Show Screen Caps

I think that showing JPG’s or screen caps of the live site are totally acceptable. I have seen many a design portfolio that has this to “showcase” their designs. I also have seen them link to the site when it is live. The ability to do your job and communicating that you can do it to the client are two totally different things.

Show the client your Resume

By showing your client your resume you are solidifying the fact that you can do what you say you can do. For Example you list your skills and assets in your resume and it clearly states you can code in HTML or PHP and give the client another reason for them to feel OK that you can in-fact design.

Get References from Previous Gigs

If they are having doubts that you can do the job contact and get references from your previous web design clients and have these on hand for a situation like this. It could be hard for the client to grasp that you can do the work or they could have been burned before & just needed a little bit of comfort.

Do Pro-Bono Work

In Herman’s case he can’t show any of the others because he is under NDA’s and needed a way to show his abilities. A great idea the community came up with was to do some Pro-Bono work. You get to give away your wonderful design & dev talent and a needy client/friend/charity gets something in return. Make sure if you do do some pro-bono work that you send a receipt (with a $0 balance) but for them to see the value of what you did. So if you spent 12 hours and usually charge $55 an hour make sure you detail that out. Its important that they value your pro-bono efforts so they appreciate creative services in the future.

Stick to Your Guns

If you know you can design sites and you have shown them screen caps, a live site and provided your resume/references then maybe you should let them choose another designer. There are many clients out there and a load of heartache is not worth it before the design & dev process even begins. You don’t have to be ugly or hateful about the conversation. Be professional and make sure that they understand that things are just not working and no hard feelings on either side.

Your Response!

Now it’s your turn. What do you think? Do you have any other ideas for him or did I cover them all? Voice your opinion in the comments.

The What

The connection was first made on Twitter about 55 days ago, the new communication tool that’s been heavily publicized (and used) by both mainstream and underground media. I sent Arnold Dela Cruz a request to make contact. Arnold has started a new site called Design Democracy which I feel is in the ultimate end game and thinking of DCTH. I wanted to reach out to him and have a creative partnership so that the two could join forces and share information.

What Do You Need to Do?

If you’re not already a member of Design Democracy, get your free account now (while they’re still free). Use it to invite and connect with friends and colleagues. Use it to post pieces from your portfolio. Write up an article on a relevant design issue that you want to share with the community. Get involved with a group (see sidebar right). It’s your space.

If you haven’t signed up for a Twitter account, I encourage you to do so. You can use your mobile phone to send and receive updates. Jump in and out of the Twitter stream at your convenience.

The Who

If you already have an account on Twitter, then be sure to follow:

Design Democracy
DCTH
Arnold Dela Cruz

The team behind DCTH:
Chad Engle
Robb Major
Mike Conaty
Mike Dawson
David Link
Rob MacKay

Read the Original Article over at Design Democracy

Special thanks to Dave Mott of MonkeyWorks Illustration for the killer twitter icons and permission to use them. You rock!

Andrea La Valleur-Purvis

Give everybody a brief summary of what you do:

I’m a European freelance graphic designer, now living in Seattle. A few years ago I stepped out into the world of freelancing, which has allowed me to take my MBP to see the world…working where Wi-Fi is a constant. Ok, this sounds fabulous, but most days I do the hustle from 6 am to the late evening hours. I divide my time between designing for work, for the future* and to help make the world a better place, one pixel at time. Freelancing allows me to take the time to teach kids in our community (while eating pancakes..no, i’m not kidding), reach out to those who need encouragement and mentoring junior designers. Now regarding the little *. In May I launched a new project, that is currently under development. Read more here artsypapers.com . Busy people get things done, right?  : )

What brought you to DCTH?

I found Chad’s comment on bittbox.com, followed the path of the yellow brick road and landed on his twitter page. Here was this guy announcing that he would answer design questions during a specific time via twitter, totally curious and wondering what on earth he was thinking…I joined in one Thursday afternoon….

What brought you to twitter?

