So I bet everyone’s been wandering why Sentences hasn’t been updated. And then I know you’re scratching your head saying, “Damn, this site is dieing already?” Well fear not my fellow warriors of the digital millennium. We’re still very alive, and kicking. Anthony has been working on a few articles which he will be releasing shortly. Me on the other hand, I’m working on some other, bigger things.

Sentences will be launching a new design soon. It’s based off of Quommunication’s Wordpress Theme and will be implemented into Sentences soon enough. If you’re a night bird like me, you may have done some snooping and seen the theme up late at night while I do fixes and changes and customize the theme so it feels like home. Furthermore, we’ll be implementing a real forum system soon (after the redesign). Finally, everything is finally coming together.

So in the mean time, here’s some other articles to hold you down. I’m sorry to keep you all short on updates, and I really do as if I’m cheating you all out of an experience, but keep in mind that we’re working on things, and we aren’t just sitting dormant.

Finger Linkin’ Good 2/21/08:

• Our good friends at FreelanceSwitch posted: Freelancers Beware of Receiving Payments via Credit Card through PayPal
• I stumbled across a funny little Web 2.0 Business Plan Generator.
• Smashing Magazine posted: Drunken Monkey Photoshop Tutorial
• Zac Johnson made $860,538.38 PROFIT in 4 months. Find out how (no, it’s not an eBook).
• One of our favorite companies, 37Signals posted an article On Writing.
• Bittbox found 16 really useful Dingbat fonts.
• You The Designer posted: 30 Photos that inspired me to learn Photography
• Fresh Home posted: The Worlds Most Inspiring and Creative Hotel Rooms (Like Threadless? You’ll love this).
• Turbo Milk posted a great article titled: 10 Mistakes in Icon Design (VERY HANDY!)

Anyways, that’s it for now. Keep checking back to see the new site and forum launching. It should be in a couple of days (pending if I can find the right person to do it. Which reminds me, if you’re interested in customizing the News theme from Quocommunication, please contact me).

Regards,
Bryan

One of my closest colleagues, Anthony Bullock who I interviewed last month has decided to write for Sentences alongside me. Anthony’s been a close friend of mine pretty much since my professional freelance career started. Our backgrounds were eerily similar, and we both continued down our paths parallel to each other. And to this day, we continue to pursue freelancing as our main hobby and occupation.

Running a website, especially one such as Sentences as a one man operation isn’t easy! So it was great timing when Anthony and I began to toy around with the idea of having him hop on board. It was an easy decision for the both of us, and since we’ve worked together on previous projects before and have been through a lot together, it was a no brainer to have Anthony Bullock as the first true co-author of Sentences.

Anthony is the founder of his own identity and studio, Fantasy Creative.  He excels at freelancing and his expertise and knowledge will definitely be tapped into.  I dare you, the readership, to challenge the both of us with ideas and questions as we all attempt to bring Sentences into the upper echelon of freelance websites.

So, without further adieu, give Anthony a big warm welcome, and let him know how much you look forward to reading his first Sentences!

As a freelancer, one of the best ways to separate yourself from the competition is how you handle the project. You can be the best designer in the world, but fail yourself because you can’t manage projects correctly. On the other hand, you don’t have to be the best designer to handle your projects properly and give your clients a smooth experience.

There is no reason why any freelancer shouldn’t be using a project management application. They are extremely important and I can’t stress that enough. Yet, so many freelancers don’t use these applications. I’m not sure why, but I hope it’s not because of price because pretty much every solution offers at least one free trial. So that must mean it’s because freelancers don’t know of any applications. Well if that’s the case, you’re in luck because Sentences showing you eight great solutions to make sure you manage your projects successfully.

5 PM:

5 PM is a new project management tool that I’ve had an opportunity to play around with a bit. It looks great, and has a lot of functions, but I think that having so many functions may be a bit detrimental to 5 PM. The beautiful thing about industry leader, Basecamp is that it is simple and easy to use. 5 PM, though it looks nice, seems a bit overwhelming when first opening it. It doesn’t seem to flow to well, and looks more like a program rather then a web application. Pricing is fair though, and I would definitely encourage those of you who are looking for a change from Basecamp to check out 5 PM. It’s definitely got potential.

Teamwork:

Teamwork is a great project management tool that’s been a very popular alternative to Basecamp. It’s got a great interface that closely resembles Basecamp (though it looks much better in my opinion). What I really like about Teamwork is that it offers a time tracker, something that Basecamp doesn’t, and it even has a basic risk manager (which I don’t personally have a use for). But it’s got some bells and whistles that may entertain you, so give it a try.

