Self Promotion Woes!!
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- infostruct
Why is designing for yourself so much harder than client work? Good Grief.
I have been messing with a personal idnetity, website, promo, etc for weeks now. I hate everything I come up with, and time is running out. I want it to be designed/printed/launched by the HOW Conference in June.
Does anyone have any tips on how to make this a little easier on myself? It maybe giving me an ulcer.
- scarabin0
you must look inside yourself, grasshopper
- radar0
Set some guidelines/objectives that you have to adhere to.
I have the same problem - It comes from not having a client giving you parameters, it's just wide open.
- lvl_130
same deal. but it's been more than weeks. you are your worst client. and when things start to 'look good' i fuck around with them so much that i hate them again. viscious circle.
sorry, that was no help at all.
- radar0
and what scarabin said.
Because even the scorpion can learn from the grasshopper.
- scarabin0
my biggest problem was trying to invent a "user friendly, politically correct" version of myself to present to clients.
i felt like i was raping myself the whole time, destroying my identity.
so i decided to just be my obnoxious self and work only for people who appreciated that.
it's been great so far.
- Spix0
drink some beer...or acctually...allot. it always helps me feel better about the losusy things i produce.
- ********0
i think your work speaks for itself scarabin. no matter how "obnoxious" you feel you are to other people :)
- scarabin0
aww, thanks :)
- infostruct0
Glad to know I am not the only one. It is terribly frustrating though. It's sort of had me down the past few days.
- version30
i bought several domains and express myself on all of them i pnly tell my clients 1 place to look though
aha tricky shit
- version30
ps i hate what they look at too but its easy and they understand it and its clean
- seed0
I have the same problem. One issue I have is I would like to constanly evolve and not be limited to one style.
I started a thread on this a few weeks ago called.'your own identity'. Check it out. It was largely decided it is best to pick a simple classic typeface as opposed to doing something that may be considered trendy or something you will get sick of later.
I want to get cards printed up soon so I have to get going. I am meeting with the owner of a letterpress shop soon so I may be able to pull off a nice simple card that I will like.
- infostruct0
Thanks seed. You brought up my biggest issue. I have no problem making some trendy logo with letters that run together, but I am not really that trendy of a designer. My work is ultra-clean.
I honestly think my name in Helvetica 65 represents my style quite well, but I am afraid it will just get lost.
- Dancer0
Yeah what seed said.
Don't over complicate it and be too clever as long as it is clean and simple it will not over power your work.
I also find that having something that people relate to and find light hearted is a good way to go.
Good luck
- Spix0
hmm..been thinking about that for a while...i'm making a nwe website, i hope will be ready in a 3 weeks (that is when my last day at work is and i take the step to freelance) but now half way into it i'm affraid that maybe i'm over doing thing...perhaps shoudl i try something much simpler and try to let the content talk for it self...not sure yet what to do..
- dan_dan_dan0
If you have ever written out a creative brief for a client; try writing one out for you.
Use the same template and questions that outline project objectives for a client.
Then FOLLOW IT. Make the deadline. Step away from it for three days or a week.
Come back to it, tweak it, and move forward.
Don't get caught up in a concept. Go no more than one or two definitions deep.
Keep it simple let your work breath; let it do the talking.
- brooke0
Comic Sans is pretty classic. Just make it yellow & add a drop shadow, honey.
XOXO.
- infostruct0
Why oh why must Brooke be an ass?
- version30
dont worry helvetica can be pulled of clean and professional
- brooke0
But you love it!