Earlier this year, I noticed the design community taking twitter to a whole new level of global community, 24 hours a day. I quickly found tweeple with common interests, goals, offering advice and a grand love of pancakes. We connected via DCTH and other platforms and now I chat with designers every week, from all around the world.

How vital is connecting with others in this field?

As a freelancer, I find it especially vital to connect with other designers, dev teams, artists and writers. We inspire each other, not just creatively but also in our day to day lives. Working from home can often seclude you from the office environment. For example, @svgrob and I have created a mini-office, chatting daily, offering critique and feedback on current projects, brain storming on the best solutions and give ourselves the freedom to let off a quick rant or encourage each other.

Why Design?

I’ve been creating ever since I was a kid. My parents are both creative thinkers, so it came naturally to me. I’ve had the opportunity to study art on many platforms, including photography, printmaking and sculpture. Design was a natural extension of my ability to create, allowing me to design for print, web and physical environments.

What are some lessons you learned the hard way?

Don’t sweat the small stuff. If you make a mistake, be honest, make it right, show that you have integrity and are willing to keep your word. When working with small businesses, remember they are experts in their field, not in design. Educate them on the design process, appropriate styles etc. Show them that you are not just “a tool” but also a creative problem solver and an expert in your field. Believe in yourself.

Freelance or Full-time?

Freelance all the way. I have worked as an in-house designer for several years, always freelancing on the side. Now I work from home, sometimes onsite for a client when necessary. It takes discipline to stay on task and motivated to push forward, this is why connecting with other creatives is vital.

Where can you be found in the social media realm? (twitter, facebook, blog… shameless self promo ☺ )

Find out more about my work and my story at divinefusiondesign.com I am literally wrapping up a site re-design this week… here is a sneak peak.

Chat with me on twitter

Flickr: flickr.com/photos/divinefusion

Behance behance.net/divinefusion

Coroflot coroflot.com

Krop krop.com/divinefusion/

Any recent projects you want to show-off?

Just wrapped up an expansion campaign called Elevation ‘09.

See the Site Live (coded by @svgrob)

Check out my portfolio for the full view of campaign pieces.   Current projects include, an exciting project for a (board) game company, developing the game brand and packaging, launching early this fall.

Give everybody a brief summary of what you do:

I suppose I make websites and signs really.  I trained as a web designer back in 1998 then kind of left the industry but kept the HTML going, then moved back into Design via sign making a few years ago.  I spent my time between creative roles in IT tech support of all places…
So I work in digital and vinyl ☺
I suppose my specialties are in CSS and XHTML, and I love web standards.

What brought you to DCTH?

I think it was actually @chadengle that brought me to DCTH, which I suppose isn’t surprising.  Chad was one of my first twitter contacts, and we often liked to swap stories of pancakes and syrup on his commute into work, oh those crazy days…

What brought you to twitter?

It was Bittbox who brought me to twitter.  Jay posted 101 reasons to join twitter on his Bittbox.com blog and I think 90 of them were “because it is awesome” or something, anyway I was convinced.

How vital is connecting with others in this field?

To me it’s extremely important; I have made so many excellent contacts and amazing friends on twitter – and people who I will now have the chance to work with, like @mistygirlph and @divinefusion.  Twitter is my office chat, and that is probably the only thing I miss from the office environment, so twitter fills my social needs for being at home and working alone.  I love the opportunity to work with a virtual team, I do love working with people, and I love the idea of it being globally!

Why Design/Developing?

I just love creating.  I walked away from school with only one A grade exam (the rest were C and below) and that was in 3D Design.  I left IT because my creative juices were not being satisfied, and I just had to do something creative.  Actually within my job as an IT Technician I actually trained someone in a little HTML as part of my job.  Throughout my IT career I have been making websites anyway, so it was a natural progression.

Freelance or Full-time?

I’m Freelance – but it’s as full time as anything has been, although it’s great to be able to take days off when you need them, especially with a young family!

