Clients… to kill them or not to kill them?

Clients… to kill them or not to kill them?

That is the question...

Inside a designer’s Head

Yep, when you have everything done, that’s the moment when they would like to make a small change (yeah right, small for them…) you try so hard to make them part of their design because it is theirs, right? And at the end you finally arrived to a reasonable LOGIC design, and the next day boom! They started without you, they hired the worst contractors, or they just decided to ignore your design and off course all the hard work you had to do, it’s a waste

Tips to not kill your clients:

BREATH, try to do some yoga, or any exercise, don’t lose your head over this, it’s just a project, It’s not a million dollar job! Remember! Try to relax and focus all your anger into something good, anything! Remember, they are your clients and without clients you have no job! You can do it!

The most important thought “it could always go wrong, IT COULD BE WORST, generally if you think it this ways, everything would go fine, soft with the flow… If your client makes stupid changes that ruin the actual design, remember you don’t have to live with it, you can always fix it, you can always improve it, remember, It’s not the worst thing ever…

Be patient! They are the people with the money so you better shhhhhhhh, manage your anger and try to make the best possible!

Believe me, I’m trying

Designer’s keeping ahead with the mass

Designer’s keeping ahead with the mass

Welcome to an era where everyone is just as talented as you are or maybe more…

Behances, twitter, facebook, tumblr, imstagram. Yeah!  Whatever, you can join all the social networks in the world but you are not going to make it! The stress, the posting every 2 hours, the pity and the constant asking, ohh could you like my page? Would you check out my website? Yeah! We all have been through this, but here is the thing, you have to accept that:

•   The amount of likes you get is not going to determine if your idea is good or not!
•  Do your math, if out of those million follower you haven’t gotten any sell that means you are nobody
•   if you believe you are an amazing original, one of a kind Designer, helloooooo you are not! There is always going to be someone that does the same you do but better!
•  Even if you spend all the time on the internet or you hire somebody to post this or that in many other websites, you have to understand that social networks don’t bring you that much of money that you think, statistics don’t lie.

Sometimes internet could be depressing, you realized you are not this big guy that you thought you were, my advice is: don’t get too stress out, do your job the best you can, even if some guy next door is making it better you have to learn to copy in the good way, do not try to invent the wheel out of squared boxes, use your head, use internet for the purpose of growing yourself as a professional, use social networks to study how you could be a better designer. Focus in your work, focus in been happy doing what you love, focus in the client, yeas that’s right the human one! And of course you put your name out there on the web, join all the socials you want, share your work every time, I’m not saying is not important but don’t turn into this “follow me, follow me” online maniac, don’t waste precious time waiting for a like, you have many other things to focus on, don’t you think?

Designer’s nightmare

About those foolish drawings people wants you to make…

I’m sure you have read those post and pics that literally say that you have to respect your work, this is not a little drawing, my work takes lots of my time, if I don’t get a compensation I’m not doing anything, yada yada yada. And you are totally right! as a designer you should be able to work and get pay! I believe this happens a lot lately and be sure it’s not only in your field, But the thing is... And this is what I think:

Are you really working so much at the moment that you can’t design your aunt’s kitchen? Are you sure you have an incredible job that doesn’t give you the time to dedicate 5 minutes to paint your friend’s whatever wants you to paint, Or maybe you are too famous and busy to give some advises to your mothers friends in what fabric to buy for whatever they’re sewing… If you are a happy worker with short spare time I understand but if you are unemployed or you just got out of college or you had only one tiny working experience that nobody cares about, I say: wake up and smell the empty wallet baby! I mean what is it going to change you? Seriously, is this going to take you that much time? if you know it is not a big client, you don’t have to make the Eiffel tower, I’m not saying just because you are doing it for free you will make a crappy design, but if you are as designer as you think you are you should be able to cut time and effort to get an awesome design that satisfies your client even if they pay you with cookies.

