Tip: Rotate Brush Between Use
- How to Distress Text in Seconds with Photoshop Brushes
- How to Sync Photoshop Presets on Multiple Computers
Type Tool:
The type tool is a little more straightforward than some of the others for beginners, but it still helps to have a firm grasp of how the tool works and what you can do with text in Photoshop.
A Comprehensive Introduction to the Type Tool
Tip: How to Change Text Orientation
Transform:
With Photoshop’s transform capabilities you can edit and manipulate objects in a variety of different ways. The links provided below with get you started.
Photoshop 101: How to Use the Free Transform Tool
Photoshop Free Transform Tutorial
Selections:
The are several different ways to make selections in Photoshop, and each technique has certain situations where it works better than others. Here you’ll learn about the basic selection tools and when to use them.
A Comprehensive Introduction to Photoshop Selection Techniques
Master Photoshop’s Selection Tools in Under 30 Minutes
How to Cut an Object in Photoshop Using the Polygonal Lasso Tool
Five Secrets of the Marquee Tools in Photoshop
More resources for selections:
Clone Stamp Tool:
The clone stamp tool allows you to duplicate, or clone, an area. The resources below will explain how to tool works and how you can use it.
How to Manipulate Images with the Photoshop Clone Stamp Tool
Useful Applications for the Clone Stamp Tool
Blend Modes:
Photoshop’s various blend modes give users a lot of potential to create different results quickly and easily. The links in this section will explain how you can play with the blend modes of your layers and what types of changes it will have.
An Explanation of Photoshop Blend Modes
Photoshop’s Five Essential Blend Modes for Photo Editing
More resources for blend modes:
- Using Blends to Create Depth
- Layer Blending Modes in Photoshop and Elements
- Working with Photoshop Blending Modes & Opacity
Filters
Photoshop has a number of different filters that you can use, and each has its own purpose and use. These links will explain some of the different filters, how they work, and when you should use them.
Getting to Grips with the Vanishing Point Filter
10 Photoshop Filters You Should Definitely Know
Channels:
Earlier we provided some links to tutorials on selection methods. Channels can also be used to select and extract, as well as to edit photos in other ways.
Digging into Channels as an Extraction Tool
Photoshop 101: Working with Alpha Channels
Smart Objects:
Photoshop smart objects can help you to save time on repetitive tasks, and these links will show you how to use them.
Genius Ways to Use Photoshop Smart Objects
Photoshop Smart Objects, Smart but not Always that Smart
Actions:
Photoshop actions are a great way to automate certain processes and save time. You can create your own actions or use those created by others.
Lights! Camera! Photoshop Actions!
How to Use Adobe Photoshop Actions
More resources for Photoshop actions:
- Creating a Photoshop Action
- Automating Actions to Save Time
- Automatically Define Photoshop Brushes by Using Actions
Efficiency and Performance:
If you use Photoshop a lot you will want to make the most of your time with it. The resources here will help you to work smarter with as little wasted time as possible.
Professional Tips for Improving Photoshop’s Performance
20 Photoshop Tips for a Faster Workflow
Create Your Own Custom Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts
Batch Editing and Automated Processing in Photoshop
More resources for efficiency and performance:
- How to Effectively Use Contrast, Auto Levels, and Batch Processing
- Free Yourself with Automated Batch
- Photographers, Let Photoshop Do the Work
- Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts
- 18 Exceptional Photoshop Shortcuts
- 28 More Exceptionally Useful Photoshop Shortcuts
- Photoshop Secret Shortcuts
Saving Images:
These links will show you how you can save and optimize images that are going to be used on websites, for maximum performance.
Optimizing Images for the Web with Photoshop
Working with Colors in Photoshop:
Colors are, of course, an essential part of any design. These resources will explain the basics of working with color in Photoshop.
Photoshop Color: Custom Photoshop Color Swatches and Sets
Photoshop Color Replacement Tool
More resources for working with color:
Design for Print:
Designing for print is different than designing for the web. These links will explain some of the intricacies of designing for print and how it should be handled.
Spot UVs, Proofs, Roll Folds and Other Printing Terminology Explained
Designing for Print – Setting Up Crops and Bleeds
More resources for designing for print:
- Quick Tips to Help You Design for Print in Photoshop
- RGB to CMYK Conversion
- How to Convert RGB to CMYK in Photoshop
Working with Graphics Tablets:
Although it is not necessary, you may choose to work with a graphics tablet. These links will explain how to do so and how to decide on the tablet that is right for you.