Where can you be found in the social media realm?

Well my twitter is twitter.com/svgrob and my websites, where you can leave wonderful comments, are www.alteredaspect.info and www.svgonline.co.uk .  You can also reach me on Skype at rob-mackay.  You can also find me combating spam on the CSS-Tricks.com forums.

Any recent projects you want to show-off?

Here is my flickr stream of some signage and vinyl graphics I have done: flickr.com/photos/svgrob
Here is also a tutorial I wrote on CSS Positioning:  alteredaspect.info/the-art-of-css-positioning
And my portfolio can be found here: alteredaspect.info

Who are you?

I am Robert Banh, a known twitter-addict-slash-Web-junkie with an odd fascination for snuggies and pancakes, in no particular order.
By day, I’m a web programmer, hacking PHP scripts and adding jQuery to everything I touch. By night, I’m pushing pixels in Photoshop and Illustrator. If I’m not online, then I’m attending one of the many tech meetups around Austin, TX.

First encounter with DCTH?

A few months ago, I saw a hashtag for DCTH. Not knowing, I asked a fellow DCTHer and got a link. It was a blog post from Chad dated in December that explains how DCTH works. It sounded interesting so I gave it a try the next Thursday.  Like a drug fiend, I got hooked. It was a massive fast paced chatting session for designers with undiagnosed ADD. Topics ranged from retro design critiques to must-have fonts, mixed with food battles and sometimes the occasional embarrassing worst design ever. Whatever the topic, these people have passion and it was expressed in multiple mediums; I currently have a “pancake” tag on my profile pic ☺

What brought you to twitter?

Working at a University, my job is to communicate effectively with students, which is a cheap excuse for me to use twitter during business hours. But ultimately it does help us build a better app that’s on par with current conventions. To name a few, CSAM videos, text messaging , scripts for iPhone, and social media focused stuff .
Now that formalities are out of the way, I love the communities found on twitter. I follow and chat with amazing designers and developers who I would not have found on any other network. Leaving a blog comment is often a one way communication, but twitter allows people to reply and connect. You become great friends with people who live across the globe! And in my experience, I was able to physically connect with most of them during SXSW after chatting online with them for months.

Why Design?

I have a degree in Computer Science. I enjoy the coding but I love the design aspect. Why design? Because humans want what they don’t have ☺. That’s the beauty of building for the web. I get to satisfy the left side of my brain with PHP and Javascript, but I also get to nurture the right with CSS and graphics.

What are some lessons you learned the hard way?

1.    It’s ok to say no. Sometimes, you and a client will not match. I’ve been in bad spec work situations and sometimes you just have to pull the plug. Designers are not mind readers.
2.    Spread the knowledge. Don’t whore all your tips/tricks of the trade. I was once very protective of my PSD files. Now, I’m the complete opposite.  Help the communities and learn from one another.
3.    Be nice. Twitter is a speaker box, and griping about a product or app can get you in trouble. I spoke badly about an unnamed app and immediately got a response from the lead developer. He fixed my problem and we became good friends. So, just be nice.
4.    Experience matters. Look at code from an experienced programmer verses a junior and you’ll see. It doesn’t matter how they acquired their foundation; the years of experience will be seen. There are projects that I wished I could go back and redo.
5.    The same goes for design. The devil is in the details. Just lining up blocks, symmetry, and kerns bothers the hell out of me. I can’t sit through a corporate powerpoint presentation without cringing in my seat!
6.    And last, design is subjective. So who cares if people don’t like it? Just do it.

Freelance of Full-time?

I’m full time now. I would love to freelance, but I am in a unique situation at work where we are a team of pseudo-freelancers that run around campus building websites.

Any recent projects you want to show-off (urls)?

