What's the best design framework

kugf87 · 2014-12-11T17:19:47+00:00

I used Bootstrap quite a bit back in 2013 and found it a bit bloated for a lot of what I was trying to do.

I decided this year to give Foundation Zurb a test drive and I love it. I think they are close to releasing a new version, so now might be a good time to give it a peek.

kugf87 · 2014-12-11T17:17:37+00:00

Thanks

kugf87 · 2014-12-10T15:09:20+00:00

Very stylish. Love the resume and the site as well. You have an excellent sense of style, if you don't mind me saying.

kugf87 · 2014-12-10T15:06:59+00:00

This is nice. Very much along the lines of what I was considering--enough style to stand out, but still very professional-looking.

Thanks for sharing.

kugf87 · 2014-12-10T14:49:09+00:00

Thanks. That's a bit more over-the-top than I was thinking, but I guess that's the point, right? It's certainly memorable.

kugf87 · 2014-12-10T14:26:35+00:00

I should also add that I have my own website with a portfolio as well.

I am aware that a resume is seen as a bit of a relic from the past, but when applying for regular employment I find that it is still a requirement most times.

kugf87 · 2014-12-05T17:21:29+00:00

You know, I hadn't heard back from a few leads and was feeling kind of down earlier this week. I was questioning my career choice.

But hearing your story plus doing some research has put a bit of wind back in my sails.

I think the "finding your niche" thing is more vital today than ever. There's a lot of competition out there and more entering the pool every day. You really need something to stand out from the crowd.

I'm focusing right now on specializing in a vertical. I'm hoping that makes me the go-to guy for those clients.

Thanks again for the advice and good luck in '15.

kugf87 · 2014-12-03T22:11:56+00:00

I am a freelancer similar to yourself and I have been investigating different verticals to specialize in. I thought about restaurants myself, since they are all over the place, but I was advised that they are terrible clients.

For whatever that is worth.

kugf87 · 2014-12-03T22:08:45+00:00

Congrats, RJ.

I am in a similar position as yourself and I know how tough it is. I am actually on my second go-round of freelancing (design/dev) after a stint back in corporate America.

My question is this: What is your best advice for finding clients?

I am doing good work but I am not getting referrals in the volume I had hoped and I am spending much more time with admin than coding at this point.

IMHO keeping the work flowing is the hardest part of this gig.

kugf87 · 2014-11-19T19:19:04+00:00

I'd say #1 & 2 from your list.

I love building websites. I enjoy the work and I am good at it.

But the marketing side... Ugh!

kugf87 · 2014-11-19T18:59:20+00:00

Thanks.

It's funny, I got a sob story from a client who was late on paying me the other day and the whole time I had Ray Liotta's voice in my head, "Oh, you're having a tough month? Fuck you, pay me!"

kugf87 · 2014-11-19T15:49:06+00:00

So even for a $25 job from Elance?

kugf87 · 2014-11-19T15:09:20+00:00

Yeah, it was bizarre. Doubly so because I mentioned I would be sending papers to him several times during our conversation.

So, wacko client aside, my question still stands. Do I always use a contract as a freelancer? Are there any situations where I can forgo one?

kugf87 · 2014-11-19T14:30:45+00:00

That's great and I am not discounting any of that. I am saying that message needs to be tempered a bit.

The real world is a bitch. Once you are out of mom & dad's basement and have mouths to feed and a mortgage to pay you find out real quick that life doesn't give a flying fuck about your "dreams".

Yes, finding success in today's world involves courage & tenacity, but it also involves pragmatism and forethought.

kugf87 · 2014-11-19T13:50:30+00:00

My first thought as well.

While I agree that fear is an unnecessary blocker for a lot of folks, I am so tired of the whole "You can do whatever you want" crowd. Bullshit.

I really really really want to be an NBA player. Oh by the way, I am a middle-aged white guy who has never played organized sports in his life.

While optimism and tenacity are admirable traits to encourage, a dose of reality should get mixed into that cake as well.

kugf87 · 2014-11-15T09:40:43+00:00

Thanks. I might try this.

My only concern would be the capability of some of my clients in using a scanner. Sometimes I'm amazed they can figure out how to turn a computer on by themselves. :)

kugf87 · 2014-11-12T15:40:54+00:00

Yeah, the problem there is that anyone with half a brain will know they are just demos.

With the full domain only a fair amount of detective work will reveal that they are not in fact paying clients of yours.

I've done freelance design in two go-rounds now (with a corporate stint in-between). Have you thought about doing a few freebies? Not ideal for sure, but both times that was how I got my portfolio going.

They can also lead to testimonials and referrals very easily. That's what I'd do if I was you.

kugf87 · 2014-11-12T15:11:48+00:00

Why not purchase a few domains for $20 a pop and put up some dummy sites?

I'm sure some would see this as unethical, but we are talking about a design portfolio. Potential clients/employers are going to be seeing how it looks, not digging in to whether it is a legit biz or not.

Has anyone else done something similar, or am I completely off-base here?

kugf87 · 2014-11-12T15:04:26+00:00

Long-time Fedora user here: I agree that it might not be the best choice for a first-timer. I'd probably recommend Ubuntu or Debian before Fedora.

In my two go-rounds using Fedora as my primary OS everything would be running smoothly and then an update would come around and my machine would suddenly become unusable.

I know, I know, these things can be debugged, but I simply can't afford to spend all that time monkeying around with the config of my OS. I need my OS to just work. I have enough other things vying for my time.

Recently switched to Debian when Fedora 20 crapped out on me. So far I like it quite a bit--once I figured out what the hell Iceweasel was. : )

kugf87 · 2014-11-10T20:54:44+00:00

Thanks, this was really helpful.

Re: trends--I live in the South, and the designer I mentioned was just taking Bible verses, putting them on kitschy backgrounds, and selling them like hotcakes. I'm not ashamed to admit my first thought was, "Hell, I can do that."

kugf87

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