Basecamp:

Basecamp has long been the leader of the project management applications. It’s got a great interface that is easy to use, simple to navigate, and appealing to the eye. I personally use Basecamp to manage all of my projects, and though I’ve tried a few others, I always come back to Basecamp. I love how I can customize the colors to fit my business. It’s got affordable plans, and my clients have never asked how to use it…they simply learn how because the application is intuitive and simple. I’ve experimented with 5 PM on one of my clients, and he immediately began to ask questions on how to post something. After I heard that, I went straight back to Basecamp and have never had a problem since. They are the leaders for a reason.

Desk Away:

I’ve never used Desk Away, but a buddy of mine pointed it out to me. The first thing that I see about this website that is an immediate turn off is their “logo”. Or at lack thereof. The application looks easy to use, but doesn’t really appeal to me graphically. I do like the reports feature, which offers bar graphs to show the progress of a certain part of a project. Though I don’t see myself paying for an application like Desk Away, it does offer an alternative to the popular applications and could set yourself apart.

Co Mind Work:

A few of my buddies have been raving about CoMindWork. Though it does look awfully a lot like Basecamp, it does offer some great features that Basecamp doesn’t such as Tags, Goals, a better Messaging system, Blogs, Time Tracker, and more. The only problem with CMW is that it costs significantly more then any other application listed here. It offers a powerful punch though with great features and a great design, and though their free trial does allow you to manage 5 projects, the next upgrade is a whopping $75.00 for 25 projects. If they were to offer something smaller, like 10-15 projects for $35 or so, I’d possibly be interested since that’s only $3.50 per project at 10 projects per month.

Action This:

ActionThis is one of the newer project management applications that I’ve had a chance to test out. The interface is pretty appealing, albeit not exactly professional. The icons on the dashboard are a little overwhelming and it seems to get tackier and tackier the more I see it. One of the great features though is integrating ActionThis into Microsoft Outlook so you can manage your email system a little better with your clients. Not bad, though I think an application should be able to handle that without having to use another program.

Huddle:

Huddle is a neat looking program that is nicely designed and easy to use. The pricing is definitely competitive, and it does serve as one of the better alternatives. It got all the basic features that are found in every project management applications. The cool thing about Huddle though is the addition of a Facebook application that allows teams to communicate and work together, even in Facebook. There is also a great knowledgebase for designers to fill out FAQs for their clients. Huddle is extremely promising, and I already know a few European designers who are experimenting with the application and considering moving.

Freelancer Panel:

Freelancer Panel is a great application that is geared directly for the freelancer. What of the best things about Freelancer Panel is the ability to install the application on your server. That means that you can customize it to fit exactly into your website so that your clients don’t have to use a 3rd party website to access their project details. Furthermore, it’s affordable (at only $15/month). I think being able to have the application on your own server makes it seem as if it is custom and exclusive to your company, something that may be important for image. You can even send invoices and track time with Freelancer Panel, so the basic features are there, as well as some of the more important ones that some of the popular alternatives have overlooked. Though I don’t use FP for myself, I’d be interested in seeing what some FP users have to say about it, so please share!

Like I said earlier, one of the most important parts of freelancing is how you manage the project. If you have a professional image, you’ll succeed. Project management helps keep you up to date and motivated, while keeping the client informed and safe. If you don’t use any of the above applications, you should be asking yourself how many clients do you get on the regular. Ever since I started using Basecamp to handle my projects, my client list has nearly doubled and remained consistent. It does a lot for your reputation and when you can treat your client to a professional atmosphere, they’ll definitely return the favor.

Best regards,
Bryan

Oh what a case of the Monday’s.

Today was absolutely freezing. Then again, as a native Texan, I find 80 degree weather cold. Barack Obama visited my school today to give his speech before the tomorrow’s primary. I had planned on going, but had a late start because of my classes. By the time I had got there, the line was literally a mile long. It was absolutely ridiculous. And as a kicker, the weather was cold. So, my conclusion: no Barack Obama for me today.

So here I am, with the case of the Monday’s. My creative mojo is dead, and the Starbucks isn’t helping. So I hopefully, for those of you who are going through a Monday, today’s edition of Monday Magic will help get you through.

Most Original:

I’ll be honest. When I first visited Qwert City, I was not impressed. I didn’t like the design at all, nor did I agree with the color scheme or layout. But as I visited it a few more times, it started to grow on me. The small details really made it stand out, and when I began to appreciate the site’s cartoonish theme, I began to appreciate the site even more. Qwert City has taken your average blog layout and applied a really neat theme and style to really separate it from all the rest. What really makes the site are the small details such as the stitchings, peels, and drop shadows that really give the site a 3D paper feel. Kudos.