My latest project being built with @cecycorrea (It should be ready in a few days) awesomevsawesome.com
Just completed a project with @adammccombs: bcowwcatalog.com
My own obsession with Twitter apps @mrmilestone: thetwittertagproject.com
Twitter:  twitter.com/robertbanh
Flickr:   flickr.com
Delicious:  delicious.com/robertbanh
Blog: htmltree.com

Week Five is Kimberly Beaven

Give everybody a brief summary of what you do:

I am the Creative Director and Innovation Navigator for BlueWave Media, in London, ON Canada. We develop media, marketing, web design and marketing strategies for our clients. I started out airbrushing designs on trucks and signs when I was 16 and then transitioned into a more formal graphic design work about 18 years ago. As a deeply driven geek, I started doing web design about 10 years ago. I have been doing fulltime web design about 6 years. Although not the mainstay of my business, I also still do branding and identity for my clients. I also run a blog called Geek and Gadgets as well as consult for businesses for software, hardware and mobile productivity integrations. I am also a MAC consultant. BlueWave Media has a podcast that has been running since October 2005 called BlueWave Media Café, which led to doing a lot of podcast production work, audio and video creation, editing and post-productions as well as original music development. Gee, I think I sound like I have ADD. Really I don’t ? — I just love technology, well and coffee too.

What brought you to DCTH?

Community is very important for me — I believe that we learn best in a shared environment. Someone had mentioned that DCTH was on Thursday nights and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet other like-minded folks and to learn from great designers from around the world. Of course, I try to get at DCTH every week I can because it is a blast.

What brought you to twitter?

In May of 2008, when I was checking it out (a colleague had mentioned it to me) I was blown away by the possibilities Twitter would eventually bring forth. It seemed very quiet in the beginning. The people I have “met” both in person and just online there have proven to be the best time investment for learning and growing as a designer.

How vital is connecting with others in this field?

The ability to connect, share, learn and develop skills is vital, hands-down. We sometimes work in a bit of a vacuum, coding, meeting client needs, working with staff, eat while we are at our desks and forget to “feed” ourselves. I firmly believe that those you surround yourself with will be the influencers to where you will go in the future. Connecting with talented, innovative and inspiring people keeps it real, and keeps you sane. This should be done in person as well as using social media. Getting out of the office to actually have lunch, blow off some steam, flip through a design magazine while sipping on your Caramel Cappuccino is the insurance of your longevity in a creative field. Whatever works for you or is considered your “feeding” method, just do it. Your brain and your family will thank you.

Why Design/Developing?

Design and Web Development just seemed to be such a natural progression for me, especially my geeky side. I could employ both the art and technology needs within myself, and make a living doing it. It also allowed me to participate in a community – both in design but also in business – helping others get more in control of their own business through great marketing and design.

What are some lessons you learned the hard way?

I didn’t attend post-secondary for graphic design or web design. Interestingly enough, my education centered around biology and chemistry. With this being said, I learned some very tough lessons early on about communication, expectations and being true to myself. Early on in my design career, I had a haphazard, non-descriptive contract with a client which left lots of loop hole which unfortunately the client took full advantage of and I ended up losing so much money on that project that I almost thought I might be better suited for another career. Since then, I have developed much better contracts, sign-offs and clearer communications with clients. Another lesson I learned was that no matter what you have to be true to yourself. That means your capabilities, your willingness to interrupt family time and how much stamina you physically have. Do not take things to the wire on your health. I worked for weeks, 17 hour days or more and, yes completed the project, but it took me a couple of months to feel like myself again and my productivity suffered during the recovery. Never worth it..

Freelance or Full-time?

I’m full-time, sometimes having to remind myself that a work-family balance is the goal.

Where can you be found in the social media realm? (twitter, facebook, blog… shameless self promo ? )

twitter
flickr
del.icio.us
youtube
backtype
linkedin
friendfeed
facebook
12seconds.tv
http://www.bluewavemedia.ca
http://www.geekandgadgets.ca
google.com/profiles/kimberlybeaven
picasaweb.google.com/kimberlybeaven

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Well, my 5 year plan includes developing more online communities and projects that allow me to travel a bit more, both for business and personally. I also want to get back to the teaching aspect that I used to do and feed into the next generation of designers. I am also working on a book and hopefully will have it completed by then, Fingers crossed.

