
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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34. Embrace limitations
Limitations are invaluable for creating successful work — they give you something to push against. From this tension comes brilliance. #the50
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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
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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
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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
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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
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39. Justify your decisions
Clients fear arbitrary decisions — they want problem solving. Have a reason for everything, even if this is “post-rationalised”. #the50
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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