Design Book Giveaway

Posted 15 Feb 2010 - 8 Gratefully received comments

This competition is now closed, however, please feel free to contribute to the discussion in the comments section.

I’m giving away a copy of “How to be a Graphic Designer without losing your soul by Adrian Shaughnessy. I reviewed this book last week and found the content to be helpful and inspiring. So I want pass the opportunity on to someone else.

I’m a great believer in books, I love knowledge, and good knowledge should always be passed on, so that’s what I’m doing.

I have 1 copy to give away (that’s all I could afford this time). All you have to do to enter is be part of the discussion in the comments section of this blog post.
One part of the book that I found interesting regarded how important it is for a designer to live and work by a few simple principles. Maybe you only work for companies that have good environmental policies, or you would refuse work from a company that did something you disagree with? I want to know what principles you work to, if any. Alternatively, I’d like to hear your argument if you disagree with that statement and you think business is business regardless.

I will moderate each comment, if I feel it is relevant and decide to approve it you can consider that an acceptance of entry. If your comment doesn’t appear in the thread it has been declined. My judgement is final on this and I’m only stipulating it as a way of avoiding ‘empty’ entries. I want to give the books away, but I also want a bit of discussion.
Feel free to post multiple times to carry on with a discussion, but you will only be entered once.

Another way to enter is to sign up to my email notifications. Everyone that signs up will automatically go into the draw.

If you decide to participate in the discussion AND sign up to my email notifications, you will be entered into the draw twice.

I will keep the discussion open until 12 noon (UK) Wednesday (17/11/2009) and announce the winners on Thursday (18/2/2009). The winner will be notified by email.

The winner will be the first entry selected at random.

I’m happy to post the book worldwide, but I cannot be held responsible for how long it will take to reach you or any extra charges that might be incurred through customs etc. The book will be posted from the UK.

Good luck!

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8 Comments

  • Ken Reynolds says:
    February 15, 2010 at 9:11 am

    I’ll get the discussion started.

    I try to run my business the same way I try to live my life. I base it all on honesty and trust. I hope that if I give people these things they will reciprocate.
    Inevitably this doesn’t always happen, but I still stick to my guns. As long as I can sleep at night knowing I’ve acted in a way that is true to my character, then I’ve done a good job.

    [Reply]

  • Mark S says:
    February 15, 2010 at 10:51 am

    I feel that the principles you can set your own business to will vary depending on many things such as financial status, incoming work, the client in question….

    For example : no work & no money, someone offers you work to design a poster showing their business’ belief that climate change is inevitable… I feel I would be more inclined to take this work than if I had money and work at the time…

    [Reply]

  • Iain Fergus says:
    February 16, 2010 at 11:17 am

    Hi Ken,

    I have to agree that honesty is a big part of my business. I’ve only been self-employed for 2 and half years, and for me it is still early days.

    Recently I have found myself having to turn down work (some potentially big projects), even when I really could have been doing with the money.

    But what it comes down to for me is whether or not I can honestly complete the project to the clients needs. If I cannot achieve that on my own, or in collaboration with a developer I know, I find that being honest with the client is the best way forward. I always explain why it is not possible for me, and offer an alternative solution I know I can pull off. If I get the alternative job then great, if not, it’s best in the long run. Clients seem to respond well to honesty and show nothing but appreciation.

    You never know who these people will meet and could possibly send your way in the future.

    I’ve never been comfortable with the hard sell or taking on a project an working out how to do it afterwards, so it’s the only way for me.

    Iain.

    [Reply]

  • Craig Hazle says:
    February 16, 2010 at 11:17 am

    Hi Ken,

    Very true that the cornerstones that a great human being or business fashion themselves on, integrity, humility, honesty…can be the reason for a lack of business return when dealing with clients. My answer to this is that businesses or people for that matter who we engage with seldom can recognize true value or simply chose to ignore it, they are the demise of their own creation. This is no easy sale but great design and art will eventually prevail! – keep up the great blog and all your hard work. Thanks!

    [Reply]

  • Tom Stutt says:
    February 17, 2010 at 8:45 am

    Hey Ken

    There is one thing that I believe in more than anything, whether its work or personal and thats ‘truth’.

    I would never tell a client that I could do their project or do things that I know full well I cant. If you cant do something tell them, they may understand and still want to use you.

    I did a website for someone and this was the first website I had done for a paying client. I told him from the start that I wasnt experienced etc and he said thats fine and he was happy to give me the experience. He said he had another person before me say he could do anything, he got a rediculous quote and in the end he couldnt do what the client wanted.

    It does pay to be truthful and be upfront with the client.

    Cheers, Ken

    [Reply]

  • Ken Reynolds says:
    February 17, 2010 at 9:20 am

    Thanks for your comments, guys.
    It’s encouraging that a few other people hold the same sort of ideals that I have.
    Have you ever been exploited because you are too trusting?
    It’s hard to get a balance where you stick to your principles, but at the same time protect yourself. There is always someone out there with less scruples than yourself.

    [Reply]

  • Iain Fergus says:
    February 17, 2010 at 12:56 pm

    I don’t *think* I have been exploited so far.

    However I have had a few run ins with other “designers” who I have sub-contracted for. One in particular who didn’t seem to appreciate the honesty side of things.

    In fact he showed me sites where he had ripped off elements from (including one for his own company’s portfolio site), and once told me that without Print Screen he would be lost for interface designs.

    Never worked for him again after that.

    [Reply]

  • Ken Reynolds says:
    February 17, 2010 at 7:21 pm

    @ Iain,
    That sounds a little dodgy! I guess it’s like anything else, experience will always arm you against the things you need to look out for.

    [Reply]

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Who's Ken?

Picture of Ken I'm a freelance graphic designer living and working in Suffolk. I've been using Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign & Quark Xpress since 1999 but I've been using pens, pencils, paper and most importantly my imagination for a lot longer. I'm always looking for new clients to work with and interesting projects to work on.

 

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