I had done collaboration work, trading offers, freelance jobs, designs for this or that cause or just for family love (the worst love by the way) And none of them have given me any money, that is true! But I am very happy because at the end this is what I got:

• Design practice: just one more exercise where you can prove you can make this work, You know when they say “can you fix this?” and you look at the problem and you are thinking OMG, it’s impossible with a low budget and a terrible taste, this is going to be a disaster but, If you can make a heaven out a living hell, this would prove to you that you are a good designer, I mean would a recognized enterprise would hire you if you can’t even do small things like your ant’s kitchen? Shame on you!
•  Imagination openers: sometimes happens when you are working on those foolish drawings that you strangely get inspired to make other things, you get another vibe, and somehow an idea comes by. Be open and welcome those new ideas!
• Network: somehow you start building a network of people that you could need in the future, be clever and exchange business cards and fb accounts with models, photographers, constructers, supplier, and talk to them, let them know what is you speciality and maybe they will contact you for upcoming projects.
• Friends of friends may transform into real clients: never to say no at a project because it looks you are not going to get anything out of it, it could always leads you to the right clients, in my case it did!
• Lasting fans: People that follow you, believe in you and they are willing to help you in anything, and believe me, those are the people that matters because generally no ex bosses would offer their houses or nicest meals or loan you money.

Every designer’s question. Do I go with the flow?

Creating art pieces is not going to get you any money!

Are you sure of that? I am sure I’m not the only person who thinks this way, but I am just soooo tired of forcing myself to create a piece that is stunning but also sellable, at a reasonable price so people can afford it. And you know what, even when I make sellable pieces many people don’t buy them. And that’s when I say WHO CARES! This time if you feel you want to do it, I say you go with the flow and do it! Create what your heart tells you, I’m not saying you have to do it every time, but just sometimes… and you know why:

•        Because certainly you have something to say, and this is the better way you have to just shoot it all out, Fashion, graphic, writing, design wherever it is you are working on, if you feel bored and you want to slightly change it to make it a little bit edgier, artistic, incredible, so? Stop just for a moment and if it is possible for you DO IT!

•          Who said that it is not going to get you money? Many famous painters didn’t know they were going to be famous for that ugly thing they made without a profound thought. We never know what work of art will bring us to the right people at the right time.

•          What’s the matter with been different, unique, wacko or original? Even if we never are, we feel like we are when we create, and I think that is very important not just for our artist’s sensitive egos, but is also important for the construction of a designer’s personality, an identity which we can all feel comfortable with.

•        Going with the flow means you don’t leave everything for this, don’t leave your job or family or other issues. But at night when nobody is watching maybe you can dedicate a little time to feel free and create what your heart tells you. Just to have a good night sleep. It would free your mind so maybe in the morning you would have another perspective of what you are doing with your job and your life.

Designer’s choice

Little drops of hope in this ocean infested with sharks which we called life.

Fashion, interior, graphics, photographers, industrial, painters, textile, 3d’s, architects and artist in general, maybe this is similar to your history too…

Designer’s choice

Starting your own Collection…

Being a designer who wants to start a collection from extremely low budget is not easy, especially when you live in Italy, where everyone believes is a designer… Especially when free-lancing is your daily bread, because you have non years of working experience in a fashion company, why? Maybe because you were dismiss after your hardly to find internship or maybe because you are a human being and you have to eat and the salary they offer you would make you starve to death… In my case I always wanted to be an entrepreneur but the way I was raced taught me to start from a company first, learning the best you can so you can go ahead from there; well I haven’t got the opportunity to do that, why? well, let’s say life drove me up to others paths, so should I give up? No way….

I have many designer friends, one of them had done three internships in three different companies in Italy, then what happened? None of this companies had offered her any position after her intern period. Obviously for big fashion companies is better to have intern slaves that they can change every 6 months, just the best way to cut expenses…

I have other friends that just gave up in looking for fashion jobs, they all have one thing in common: they struggle with the idea of making their own collection, and off course the most difficult thing, to sell it!

The thing is does it worth it? Well I think it does…and here are my reasons why to start NOW better that ever!

·        First thing of all, this is like building your background, your portfolio, your cover as a designer, I mean your best work because it would represent what you are capable to do.

·        This is a great opportunity to go wild with your creativity, I mean the only person you have to like is yourself so go ahead and just blast your imagination!

·        This is like your trial collection, for your friends and family to see what is wrong with what, how can I make this piece sporty or more ready to wear or an incredible haute couture piece, and take notes for everything so you can improve each piece in the future.

·        Later on this is going to be your history book, so be sure you write every detail about timing, how long it took you to make patterns, cutting, sewing, how much money and fabric you spent, that way you have it there if you need it because your next collection has to be made faster and better one than this one.

·        Make sure you do some photo shootings, photo editing, books and artworks, it is just another way to polish your collection for the public

·        At the end, after the hard work you will feel great with yourself, at least for me it did.