Tip: Pay attention to details! Small patterns, drop shadows, or accents can really make or break a design. Usually less is more, but I love detail, and I love it when I can tell a designer has put time into their designs. That means a lot to the public as an image. Remember, what we do is art - let’s work as if it is.

Boldest Design:

As designers, we used to be taught not to lay out our main content beneath the fold. The myth was was that people hated to scroll. And that was true. Until everyone began to realize the magic of the scroll wheel. Designers now are beginning to appreciate the scroll wheel and it isn’t thought of as detrimental to a design any more. But how about Omspace? This site practically challenges you to scroll because you can’t even see any bit of the content without scrolling down. Stupid? No. Bold? Yes.

Tip: Break the norm. Repeatedly. Rebel. But don’t do it blindly. That is all grasshoppa.

Most Professional:

I love the Finchley website! It’s clean, simple, and very professional. I love the hands. I’m not sure if that’s completely original or not (it can’t be!), but I love the way it’s applied here. The color scheme really strengthens the corporate identity. It’s got a very fresh feel to it that really sets itself apart from competitors. Kudos to Finchley!

Tip: A web design shouldn’t be seperate from a company’s brand or identity. It’s equally important to use the web to strengthen the identity. Use color schemes, themes, and details to match with your client’s brand. Try adding or imagining another company’s logo or brand in place of your client’s. Does it fit? If so, you’ve most likely failed.

Most Innovative:

I’ve always been a fan of the UPS marketing campaign with the guy drawing on the dry-erase boards. Now Microsoft has created a similar marketing campaign that focuses on hand drawn characters that drive the website. I love the innovation here. You don’t feel like you’re on a website at all, and rather, watching a movie or cartoon. The animations are extremely fluid. The navigation (albeit a bit hard to navigate) were innovative and fun. The layout formed nicely, and the site definitely strengthens the product’s theme.

Tip: Have fun with your designs! Flash isn’t entirely out yet, and this is a great example of a full flash website that really hits home. Great ideas and animations, and awesome drawings really bring out Microsoft’s marketing branch’s right brain.

Site of the Week:

Helldesign is one of the best websites I’ve seen in a long time. It’s innovative. It’s got a great portfolio layout and navigation. I love the way they’ve set up their website because it also makes it bold. It’s clean, professional, and I could’ve easily fit it into any of the categories above. This is hands down the site of the week. Great job Helldesign, I can’t wait to see what else you got up your sleeve.

Tip: Your portfolio is your main weapon in gaining client work. Make sure that it speaks for you. Helldesign’s done a great job displaying their work in an innovative and bold way that’s sure to grab attention. And I bet it’s paying off too.

Artist of the Week:

I can not stop raving about Jack Johnson’s newest CD, Sleep Through Static. It’s one of the best CDs that I’ve heard in a long time and I’ve been recommending it to all of my friends. It’s not necessarily old school Jack apparently, but it’s got great flavor to it. It’s slow, and works best for creative minds. It’s written beautifully and rival’s John Mayer’s Continuum in my opinion. Definitely a buy.

One of the most important aspects for a freelancer before the project begins is the design brief. For the freelancers who don’t have the luxury of working with clients face to face, the hardest part of a project is probably the beginning process - getting to know your client, and understanding exactly what they are looking to gain out of their site design, and what sort of concept they are looking for.

This is the make or break point. For me personally, this is where I can decide whether or not I want to work with a specific client. I tend to work with clients who have a better understanding of the web so that it makes my job easier, but I do select clients who are passionate about their websites, even if they don’t know the jargon to go along with it.

So, how then, do you make that perfect design brief? Well generally, the best thing for me to tell you is that every brief will be different. You must form your brief exactly how you want it so that it makes your process a lot easier. There is no right or wrong way. If you can ask the questions that’ll answer what you’re looking for, then by all means, ask it. Here are a few tips of how I formed my brief, and then you’ll have the option to download my basic brief at the end.

Break down the questions into sections:

It’s very important to break down the brief by sections so that it’s more organized, and allows the client to refer to previous questions, or skip them and come back to it later. It also tells the client what sort of questions are coming so that they can prepare their mindset for what’s coming.

Generally, I break down my briefs into several sections:

• Welcome & Instructions
• General Information (Finding out more about the client and the goals of the design)
• Design Information (the longest section, includes design references, colors, etc.)
• Structure Information (any important aspects of the site that need to be made evident)
• Additional Information (anything else the client would like to include)

Download my basic design brief.

Avoid Jargon:

I have a couple different design briefs that I usually send depending on what type of client I’m dealing with. I have one that contains hardly any jargon and really breaks everything down so that the client is comfortable. This is for people who usually don’t deal with the web, and these clients are new to the whole web-design process. I try to make it as friendly and personal as I can so that they enjoy the experience. It’s important not to overwhelm anyone with jargon - it doesn’t do you any good if you client can’t fill the brief out because they donut’ understand it.