Using Pen Tablets in Photoshop
How to Choose a Graphics Tablet that Fits Your Needs
Now that you’ve learned the basics of Photoshop, here are some tutorial collections that you may want to check out:
- 25+ Photoshop Tutorials for Poster Design
- 30 Photo Manipulation Tutorials for Photoshop
- 25 Outstanding Light Effect Tutorials for Photoshop
- 25 Photoshop Tutorials for Working with Textures
- 60 Photoshop Tutorials for Photo Touch-Ups
It’s been a while since we did our last blog design showcase, so this post is a collection of 30 beautiful blogs for your design inspiration. You’ll see some that use a minimalist design approach, others that use a grunge-style design, some that are magazine-style, and more. For more blog design inspiration, please see our gallery site Blog Design Heroes.
For more design inspiration please see:
- 40 Inspiring Blog Designs
- 25 Beautiful Blog Comment Designs
- 30 Creative Website Headers
- Button Design Showcase
Earlier today a new membership-based site, MediaLoot was launched. It is an online toolbox of premium design resources, and they have kindly offered to give five readers of the Vandelay Design blog a one-year membership to the site for free!
MediaLoot is a project of Jon Phillips of Spyre Studios and Mason Hipp of Freelance Folder. Members of MediaLoot are able to download resources like textures, icons, vectors, brushes, templates and more. The goal of MediaLoot is to eliminate the need for pay-per-use sites by offering a subscription-based service where members can download loads of great resources. There are already some quality items available for download, and more will be added on an on-going basis.
I’ve been on the site today and have already download some resources that I hope to put to good use, including textures and icons. Both Jon and Mason have contributed a lot to the design community through their blogs, so I hope you will visit MediaLoot and check out what they have to offer.
The Giveaway Details:
If you would like to enter to win one of the 5 one-year memberships (the normal price is $14 per month), please leave a comment on this post. On Friday, March 12th the five winners will be selected at random. At that time this post will be updated and the winners will be notified by email (so be sure to leave a valid email address).
Also, if you would like to design resources for MediaLoot you can find information about that on their Design for Us page.
UPDATE: The contest is now over. Thanks to everyone who participated, the response was great! Here are the winners:
Minimalism a popular style of design because it keeps things simple and user-friendly. In this post we’ll look at more than 20 websites, blogs and books dedicated to minimalism. Not all of them are related to web design – minimalism can also be applied to other aspects of business and life.
Minimal Design Showcases:
If you want to find great and inspiring examples of minimalist design, these sites will be excellent sources.
Simple Desktops
Simple Desktops is a collection of desktop wallpapers curated by Tom Watson designed to make your computer beautiful without distraction.
Blogs:
The blogs all focus on publishing content related to minimalism.
Books and eBooks:
If you want to read about minimalism in design, business, or every day life, check out these books.
The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life
The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essentials in Business and in Life
For more inspiration from minimalist design please see:
- 25 Beautifully Minimalistic Website Designs
- 25 Beautifully Minimalistic Website Designs – Part 2
- 25 Beautiful Minimalistic Website Designs – Part 3
- 25 Beautiful Minimalistic Website Designs – Part 4
- 25 Beautifully Minimalist Website Design – Part 5
- 35 Beautiful Minimal Websites – Part 6
- 40 Beautiful Minimalist Websites – Part 7
A few weeks ago we published a showcase of one-page portfolios and pointed out some trends among them. Many of those sites are using jQuery to accomplish specific things. In this post we’ll feature some plugins and tutorials that are ideal for one-page portfolios. Of course, they can be used on other types of sites as well, but they are well-suited to match up with the trends among one-page portfolios.
Contact Forms:
All portfolio sites need to allow visitors to contact the designer, whether it is through an email address or a contact form. One-page sites face the challenge of including a usable contact form without using a separate page for it. These two resources can help for creating contact forms that will not take up too much space on the page.
Using Form Labels as Text Fields
CSS Globe provides a tutorial that is ideal for contact forms in limited spaces, which is often the case with one-page portfolios. The script can also be downloaded for use in your own work.
Creating a Slide-In jQuery Contact Form
Concealing a contact form can be very useful in situations where the page would otherwise be cluttered with a more traditional contact form. Design Shack shows us how to create a form that will slide in when clicked.
