It’s not news to anyone that the economy is in a horrible place right now and that many are looking to take the reigns on how/where they make their money.  Gone are the days of just working the 9-5 for 30 years, taking your 401k and pension and enjoying retirement.  This is especially true for the graphic/web professional and many are looking to turn to freelance or starting their own studio.  The problem is that most don’t know how to get started.

There are numerous articles on the web that talk about not going it alone until you’ve put your time in with a studio or firm, but with down economy, loss of jobs, and constant influx of students and independents, where does one start?

So, with all that said. How did you get started???

A photograph of a stunning model is sitting before you that has serious potential but several flaws.

The shade of the female model’s hair is dull, her eye color just isn’t doing it for you, and she has several pimples across her otherwise flawless face.

What do you do? Touch up the photo using Photoshop, of course!

Read the rest of this article at WebDesignerDepot.com

Simplified Web Design Process
By Christopher Hufnagel

The first discussion that is brought up by every web design customer is: “How much, and how long?” The first question depends greatly on what their website entails, and the depth of the project. The second question is dependant upon the answers of the first as well. However the speed of the web design project can greatly be increased by timely responses from the client. I have found that by giving your web design client an outline to the design process they know when they need to respond to your inquisitions. This speeds up the design process and makes for happier customers.

Read More »

Below are a couple examples of Photoshop Composites and SFX. Hope you enjoy!

Read More »

Web Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
By Scot Crone

Web designers should always design websites which are informative and easy to use. A good aesthetic impression also helps and importantly you should always aim for a good user experience which causes web visitors to come back time after time. Even if your are selling the hottest product on the planet if your website is badly designed you won’t be able to sell anything at all because web visitors will be driven away from your site by the unappealing layout or poor website design.

Read More »