Week Three is Mike Garrett

What I do.
Hello everyone. My name is Mike Garrett. I’m a student at VCU in Richmond, VA graduating in May from the Graphic Design department. I started out at UMBC in Mechanical Engineering and, after a year, realized the part I liked the most about engineering was the thought process and CAD. I left to pursue greener pastures at VCU. I never really explored graphic design before I got in to VCU, but I loved doing front-end development. I’ve spent 4 years discovering the meaning of graphic design, realizing what a good fit it is for me.  I ran the student radio station, WVCW, for a number of years and have been involved in various aspects of the design department, including student exhibitions, department web design, Tasmeem in Doha, Qatar and the student mentor program.

Why I joined Twitter.

It all stemmed from the need to find a job in a bad economy, to be honest. At first I was opposed to twitter. It was just a glorified, simplified facebook to me. Once I joined I realized that the network I could build and the interactions I could have would be completely different. Twitter is like having a phone with everyone’s number, interests and location all tied together.  I started interacting and found out that twitter is a powerful tool, but the problem is, I believe, that twitter, as a service on its own, is irrelevant. The idea is sound, but the implementation just isn’t completely solid. That being said, there is no alternative at the moment. I’ll keep using what’s available.

Why I love DCTH.

DCTH has been a long time coming. There has needed to be an open table for designers to communicate with one another for a long time. Design conferences are a start. Local get-togethers are nice, but nowhere else can you talk to such a wide variety of designers all on the same playing field. Twitter is definitely the right place to organize the event. It’s growing like a wildfire.

The importance of building a design network.

I am totally convinced that connecting with people of similar interests is essential, especially in the design world. Every job and every opportunity I owe to the relationships I’ve built with other designers. I owe everything I’ve learned to those connections (and school). I believe that design is one of the few professions that really relies heavily on the ties we form with other designers, developers, printers, etc.

Why I design.

It started out as an obsession with cheap publishing. My first foray was in front-end development. I could tell the world about something from my bedroom without spending a dime. My interests moved to social media as it was evolving in the late 90’s. For the last 3 years my interests have included beautiful typography, well-thought-out design, usability and accessibility… in theory. In actuality, it’s been all about fulfilling the requirements of the classes. School has always been so disjointed that it’s difficult to focus on one direction. I’m just waiting to graduate so I can focus on one direction.  I keep going because I’m completely addicted at this point. No turning back.

Tools of the trade.

Depending on the project the tools I use could be completely different. I use
A gridded bible
CS3
Transmit
The Hit List
iCal
Eventbox
LittleSnapper
Skitch
Safari 4.

What do you do when you‘re not designing?

I’ve been working on getting married to my fiancée ( see @lindsay_benson ). That’s really been a big part of the last year for me. I know what you’re thinking. Graduation, job searching, marriage, etc? It’s been hectic over the last year. I also ran WVCW, VCU’s student-run radio, as a hobby.

Lessons I’ve learned.

Don’t EVER design for a committee if you can help it.

There is power in good type. It can make the difference between a crap design and an amazing design.

Don’t forget who you’re designing for. A hint? It’s not other designers.

A design is only worth as much as the idea it’s based on.

Stop designing! Take time off. Go outside. Live a little.

Don’t ever back down. Accept your defeats, but defend your position.

Projects I’m working on.

I’m in the middle of putting together the VCU Graphic Design Department site.
My portfolio is all put together, but a lot of it needs to be documented and put online.
I’m a part of a project called Project Simple. We’re prototyping, manufacturing and marketing a $500 surgical table.

Self-Promo
Portfolio: kernme.org
Behance.net: behance.net/two3eight
Society6.com: society6.com/MikeNGarrett
Twitter: twitter.com/MikeNGarrett
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/MikeNGarrett
Facebook: facebook.com
I am currently seeking employment in graphic design, web design and front-end development somewhere around Virginia.