Navigation:
Although one-page portfolios keep everything on a single page, the size of that page usually requires some type of navigation that will make it easier for visitors to get from one section of the page to another.
Create a Hovering Scroll to Top Button with jQuery
Because one-page sites tend to be rather long, it’s helpful to have a link to allow visitors to easily return to the top of the page. Cherrysave has a tutorial that shows how to create a button that will hover as the user scrolls.
Beautiful Slide Out Navigation: A CSS and jQuery Tutorial
This tutorial shows how you can create a navigation menu that will be almost hidden before sliding out, which can save some space on crowded pages.
Scrolling:
JavaScript is often combined with the navigation on one-page sites to create a smooth scrolling effect. Here are a few resources.
Smooth Page Scrolling
Chris Coyier shows an easy way to accomplish smooth scrolling.
Lightbox:
One-page portfolios often use thumbnails to showcase their work, with larger images being shown when clicked. LightBox scripts are frequently used to give these images a nice look and to make it more usable for visitors. Here are a few options.
Shadowbox (JavaScript, but not jQuery)
Sliders and Galleries:
jQuery sliders and galleries can also be used to showcase your work without taking up a lot of space. They can give the portfolio an attractive and impressive look, and there are a number of scripts and tutorials available.
Create a Slick and Accessible Slideshow Using jQuery
In this tutorial Jacob Gube shows how to create a slideshow that could be used for showcasing your work on a one-page portfolio.
Fancy Thumbnail Hover Effect with jQuery
Soh Tanaka has written a tutorial that demonstrates a thumbnail gallery that could also be used to showcase your work with limited space available.
Create a Beautiful jQuery Slider Tutorial
This tutorial demonstrates an attractive slider to showcase your work.
How to Create a Fancy Image Gallery with jQuery
Hear you will learn how to create a simple image gallery that displays full size images when the user hovers over a thumbnail.
Coda Slider Effect
This popular tutorial shows how to replicate the slider used by Coda.
Easy Slider
This is a plugin from CSS Globe that can be used for showcasing your work.
For more resources please see:
- 15 Resources for Easily Creating Web Forms
- 35 Useful Scripts for Tooltips
- 21 Resources for Getting Design Feedback
- 60+ Helpful Resources for Portfolio Design
- 75 PSD to HTML Resources for Web Designers
Texture is obviously a common design element that is being used on a lot of modern websites. However, texture doesn’t always have to be a part of the design that stands out immediately to visitors. Light textures can also be used to subtly improve the design of the site. In this post we’ll feature 25 sites that use texture without it dominating the design.
For more design inspiration see:
- 40 Inspiring Blog Designs
- 35+ Horizontal Websites for Your Design Inspiration
- 25 Magazine-Style Layouts for Your Design Inspiration
- 25 Beautifully Colorful Websites
Portfolio sites often showcase creativity and the skills of the designer. If you browse around at current portfolio sites you’ll see a lot of illustration being used in the design. In this post we’ll feature 25 portfolios that use illustration. To see more portfolios please visit our gallery site Folio Focus.
For more design inspiration please see:
- 25 of the Best Photographer Portfolio Websites
- 25 of the Best Photographer Portfolio Websites – Part II
- 25 of the Best Photographer Portfolio Websites – Part III
TemplateWire has offered to give free templates to three Vandelay Design readers. If you’re not familiar with TemplateWire they are a leading marketplace of CSS templates, Flash templates, and logo templates. For $49 you can get 12 months of unlimited access to all of their premium templates. Or you can get 3 months of access for $29. You can use the templates on an unlimited number of websites for you or your clients.
CSS Templates:
TemplateWire currently has more than 60 CSS templates.
Flash Templates:
They currently have 50 Flash templates.
Logo Templates:
They currently have more than 60 logo templates.
Giveaway Details:
If you would like to enter the contest to win a free template from TemplateWire, please leave a comment on this post (with a valid email address so we can contact you if you win). On Friday, February 26th I will use a random number generator to select the three winners. At that time this post will be updated and the winners will be notified so they can claim their prize.
Please take a moment to visit TemplateWire and see what template you would like to win.
UPDATE: The contest is now over. Thank you to everyone who participated. If you weren’t one of the lucky winners, you can follow TemplateWire on Twitter to watch out for upcoming giveaways. Here are the winners:
Transparency is being used in an increasing number of websites. In some cases transparency subtly adds to the quality and character of the design, and in other cases it can be a major design element. In this post we’ll feature 35 websites that are making excellent use of transparency.
