If you’ve read part one of #The50 things every creative should know, you’ll probably want to read part two. Unless you like cliffhangers?
26. Network
There’s some truth in “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. Talk to people, send emails — at the very least sign up to Twitter. #the50
Tweet
27. Dress smart, look business like
Take your work seriously? Then take your appearance seriously. Clients are more likely to deal with people who look like they care. #the50
Tweet
28. Never work for free
Working for free not only devalues the profession, but it makes you look weak. Even a “nice” client will take advantage of this. #the50
Tweet
29. Negotiate
If you really have to work for nothing, negotiate. Clients and studios have access to many resources that can be viewed as “payment”. #the50
Tweet
30. Read contracts
Never sign a contract before reading it. Subsequently, don’t begin any job without a contract — you may have to write one yourself. #the50
Tweet
31. Make your invoice stand out
Businesses are deluged with invoices. Make yours stand out with colour or shape and it’s likely to rise to the top of the “pay” pile. #the50
Tweet
32. There’s no such thing as a bad job
Always push yourself to do your best. Logically, there’s no way you can be dissatisfied with “having done your best”. #the50
Tweet
33. There’s no such thing as a bad client
The onus is on you to make a client relationship work, not the other way around. If it’s not working out, “fire” them as a favour. #the50
Tweet
34. Embrace limitations
Limitations are invaluable for creating successful work — they give you something to push against. From this tension comes brilliance. #the50
Tweet
35. The environment is not a limitation
The environmental impact of your work isn’t a fashionable consideration — as a creative, it’s your most important consideration. #the50
Tweet
36. Boring problems lead to boring solutions
Always interrogate your brief — redefine the question. No two briefs should be the same — a unique problem leads to a unique solution. #the50
Tweet
37. New ideas are always “stupid”
New ideas are conceived with no context and no measures of success — this often makes them feel silly, awkward, or even impossible. #the50
Tweet
38. Do not underestimate self-initiated work
Clients get in touch because of self-initiated work. Ironically, business is excited by ideas untouched by the concerns of business. #the50
Tweet
39. Justify your decisions
Clients fear arbitrary decisions — they want problem solving. Have a reason for everything, even if this is “post-rationalised”. #the50
Tweet
40. Show sketches, not polished ideas
Clients often mistake “rough” digital work for the final design. Show sketches for as long as you can, it makes them feel involved. #the50
Tweet
41. Work with the client, not against them
You may think you’re right, but look at the client’s solution along with yours. Occasionally you’ll be surprised. #the50
Tweet
42. Don’t always take no for an answer
Fight for superior solutions. Demonstrate your thinking to your client, take them through it — it’s hard to argue with logic. #the50
Tweet
43. Pick your battles
The creative industry is often infuriating, but not every argument is an argument that needs to be had. This takes time to learn. #the50
Tweet
44. If you’re going to fail, fail well
Being ambitious means you have to take on things you think you can’t do. Failures are unfortunate, but they are sometimes necessary. #the50
Tweet
45. Be an auteur
Regardless of who you’re working with, speak up if something’s not right. Take it upon yourself to be the barometer of quality. #the50
Tweet
46. Take responsibility for failure
If a job’s going wrong take responsibility. It feels counter-intuitive, but responsibility means you can do something about it. #the50
Tweet
47. Share your ideas
You’ve nothing to gain from holding on to your ideas — they may feel precious, but the more you share, the more new ideas you’ll have. #the50
Tweet
48. Get out of the studio
Good design is crafted from understanding the relationships between things. These connections can’t be found when locked in a studio. #the50
Tweet
49. Awards are nice, but not vital
Awards look good on the shelf, but clients seldom pick up the phone because of them. Solid work encourages that. #the50
Tweet
50. Don’t take yourself too seriously
Take your work seriously, take the business of your craft seriously, but don’t take yourself seriously. People who do are laughed at. #the50
Tweet