Week Two is Christine Rossi

Give everybody a brief summary of what you do:
I guess if I had to give a simple answer, I’d say I design things.  I am fascinated by all aspects of art and design and I enjoy switching up my mediums.  I am an Interior Designer and a Graphic Designer by education, I have also designed furniture and play in the metalsmith studio for fun. I have been working professionally in the Interior Design industry for the past 12 years. Before going to graduate school for Interior Design, I studied Design (graphic with some industrial) in college and those elements are always present as I approach any interior.  Since I have been focusing my work on Interior design, my graphics work is usually in relation to interiors projects.  Graphics can play an important role (even on a subtle note) in commercial projects (i.e. retail spaces or corporate spaces) These are typically environmental graphics or print graphics supporting or creating the brand.

What brought you to DCTH?
I have tried to meet as many creative people on Twitter as possible.  I enjoy the creative network and love the learning from and collaborating with other designers.  I had already been following the infamous @chadengle ( hee hee) so when he/you created DCTH, I was definitely in.

What brought you to twitter?
A friend of mine, who was much more savvy in the on-line world taught me about twitter.  It took a little while for me to get into it, but soon I started meeting such a great group of people and really enjoyed the exchange of information.  I am now officially hooked ☺

How vital is connecting with others in this field?
I think it is extremely vital.  I have lived and worked in many different cities in the US.  I was spoiled with the physical design networking available in places such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago and really missed that living in Tampa.  Twitter has been an amazing tool to connect with great people all over the world.  There is so much going on in the world of design and the world in general. I think in any aspect of design, it is important to not be close-mined or ignorant when it comes to what other people are doing.  Design is influenced by everything around us, politics, economics, life in general.  I find it fascinating to see how these element integrate into all aspects of the design/ art world. It inspires me.  Social media is a fabulous tool for this.

Why Interior Design/graphic design?
I grew up in a very creative home environment. My father was an architect / city planner. My mom also has a passion for fashion design and fine art. As children my sisters and I would play with my dad’s drafting tools, my moms paints (we would get in trouble for this of course), sketchbooks, pastels, etc.  These were some of our favorite “toys”.  When I was deciding my direction in life, I knew it needed to be creative.  I took a graphics class in high school and was hooked.  When I went to college, I knew I would study Design.  I concentrated mostly on graphic design but also took many industrial design classes, which I loved.  After working in advertising for a while after college, I decided to go graduate school and honestly was originally deciding between Architecture and Industrial design.  As I researched schools and programs, I began to learn more and more about Interior design.  I had previously thought that Interior Design was decorating, but as I learn about it I realized it is in its true sense, more a perfect merge of Architecture and Industrial design.  It deals with the human interaction of space.  The program I chose at Pratt was based more on the design of the space, constriction, interior architectural finishes.  It was perfect. I love it because I am also able to incorporate my graphics background wonderfully into many of the projects I work on.

What are some lessons you learned the hard way?
Oh, there are so many!  One very important one: Time management. I still have to remind myself about this one.  It is very important when working for a firm when you are budgeting / billing clients for all of your time.  I know many people who own their own companies end up just not billing for all of their hours, but in my mind this shouldn’t happen.  Be realistic in your bid, manage yourself, schedule your time and keep your clients in the loop regarding any discrepancies in the bid/project time. (there are so many factors that can increase this that do not have to do with your actual work.) Easily said, I know. I do know that being able to master this leads to not only better life balance, but also a better attitude toward your projects and your work. It also becomes crucial as you advance in your career and the workload number and complexity of projects increase.

Freelance or Full-time?
Right now I am full-time but have my own company.  It is relatively new.  I have worked professionally for design firms for over 12 years, but in today’s economy, most firms in Tampa (and elsewhere) have let most of their employees go.  I have some great projects I am working on out in California and loving it.