For more design inspiration please see:
- 25 Beautiful Blog Comment Designs
- 25 of the Best Photography Portfolio Sites – Part III
- Showcase of Buttons in Web Design
- 35 Excellent Ecommerce User Interface Designs
Non profit organizations tend to have limited budgets and limited involvement from members for planning, designing and maintaining websites. This often results in a site that doesn’t really achieve everything that it could for the organization and the people involved. In recent years there has been an increasing number of organizations that are doing great things with their websites and truly making them valuable and effective.
In this article we’ll look at the keys to an effective non-profit organization website, while showcasing some examples from specific sites.
1. Clear Description of the Organization’s Mission/Purpose
Many of the visitors that will be arriving at the website will not be familiar with the organization. Upon arriving, they should be able to quickly get an idea of why the organization exists and a basic picture of what they do.
The full mission statement or purpose statement is sometimes part of an About Us page, but first time visitors to the home page should have an idea of why the organization exists without even visiting another page. The About Us page can of course provide more details, but visitors should not need to navigate through the site in order to understand the basic purpose of the organization.
There are a number of different ways to help convey a message of mission or purpose on a home page. In some cases there will be a brief one or two sentence statement that is located in a prominent position. Photos and images can also help to communicate purpose.
2. Concise but Complete Information About the Organization’s Background and Basics
Once new visitors have arrived at the site and quickly determined that mission or purpose of the organization, if it is something that interests them, they may want to find out more details. Providing information about the history of the organization can be a great help for connecting on a deeper level with visitors. You may want to include details about when and why the organization was founded, and by whom. Important dates, milestones, achievements, and evidence of growth and impact should also be included.
3. Clear Idea of the Sites Visitors and the Organization’s Audience
One of the difficult aspects of working with non-profit websites is that they can have several different audiences, and the needs of each will vary. For example, one audience will include members, supporters, and volunteers who are all familiar with the organization and use the website to stay up-to-date.
Another audience includes individuals who are not familiar with the organization and are being introduced to it through the website. These people will generally be looking for information about what the organization does, why it exists, and hopefully how they can get involved.
A third audience may be the people that are being served by the organization. For example, an organization that helps low-income families with housing may have a website that attracts people who are looking for help from the organization. These people would be most interested in the details of the services that are provided and how they can apply or request assistance.
As you can see, a non-profit or charitable organization’s website must meet the needs of several different types of people, and all are equally important. The site must provide the necessary information and visitors will need to be able to easily find what they are looking for.
4. Information for Donors
Most non-profit organizations rely heavily on donations in order to function. A growing number of organizations are accepting donations online, which makes it easy and convenient for donors. Whether an organization is accepting online donations or not, it should provide relevant information for donors. This may include how they can give, what specific programs or purposes they can give to, fundraising goals and progress, details about how the money is used or handled, and information about tax deductions.
5. Information for Volunteers
In addition to monetary gifts, volunteers who are offering their time and services are also critical to most non profits. The website should provide information that tells people how they can get involved, how it will make an impact, and provide them with an opportunity to express their interest in volunteering.
6. Photos of People Who are Impacted
Visitors like to see pictures of people that are being helped through their donations or volunteer efforts. By including photos of the people who are benefiting from the work of the organization, it will provide a much more personal experience for website visitors. In addition to photos, some organizations include stories or testimonials on their site about the impact that is being made. This is a great way to encourage people to get involved because it is easier to see the results and how it is impacting real people, as opposed to simply seeing statistics.
7. Contact Information
Some of the website visitors may wish to get in contact with the organization about volunteering, receiving assistance, employment opportunities, donations, or any number of things. The site should at least provide a contact form or email address, and in most cases a phone number and mailing address should also be included.
8. Design that Fits with the Organization’s Culture
So far we haven’t discussed anything about the design or appearance of the site. Non profit organization websites should feature a design that is consistent with the message and culture of the organization, as it will help to communicate with visitors and to brand the organization. In many cases you can tell a lot about an organization’s culture by the style of design. Take for example church websites. Many churches appeal to young adults through a grunge-style design. You would not expect to see this type of design used by a church that has an older audience.