However, the opposite is quite true as well. Originally, I had only that one brief that didn’t use any jargon, and broke everything down to layman terms. I got a friendly suggestion from one of my clients after filling the brief out saying that he “felt dumbed down” because the brief was so simple that it got a little frustrating and felt demeaning. So, I decided to create two different briefs - one which was easy to read and follow for clients that are new to the internet, and the other is for my more internet-savvy users who know what AJAX, xHTML, CSS, etc. is.

It’s an easy thing to do that will really take you a far way. Clients can sometimes be intimidated by the process, and it’s important that you make them realize it’s not as bad as they may think. The opposite is true, and those who feel extremely comfortable with the web don’t want to be insulted by reading a brief that was intended for someone who had no idea what the web is.

Don’t be afraid to ask too many:

Originally, my brief had only consisted of a few questions on each section. They were very general, and in the end, it made it very difficult for me to get a feeling for what the client wanted. More of it was interaction and trial & error, and it got to the point where it was extremely difficult for me to dictate the design concepts. So, I decided to find the problem, and it was in the brief.

Don’t be afraid to ask too many questions. If you’re hesitant to do so because you don’t want your brief to look like an exam, make sure to break it down into sections so that the client can refer to the brief on and off. Make sure that they understand they have a few days to fill the brief out, and that they should really put some work into it.

Asking a lot of questions makes it seem as if you really want to get into the nitty-gritty of what they want. However, be sure to avoid asking redundant questions, or ones which can simply be tied into another. Try not to be too repetitive, and make sure that each question has a purpose - you don’t want to ask more then you need to, but you shouldn’t be afraid to ask as many questions as it takes for you to understand what your client wants.

Overall, the design brief is probably one of the most important aspects to the pre-design process. It determines what direction you should take your concept, and what your client is looking for. The more exact you can get the brief, the less time you’ll spend on revisions, which means (for those of you who charge flat rates) less time working on the project.

With that being said, your design brief should be something that constantly changes to suit your needs, and to answer the questions that you need to know. All designers are different, and so it helps to make sure the brief is tailored exactly to your specific needs.

Download my basic design brief.

Finally, I’m getting over my flu!
Bryan

My alarm is blaring in my ear. I can feel the drool down the side of my lips, and suddenly it creeps on me. The heat. It’s that incredibly sticky and sweaty heat. I’m burning up. Which is ironic because it’s about 36 degrees outside. I can hardly breathe and my eyes feel swollen. My legs are weak and my hands are trembling.

I sit up in my bed, struggling to toss my blanket to the side. I feel weak. The blanket weighs a ton I thought. It was drenched in sweat. Then the cold hit me. It came fast and hard, immediately icing the sweat beads streaming down from my hairline. I was dizzy. Nauseated, I tried to muster what strength I had left and created enough momentum to swing them to the floor. They plopped on the floor like dead weights. I let out a roar for a cough that was followed by violent hacking.

I tried to stand up, but I could feel my knees beginning to buckle, and it suddenly felt as if I was standing on a water bed…my knees, swaying from side to side fighting to keep me standing. I wobbled to the door and down the hall to my bathroom where I fell to my knees, hugging the toilet. And after a few minutes, there it was…my dinner from last night.

I’ve been sick for the past few days and it’s been incredibly difficult and frustrating. I haven’t had time to really concentrate on school, and more importantly, my application to Fantasy Interactive. And now I’m also behind on school. I hate to keep you guys waiting on the updates, but until I can find some reliable help around here, we’re all going to go through the slow days, and the fast days.

I know a lot of you are coming from the kind words of my buddy Collis over from FSw, and if that’s the case, I welcome you. This is Sentences, and I’m Bryan, the only one running the site. Make sure you take a minute to read what this is about, and hopefully you’ll find it in your hearts to subscribe and support me. I usually update the site much more often, but I’m a tad bit preoccupied.

Anyways, I just wanted to let everyone know that I’m not quite dead, and that I apologize for the lack of updates. I’ve got to finish some things up while I try to fend off the flu. Which is spreading all over Maryland if you guys haven’t read or heard about it on the news yet.

I’ll be back on track shortly, just be patient. Oh, and now would be a great time for someone to offer some help and write a guest post. If you’re interested in that, why don’t you drop me a note. Hopefully the Nyquil won’t have me knocked out.

Oh yea. 18-1. Guess Boston isn’t dominating every sport (soccer, baseball, basketball, and even hockey).

As much as you guys love me, I think it’s probably better you stay away from me.
Bry