Where can you be found in the social media realm? (twitter, facebook, blog… shameless self promo ☺ )
I am on Twitter @modbird, Facebook, Linked-in (chris rossi) , Coroflot , Friend Feed
Right now, I really only use my Facebook for old friends and family, but can found on the others for networking.  I have a blog ( that is just a silly personal blog, but am working on a more professional Interior/graphic design-based blog that I hope to have up in a month or so. (I will keep you posted ☺ )
I also have a tumbr blog and a posterous blog that are more simple blogs of design/environmental inspiration.

Any recent projects you want to show-off?
With Interior design, the timeframe for the projects can be quite long.  The projects I am currently working on began in October 2008. They are not at the point to show yet (still under construction). They should be finished up this summer.  I can share them with you then ☺
I do have some projects I finished up last summer in my portfolio on Coroflot.

Week One is Jason Lengstorf of Ennui Design

Jason, thanks for the interview tell everyone a brief summary of what you do:
I’m a PHP geek slash front-end designer based out of Missoula, MT. After about four years of moonlighting as a web developer, I finally had enough of a client base and enough confidence to quit my old day job, and now I work full-time for myself under the company name Ennui Design. I also run a blog off Ennui Design trying to share knowledge on PHP and jQuery. I’ve written for CSS-Tricks, Smashing Magazine, and a few others.

What brought you to DCTH?
I showed up at DCTH for the first time because I still hadn’t really grasped the point of Twitter, and I was trying to figure out what people saw in it. Someone mentioned that there was a meet-up for designers every Thursday, and I was online, so I hopped in. I traded some advice and left hooked on both Twitter and DCTH alike.

What brought you to twitter?
Curiosity, mostly. I heard about it a long time ago, and I didn’t take it very seriously. But I kept hearing about it. So I finally signed up, and now I’m hooked.

How vital is connecting with others in this field?
I’ve had so much great advice, writing opportunities, and general friendship come out of meeting other designers. I may have been able to get by and make a living without knowing other designers, but I probably would have lost my mind. My friends from around Missoula have no idea what the hell I’m talking about most of the time.

Why Design/Developing?
I played in a band for years, and while we were able to afford touring the western U.S., we couldn’t afford any professional design. I’d always had a thing for drawing, so I pirated a copy of Photoshop and gave it a try. I really like the art aspect, so when the band needed a website, I thought, “How hard could it be to make a website?” I built the first site in nothing but HTML, in tables, with iframes and everything. I probably rebuilt that site fifteen times, and I ended up with a fairly in-depth Flash site. That experience showed me how much fun web design could be, so I started doing it for other people. When I realized how much I hated maintaining sites, I decided to learn PHP to allow my clients to maintain their own sites. Out of that adventure, I ended up writing my own content management system, which I still use today (albeit heavily overhauled over the years).

What are some lessons you learned the hard way?
I don’t have any formal education, and I’ve never worked for a design company. I’ve never read a book on web design or development; everything I know is from reading the tutorials on w3schools.com and poring over the PHP manual and the blogosphere. Because of that, I missed a lot of best-practices. Everything I’d coded was from the hip, and a best guess on my part. I contacted Chris Coyier about writing an article for CSS-Tricks, which he was all for. I wrote an article called PHP for Beginners: Building Your First Simple CMS which I thought was a solid introduction to programming. However, the commenters pointed out security holes, and after the article hit the front page of Digg, people started exploiting the security holes so badly that Chris was forced to take down the demo. Seeing my programming torn apart like that was really hard, but it also inspired me to really pay attention to coding standards and security measures, which really shouldn’t be overlooked.

Freelance or Full-time?
I’m freelance. But I work enough that it might as well be full-time.

Where can you be found in the social media realm? (twitter, facebook, blog… shameless self promo ☺ )
I don’t do a lot of social media. I’m on Twitter, Facebook, and I run my blog at Ennui Design.

Any recent projects you want to show-off? (urls)

• My FlickrScrollr jQuery plugin
• A jQuery content slider tutorial
• One of my favorite designs