9. Email Newsletter Signup
Regardless of the type of work that the organization does, it is important to stay in contact with people who are involved and to keep them up-to-date. Many organizations that have been around for a long time are still spending huge amounts of money each year that could be greatly reduced with better use of email newsletters. The website should offer visitors the option of opting in to receive updates from the organization. In some cases it may be just a single newsletter, and in other cases there may need to be multiple mailing lists for various purposes.
10. News and Events Sections
In order to help visitors to stay up-to-date, to make the website more useful, and to add some dynamic content to the site that is changed frequently, it is a good practice to include an event calendar and news items. This way people can check the website to see what is coming up and participation should be improved. News items could be displayed through a blog on the organizations site, or a separate blog could be used for the interaction between the organization and visitors.
To see some examples of well-designed non-profit websites, see these posts from our archives:
- 40 of the Best Websites of Non-Profit Organizations
- 50 of the Best Church Website Designs
- 35 Excellent Church Websites – Part II
- 25 Outstanding Church Websites – Part III
Horizontal websites have been increasing in popularity over the past year or two. Although the approach isn’t a good fit for every project, a horizontal layout can provide designers with an opportunity to showcase some creativity and to break out of the box. As you may notice from the sites showcased here, portfolio sites of designers and photographers are probably the most likely type of site to use a horizontal layout right now. Here is a look at 30 sites for your own inspiration.
For more design inspiration please see:
- 35+ Horizontal Websites for Your Design Inspiration
- 25 Websites with Creative and Unique Layouts
- 20 Websites with Unique Layouts
- 30 Creative Website Headers
- 25 Examples of Creative Navigation
One-page portfolios are certainly a popular trend among web and graphic designers. Many designers have created one-page portfolios that use a lot of creativity, but there are also some elements or characteristics that are very common among them.
In this post we’ll look at ten trends of one-page portfolios with examples of each. At the end of the post we’ll include a showcase for your own design inspiration, plus some resources to help you if you’re interested in creating your own one-page portfolio.
Trends of One-Page Portfolios:
1. Focus is on the Work
One-page portfolios tend to keep the work of the designer as the focus of the page. More traditional portfolio sites may include screen shots of some work on the homepage, but generally the work in the portfolio will be displayed on a separate page.
Because one-page portfolios include all of the elements of a portfolio site (the work, biographical information, services information, contact, etc.), the contents of the page are often arranged to emphasize the work from the portfolio.
James Lai Creative
James Lai Creative uses a prominent location on the page to display items from the portfolio. Click on a thumbnail and you’ll see a larger image above.
Bunton
The majority of screen space on the Bunton portfolio is used to display the work.
2. Introduction/Biographical Info
“About” pages are common on portfolio sites, whether it belongs to an individual freelance designer or a design studio. One-page portfolios generally still include this information in a brief welcome or introduction.
Alexandru Cohaniuc
Alex has a large welcome message at the right side of the screen that greets visitors.
3. Navigation Menus
Although they do not have multiple pages, one-page portfolios frequently will contain a navigation menu. Links from the menu will lead to specific sections of the page rather than leading to other pages on the site.
A number of different techniques can be used to make the one-page portfolio easy to navigate. Some navigation menus appear to be just like the menu on any other website, except that when you click you’re not led away from the page, just to another spot on the page. Sticky menus are also sometimes used, and other sites will use a menu in multiple places on the page to avoid forcing the visitor to scroll back to the top.
Two24 Studios
Two24 uses a colorful navigation menu at the top of the page. If you click on the links you will slide to a lower section of the page.
Alamofire
Alamofire uses a sticky navigation menu that always appears at the right side of the browser even when you scroll to the bottom of the page.
4. Smooth Scrolling
The smooth scrolling often works hand-in-hand with navigation menus. When the visitor clicks on a link within a navigation menu they will experience a smooth scroll or slide to another section of the page.
Deluge Studios
Click on any of the links in the navigation menu of Deluge Studios and you will smoothly scroll to the appropriate section of the page.
5. Use of Lightbox for Portfolio Items
Since the portfolio items on a one-page site are right there with everything else, there is usually no room to have large images or screen shots of the work. Lightbox JavaScript effects are commonly used to open up a larger version of the image when clicked over top of the existing page.
The lightbox effect makes it easy to display your work to visitors, and it makes it possible for the visitors to quickly move through the images from one to the next.
Alessandro Cavallo
If you click on any of the thumbnails on Alessandro Cavallo’s site you will see a larger image with a lightbox effect.
