Issue #79
June 19, 2008
Welcome to Inside Freelance Design (IFD), your free, bi-weekly e-letter from American Writers & Artists Inc. Every other week, you can receive this special alert with secrets, tips, and insights from AWAI's graphic design pros to help you improve your skills and reach your goal of becoming a professional graphic designer in the fastest time possible.
IN THIS ISSUE:
- What Might Be the Most Important Success Secret
- Quick Tip: 9 Free Filter Effects for Photoshop
- Font Tips: A Modern, Dynamic, and Highly Legible Serif Font
- EXTRA! EXTRA! News and Job Opportunities
4 Ways to Immediately Improve Your Communication Skills (and Your Bottom Line
By Doug Farrick
As designers, we are always looking to improve our skills by taking online design tutorials, going to Photoshop classes, buying design books and magazines, going to seminars, and more.
But we don’t often make time for improving one of the most important skills of all – a skill crucial to career success. I’m talking about our communication skills.
As a design business owner, I found out in a hurry how important verbal communication skills are when I started giving client presentations and learned that mine were not as “professional” as some of the others they had seen. Ouch! Losing clients because of that really hurt.
But it gave me motivation to improve my communication skills. And after doing some investigating, I stumbled upon the Toastmasters Program. This nonprofit organization has nearly 226,000 members in 11,500 clubs in 92 countries. They offer a proven, affordable, structured, and fun way to practice and hone communication and leadership skills.
Most Toastmasters clubs have approximately 20 members who meet weekly for an hour or two. Participants learn and practice their skills by giving prepared and impromptu speeches, as well as by serving as timer, evaluator, or grammarian.
There is no instructor. Instead, the speeches and meetings are critiqued by members in a positive manner, focusing on what was done right and what could be improved.
If speaking in public scares you, you aren’t alone, says Paul L. Witt, PhD, assistant professor of communication studies at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. “It is even scarier than rattlesnakes,” Witt says. “The idea of making a presentation in public is the No. 1 fear reported by people in the U.S.”
That’s pretty much how I felt the night I was to give my first “icebreaker” speech. But somehow, I did it. II presented my speech, met some wonderful people, and eventually completed the program.
Like writing or design, good verbal communication skills can be learned and practiced by anybody.
Here are four guidelines from Toastmasters that will help you improve your communication skills immediately:
Learn to Listen.
It is helpful to initially put yourself in the position of being the interviewer. Just let the other person talk. Ask questions and listen to the answers. Resist the temptation to talk about yourself or your business. You’ll have a chance to do that later.
Create Logic and Structure.
The basic Toastmasters tenet is: Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell it to them, and then tell them what you just told them. If you make sure your presentation has a logical structure, it will be 10 times more likely to be followed and remembered.
Practice to Improve.
This one came as a shock to me when I started with Toastmasters. I thought professional speakers used an outline and just “did” their presentations. WAY wrong. The pros rehearse their talks many, many times – getting the rhythm and pacing just right. Once I learned to practice, my presentations improved dramatically.
Solicit Feedback.
Constructive criticism is necessary to monitor your improvement. And there are a number of feedback mechanisms used in the Toastmasters program: a timer (because it is important to cover your key points in a specific time), an ahhhh and ummm counter (which makes you aware of your verbal “stammers,” and, of course, feedback from audience members who pick up on things like body language, voice projection, and more.
Survey after survey shows that presentation skills are crucial to success – your success. Make it a goal to improve your communication skills in the next six months by signing up for Toastmasters or taking advantage of a video, online, or seminar-based program on public speaking and leadership skills.
Then watch your profits explode.
[Ed. Note: Find out more about Toastmasters, learn some free tips and techniques, and find a club in your area here: http://www.toastmasters.org/
Doug Farrick has over 20 years of experience in the design business, the last five owning a successful design firm. Since selling it in 2007, he founded TheDesignersInnerCircle.com – a resource center for graphic designers. Get his report “27 Hot Graphic Design Profit Boosting Tips” and TDIC "Tip of the Week" at: http://www.thedesignersinnercircle.com]
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Quick Tip: 9 Free Filter Effects
By Kristin Schwarz
Software maker Twisted Pixels offers a free, downloadable PixelSampler that contains nine fully functional effects that you can apply to your photos or illustrations with the click of a button. For example, with one of the effects – “Starlight” – you can change your image from black & white to monotone, or add twinkling points of light. The program is a plug-in that works with image-editing software such as Photoshop (CS1, CS2, & CS3), Photoshop Elements, Paint Shop Pro, and Corel.
Of course, you can create these effects yourself with your image-editing software. But it will take a lot of time, using trial and error, to get them just right.
Twisted Pixel’s PixelSampler is a great time saver – and, best of all, it’s FREE!
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Font Tip: Stone Serif – a Modern, Dynamic, and Highly Legible Serif Font
By Kristin Schwarz
“Stone” is a relatively young design, developed by Linotype in the late 1980s. The entire “Stone” family consists of 16 fonts, both serif and sans serif, that work well together.
Today, we take a close look at Stone Serif:
Since this font is so legible, it’s an excellent choice for body copy.
Here is an example of Stone Serif used in the layout of a lift note:
EXTRA! EXTRA! News and Job Opportunities
- Real Estate Experience Is a Plus for This Design Opportunity: A Virginia-based real estate and appraisal firm is looking for a talented graphic designer. You’ll work on a variety of design and layout projects, from printed marketing materials to online efforts. You need know the Adobe Creative Suite – and if you know Quickbooks, too, that gives you an advantage. Send your resume to Watts Auction Realty Appraisal, 7661 Wards Road, Rustburg, VA 24588.
- Help Children, Parents, and Teachers With Your Design Skills: The National Parent Teacher Association needs an experienced graphic designer to create artwork and layouts for PTA publications, Web pages, and marketing materials. You need at least three years of experience, with some background working on magazines or newsletters. You must know QuarkXpress, Illustrator, and Photoshop. Some HTML experience is helpful. Send your resume and salary requirements to h_resources@pta.org.
- Join a Fast-Growing Company in the Medical Industry: Genoptix, a medical laboratory in Carlsbad, CA, has an opening for a smart, skilled graphic designer. You’ll produce designs for collateral materials, online marketing efforts, trade shows, and more. You must be good at developing and executing concepts, have a solid understanding of corporate branding, and thrive when working on multiple projects under hard deadlines. The ideal candidate for this job has at least five years of design experience and some background in life sciences. To apply, visit http://www.genoptix.com/TaleoCareerPageWithLinks.htm.
COMING NEXT ISSUE:
- Maximize Your Success When Working With an In-House Design Team, Part 2
- Quick Tip: “An Apple a Day” – Promoting Your Health and Success
* ABOUT INSIDE FREELANCE DESIGN *
Inside Freelance Design is a FREE bi-weekly newsletter from American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends.
© 2008 American Writers & Artists Inc.
ARCHIVED ISSUES of Inside Freelance Design can be found on our website at www.thedesignerslife.com/insidefreelancedesign.
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