Amy Abatangle

I just completed a website redesign for a new TV show, Cupid’s Kitchen, that is being pitched to a variety of entertainment networks. I moved the site from flat HTML to WordPress to make it more functional for the show’s producers, giving them the ability to update it themselves. I adapted an existing WordPress theme, Feed Me, Seymour. I designed the logo which I paired with a stock illustration and a new tagline that I wrote for the show.

Before:

After:

Just finished mock-ups for a couple of content aggregators, All My Horoscopes and Scary Paranormal Videos. Both are just at the Photoshop stage, but I thought it might be interesting to share them early in the design process.

I will have to do the CSS and image slicing once more of the content is finalized, but it’s fun to already have a sense of what the sites are going to look like. It was also fun to work on such disparate sites right after each other. The feel couldn’t be more different. :)

I’ve been working on a number of creative projects recently. In addition to my amigurumi crochet blog and store, I have also started selling jewelry that I’ve been making. I started making jewelry when I was in junior high and high school, then set it aside until about 2003 when I began making a few items for myself and for friends. I recently picked up the hobby again and am greatly enjoying it.

My line, Left Bank, is carried by Coupa Cosas in Palo Alto, CA and Renegade Handmade in Chicago. It’s a fun mix of vintage and modern elements. You can see my portfolio on my blog.

The most difficult part of any freelance business is client relations; it’s also the basis for success. If you’re a freelancer, you’ve spent a lot of time trying to woo clients and keep them happy. You’ve probably also dealt with clients who’ve taken advantage of that desire, intentionally or not. Here are ten things that I’ve learned over the years sitting on both sides of the conference table that may help you play nice  and run a tight business.

10. Always Use Protection
Most everyone enters into business relationships with good intentions. Along the way, however, things can get complicated. The best protection is a comprehensive contract and adequate insurance. For a freelancer, this can be as simple as running a sample contract (check professional associations or online legal sites) past an attorney to customize it for you and adding to your existing insurance policy to cover business liability. There are a number of companies that specialize in insuring small business owners, so look around to find a competitive rate.

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I recently completed another client project using WordPress. Due to the timeline and the client’s budget, I chose to source a freeware theme rather than create something from scratch. After scouting around, I came across CorporateMag, a slick but appropriate theme from WP Junction.

I spent some time modifying the theme to work for my needs, including removing the image carousel and changing the way that posts are displayed on the main page of the site. The way that the plugins were included was a bit wonky, but I think I’ve massage the theme sufficiently to produce a nice result. Just waiting to pour in the content once the client is ready.

I’ve found that modifying existing themes can take almost as much time as designing one from scratch. Sourcing attractive, professional and original themes can be difficult, and the quality of free themes is highly variable. There can be hidden pitfalls, especially with the implementation of sidebar widgets which is broken as often as not.

Here are a few questions to ask when deciding whether to modify or build:

• Does the client have existing imagery or a strong brand? Look for templates that are color rather than image-based or consider creating your own.
• How design-oriented is the project? If design is as important as content, consider working from scratch. You may need just as much time to source one or more options than you would to present a couple of variations on a theme of your own for your client to choose from.
• Does the design have to be absolutely unique? If your client has a problem with any other site using the same template, you’re better off starting with a clean slate rather than trying to strip down an existing template.

Regardless of your client’s preferences, it’s a nice exercise to review themes by other designers. There are some amazing free themes out there for implementation or just inspiration.