6. Big Background Images or Illustrations
One-page portfolios are generally either very tall or wide pages because of the amount of content that is included. Big background images are certainly not unique to one-page portfolios, but these images are often used creatively with the various sections of the site to add some intrigue and visual appeal.
Volll
Volll’s site uses a large, colorful, and creative background image/illustration. As you scroll through the page you’ll see various parts of the image.
Yodaa
Yodaa uses a similar approach with a large background image.
7. Contact Forms
Every portfolio site needs to provide visitors with a way to get in touch with the designer, and of course contact forms are very common. Many one-page portfolios also include a contact form in a specific section of the site.
Edit Studios
Edit Studios includes a full contact form at the bottom of the page.
8. Horizontal Scrolling
Horizontal scrolling is probably more common on portfolio sites than it is on other types of sites, in part because portfolios can take more creative liberties because they are expected to be innovative and creative.
Some one-page portfolios make excellent use of horizontal scrolling to lead the visitor to various sections. In some ways it can be like using different pages, except that the visitor is scrolling or sliding to various sections of the site rather than actually moving from one page to another.
IndoFolio
IndoFolio uses horizontal scrolling with a large, creative background image.
Tyler Fink
Tyler Fink also uses horizontal scrolling on his portfolio.
9. Social Networking Links
Many designers are active on social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Links to these profiles are very common on one-page portfolios, and it gives visitors another place to get more familiar with the designer and to get in contact if they choose.
Visual Groove
At the bottom of the page, Visual Groove includes links to various social networking profiles that provide an alternative method for getting in touch.
10. “Back to Top” Links
Because one-page portfolios tend to be very long (or wide), if there is no navigation provided throughout the site the visitor will have to scroll a long way back to get to the top of the page. Many one-page sites include links for going back to the top, and some include other types of navigation throughout the site that will make it easy for visitors to move through the site without the need to go back to the top to access a navigation menu.
Kostandinos
Each section of the Kostandinos portfolio includes a navigation menu so you will have have to use endless scrolling to move through the site. The “Home” link leads to the top of the page.
Showcase of One-Page Portfolios:
Additional Resources:
Here are some useful articles, tutorials, and resources that may be useful to you in your own work.
How to Build Your Own Single Page Portfolio Website
Chris Spooner has an excellent tutorial for designing and coding a one-page portfolio.
How to Design a One-Page Portfolio in Photoshop
This tutorial from DesignM.ag leads you through the process of designing a dark, textured one-page site.
Design an Attractive One-Page Portfolio Site Using Photoshop
Another Photoshop tutorial from DesignM.ag.
10 Expert Tips for Designing a One-Page Portfolio
Design Shack has a useful article with tips and pointers for creating a successful one-page portfolio.
The One Page Graphic Design Portfolio Guide
You the Designer has an article with tips and advice for designers who want to create a one-page portfolio.
Folio Focus
For more portfolio design inspiration see our portfolio gallery, Folio Focus.
One Page Love
A gallery that showcases excellent one-page sites.
Our friends at IconShock have designed another set of free icons for readers of Vandelay Design. IconShock designs high quality icon sets and in recent months they have provided the design community with a lot of great, free icons.
This set includes five icons of typical office items. The icons are free for personal or commercial purposes, and they are available below as PNG files or as Adobe Illustrator files.
Download the icons as PNG files
Download the icons as Adobe Illustrator files
You may also be interested in the other icon sets that IconShock has designed for us:
Our friends at UPrinting have offered to give 500 free die cut business cards each to five readers of the Vandelay Design blog! If you’ve been wanting to impress potential clients with some high-quality business cards, this is your chance to get them for free.
If you’re not familiar with UPrinting, they are a leading online printing company that offers printing for a wide variety of products including brochures, flyers, posters, calendars and much more in addition to business cards. They have templates to help you design your business cards, and they offer custom printing services to meet your specific printing needs.
The Giveaway Details:
UPrinting will be giving away 500 die cut business cards with free shipping in the U.S. to five random winners. If you would like to enter the contest, leave a comment on this post. You can tell us why you would like the business cards, how you would use them, or simply state that you would like to enter. Winners will be selected on Friday, February 12th using a random number generator. This post will be updated to list the winners and the winners will be notified by email. UPrinting will provide the winners with instructions for claiming their prize.
Good luck!
