#dancing unicorns

Yep, I was definitely hardcore rockin' a lip ring.

And for those of you who don't know what funtle is, it's this new social networking website craze that's sweeping college campus's in Arkansas, off their backwood, country asses! 

Soo... Russell Hancock came in and talked to us about working, interacting with clients, and making sure you get paid. It was really useful be exposed to, since in three years no one has ever said "this is how you get paid".

Russell left college, and started Soup, a collective/collaboration, with some friends, and the idea was really good, the reality was that they did loads of work for free and didn't make any money ("went home, got depressed").

Lessons about working for free:

1. R. designs a cover for a music magazine. They used it, and completely mangled it. Fail.

2. R. redesigns local publication. Their sales rise 16%. They are now one of his biggest paying clients. Win.

Lesson: Sometimes working for free is worth it. Sometimes it isn't.

Russell has worked variously freelance and as part of a studio, and his advice when working in a studio was to make yourself indispensable, always be the one to change a lightbulb and empty the bin, it helps to make people remember who you are. Also to remember that as a junior designer, you rarely get to talk to clients or put your name to work, although as Russell had worked at Asha, this wasn't his personal experience.

As a freelance person, always stay in touch with contact, as it also makes people who you are.

Russell advised us to be careful about what free work we took on, sometimes it can lead to more useful paying work, and sometimes it can just end up being a useless ball-ache.

Russ’ Lessons of life:

Get money and a signature upfront

Remeber that getting people to pay for work isn’t easy

Be sure of your opinion, but remeber that its only an opinion, and sometimes the client knows that they are talking about.

Decide what free work you take on carefully (sometimes it is worth doing though)

If you act professionally, you will be treated professionally

Ask your mum’s opinion (see what the work looks like to a non-desinger)

Remeber other people and make sure that you are memorable

Sometimes clients are just bad (and you can sack them)

Be organised

Be connected (Good Internets!)