UPDATE: The contest is now over. Thanks to everyone who participated. Here are the winners:
E-Commerce sites are often considered to be boring and unattractive, however, that is not always the case. This post showcases 25 e-commerce sites that demonstrate creativity in the design. It may be the layout, graphics, design style or site structure, but all of them break the mould of the typical e-commerce site. For more inspiration from e-commerce sites, see our gallery CartFrenzy.
For more design inspiration please see:
- 50 Inspirational Ecommerce Website Designs
- 25+ Inspirational Ecommerce Website Designs – Part II
- 35 Excellent Ecommerce User Interface Designs
- 20 Inspirational, Clean Ecommerce Website Designs
- 25 Well Designed Sports Ecommerce Sites
If you frequently browse through sites like deviantART and the Behance Network you’ve no doubt come across a number of designs that use typography and floral effects. In this post we’ll showcase some excellent works of this kind from various designers. If you would like more inspiration from typography and text effects please see our gallery site TypeInspire.
For more design inspiration please see:
- Design Inspiration: Lighting Effects
- Design Inspiration: Lighting Effects
- Design Inspiration: Splatter Effects
- 3D Design Inspiration
In today’s marketplace, every company needs an effective website. Of course, the purposes and needs of each company’s site will be unique, but every company should have a site that presents a professional image to visitors. That image should also be an accurate representation of the company and should work with other branding efforts to present consistent messages to customers. In this post we’ll feature 40 well-designed corporate websites.
For more design inspiration please see:
- 50 Inspiration E-Commerce Website Designs
- 25 Outstanding Church Websites – Part III
- 40 of the Best Websites of Non-Profit Organizations
- 25 of the Best Websites of Educational Institutions
Most designers don’t particularly enjoy the financial side of running a business, but handling it properly is a necessary part of being a freelancer or running a design agency. The financial side of the business includes invoicing clients, and in this article we’ll look at some tips and best practices for invoicing.
1. Decide on an Invoicing App or Software
There are plenty of online invoicing apps available that have been created with designers and freelancers in mind. Additionally, there are some software options as well. Using either an online app or software to handle your invoicing will allow you to save time and to have better organization over your invoices and receivables, as opposed to using a manual system or spreadsheets.
With so many options to choose from (see 20 Invoicing Tools for Web Designers), you should be able to find an app or software that includes all of the features that you need, and ideally, not a lot of those that you don’t need. Online apps are available in a wide range of prices, some are even free. Prices will usually rise as more features are included, and most invoicing apps will have a few different plans according to the number of invoices and clients that you need to manage.
If you’d like to avoid monthly or yearly fees of online apps, you can purchase invoicing software for a one-time fee and manage an unlimited number of invoices and clients.
For invoicing software we recommend Fanurio. For online apps we recommend FreshBooks. Find a solution that meets your needs and it will help you to have more accurate invoicing and financial records with less time commitment.
2. Determine Your Policies
In an ideal world, all of your invoices would be paid on time. However, most designers have to deal with late payments, or even no payments, every now and then. You should be prepared and set some policies for how you will handle your invoicing and payments.
Some things you need to consider:
- How much will you charge up front?
- How many days will you give clients to make payments?
- What late fees will you charge for late payments?
- Will you provide completed files or work before or after final payment is received?
- What types of payment will you accept?
Of course, there will be situations when you’ll want to make some adjustments or exceptions to your policies, but it’s a good idea to establish the policies in the first place and then deal with exceptions as needed.
3. Avoid Surprises
Clients should be made aware of your policies and they should know when they will be invoiced for your services. Clients who are surprised by anything on the invoice (whether it is the amount due, the payment terms, the hourly fee, or not knowing what the invoice is for) will be much more likely to pay late or to not pay at all. Part of having an invoicing system that works efficiently is to make sure that there are no unpleasant surprises for clients.
4. Include Your Contact Information
Your invoices should always include your name (or your company name), address, and preferably your email and phone number. Depending on the client you are dealing with, there may be a number of different people that handle the invoice before it gets paid. If it gets passed to an accounts payable department and they have some question about the invoice, it should be easy for them to get in touch with you. Any delays in being able to contact you will result in a delay of the payment as well. Additionally, some of your clients will need your contact information on invoices for legal or record keeping purposes.
5. Have a System for Numbering
Most designers send out invoices on a frequent basis. It doesn’t take long before it becomes difficult to track them without having a system for numbering. Most online apps and software will include this by default or will allow you to customize the invoice numbers. Having numbers will allow you to easily record payments accurately as they are received, it will help for tracking down late payments, and it will make it easier on your clients’ record keeping as well.
6. Include the Recipient’s Information
In addition to including your own contact information, you should include all of the same things for the recipient. This can help for making communication easier, but more importantly, it can be important for legal purposes if you are having issues with not receiving payments. The less information you have on the invoice the harder it is to prove that you are owed any money.
7. Provide the Details of Services and Charges
Each invoice should specify what the charges are for and what services have been performed for the client. This will help both you and the client. For the client, it will help to avoid confusion over what has been done, what they are being billed for, and what they have already paid for. This can especially be an issue for projects that involve multiple invoices or for clients for whom you do on-going work.
From your perspective, a detailed description can help you for record keeping and to know what clients have already been invoiced for and what they will need to be invoiced for in the future.
8. Include the Due Date
Each invoice should include a due date for when payment is expected. Without a due date it can be difficult to assess any late fees or to establish that a client has not paid on time. Due dates are helpful even for your clients that always pay on time, as it can help them to know what you expect and when they will need to process the payment.
9. List Methods of Payment that are Accepted
Clients should not only be aware of how much they owe, what services they are being charged for, and when they need to pay, but also how they can make a payment. Some designers prefer to receive checks, while others accept online credit card payments. Your clients should be aware of how they can get you the money that is owed. Making it easier for them and communicating clearly is always a good thing for increasing the likelihood that you will be paid on time. If you are accepting payment in the form of checks, clients should also know to whom they should make out the check.
10. Send the Invoice as an Attachment
Most designers send their invoices by email rather than snail mail or fax, and this is a good practice for saving paper and speeding up the process. Generally, the easiest way for clients to receive and view an invoice sent by email is a PDF attachment. Most apps and software will create PDF versions of invoices for you.
11. Be Sure to Send it to the Appropriate Person
Before sending an invoice to a client, be sure that you know who should be receiving the invoice. Especially if your client is not a small business, sending the invoice to the wrong person can slow down the process and increase the chances of the invoice being lost or ignored.
12. Record Payments as They are Received
Sending out invoices is really just the start of the process. You’ll also need to have a system for recording payments as they are received. This way you’ll be able to easily, and accurately, see who has paid you and what invoices are outstanding or past due. If you fail to record payments accurately you’ll waste time trying to identify unpaid invoices, and you may even wind up contacting clients about a late payment that has already been made.
13. Follow Up
As your unpaid invoices reach their due dates, take a moment to follow up with the client, remind them, and see if payment is on the way or if there are any problems. As was mentioned earlier, it’s a good practice to have some sort of policy for handling collections of late payments, and follow up will probably always be a part of the process.
In some cases the invoice may have slipped through the cracks and the client will quickly pay when they realize this. In other cases, a gentle nudge or the possibility of a late fee will be enough encouragement.
14. Indicate if it is a Partial Payment
Because most web design projects involve more than one invoice or payment (for example, 50% up front and 50% at completion), it’s a good practice to indicate this on the invoice. Doing so can help to avoid potential confusion and disputes that could lead to difficulty in collecting payments, plus clear communication is always a positive.
15. Address any Problems
Whenever you experience a problem or issue that a client has with an invoice or charge, address it as soon as possible. Don’t wait to see if they’ll make the payment, make an effort to get it resolved. The longer it goes the less likely you are to receive payment.
What are Your Tips?
If you have any tips from your own experience that you’d like to share with our readers, please leave a comment.
Disclosure: this post includes an affiliate link for Fanurio. We use this software and can honestly recommend it.
Almost two years ago I got to know Jacob Gube of Six Revisions as both of us had relatively new blogs in the design community. Since then I’ve followed Six Revisions as it has grown to become one of the leading blogs on web design and development with over 40,000 subscribers.
If you follow Six Revisions you know that Jacob is a very talented designer, developer, and writer. Today he and his brother Isaac have launched their latest project, Design Instruct, which will provide high quality content related to visual arts and communication.
Design Instruct has launched today with a tutorial, How to Make a Vibrant Portfolio Web Design in Photoshop.
If you’re interested in design tutorials and articles I recommend that you subscribe to the Design Instruct RSS feed or follow them on Twitter. I’m sure Isaac and Jacob will turn Design Instruct into an excellent resource for designers. They’re also looking for writers, so if you are interested see their writing guidelines.