Luana.me

Web Designers at Heart – Trust, Honesty, Experience

It takes time to become a good web designer.

I know it— it took me years to move from personal website design (which I still do) to working for company websites.

At first, all you can do it grab opportunities and turn them into changes to grow as a person and as a designer. But when it comes to big companies, it’s important that you present yourself as an experienced web designer who built a considerable clientele and a good reputation over the years.

I know it might sound unfair — and sometimes I feel bad when I stumble upon gig announcements that require experience and numbers I don’t have (especially if I really, really like the company) — but that’s how it works— and I honestly believe it’s just, because an experienced web designer worked so hard to get to that point in their career. 😉

It’s why I really admire Cara, the web designer who runs CEB Design Studio, a web design DC based service.

And I love it that she begins her About Me page with a very heartfelt “I truly love what I do“. :love:

Cara has 7 years of experience under her belt. And she understands business, too. Sounds like someone I’d really love to make friends with. Or at least, we could get talking (about business and web design, what else?).

I believe she’s the kind of person who can make a difference for the clients she works with. Sometimes to be a solopreneur means you have to work harder to earn a company’s trust, but as you collect more and more bonus points from a job well done and lovely client relationships, trust will become almost a given.

And trust is more important than your resume, you can believe me on that. (I’m a freelancer, remember?)

If you’re a web designer like me and Cara, read on…

Don’t just put up a portfolio website. Don’t stop to testimonials and a few contact links.

Tell your prospective clients who you are, what you love, what you enjoy doing at work and outside of work.

Clients are human beings, too— they want to know the person behind the website. They’re not interested in a sterile resume. It’s the human touch that makes the difference.

Also, have free resources that both companies and fellow freelancers can download and use (and get to know you for your value and not just your words!).

Here’s an example from Cara’s Resources page [a screenshot]:

Cara’s website is a great example of how to help clients feel nurtured and taken care of.

She uses colors in a non-stressing way, too. Just what helps people focus their attention without hurting their eyes.

(Hope I’m doing good in that sense, too!)

And then, if you are a company…

Look at the person in front of you before you consider their work. Does she inspire trust? Is she kind and understanding?

Her work will reflect those personality traits.

Now, does her work show love and passion for what she does? Is there creativity and drive in there? Is her portfolio supported by genuine testimonials?

These are good starting points.

You should try to get in touch and see how your prospective web designer will respond, too. If she’s a nice, kind and available person, she will speak with warmth while keeping it professional, and she will do everything in her power to accomodate your needs without slaving it away.

Because real professionals are people with a dignity and know how to step up for their rights, if they have to.

But I’m sure you’re NOT that kind of company. 😉 The collaborative ‘friendship’ that will be born from working together will make a difference in both of your lives.

I know that, because it’s what happened to me– as a freelancer, collaboration always brought great human relationships to the table.

From what I can see from Cara’s website, she’s also that kind of professional.

Fellow web designers, what’s your take on client relationships and the honesty and trust that your responsibility involves?

Companies, how do you appreciate a collaborative, kind and honest approach in a professional web designer?

I’d love to read your comments! 🙂

“Web Design” image courtesy of Stuart Miles from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I’m selling some of my Domains because of health issues

This is a slightly altered repost from my thread at TeaHouse MB

It means that basically I’ve been losing a lot of my yearly budget for domains because I could barely work for the past 6 months (still dealing with issues and therapies), so I’m selling some of my domains instead of giving them away because I need some money (for the domains and other things life, too, as this month I earned less than $200).

Of course, if nobody buys the domains, I’ll give them away for free 2-3 months before they expire, but I’m hoping to get some help in the meantime.

Price

I have set regular to premium prices for the domains below, but I want YOU (who are reading THIS post) to make your own price, according to your budget and how much you feel the domain has value. 🙂

This is because I’d like to give priority to small, personal bloggers over domain investors and businesses.

I will push the domain to your registrar account for free, of course, and I will also gladly host you for free when you buy a domain!

.INFO
azherxi.info (CrazyDomains.co.uk)
retro-smash.info (expire in March 2015, GoDaddy)
nolimitshost.info (GoDaddy)
wheelicious.info (GoDaddy)
wohm.info (GoDaddy)

.EU
crazy-cutie.eu (Name.com)

.ORG
brushy.org (NameCheap) — SOLD (30/jan/2015)

.NET
cuteyummies.net (Name.com) — PENDING SALE (30/jan/2015)
elegant-charm.net (Name.com)
heartiziia.net (Name.com)
bella-chic.net (Name.com)
love-lots.org (Name.com)
siansa.net (NameCheap)

.US
infotorv.us (NameCheap)

Thanks!

Comment on this post or get in touch at luana@openmailbox.org about this.

P.S. I’m also hoping to use some of the money to help a friend and a girl in need. Right now I have nothing to donate.

P.P.S. Verisign has increased .NET domain price of another dollar this year; it’s why I had to give up on so many lovely .net domains. 🙁

The Inside Scoop About Your Morning Cafe Coffee

Discover surprising, sometimes odd, facts about coffee and learn unusual new ways to enjoy that cup of Joe. 🙂

It’s an American obsession. Every weekday morning, thousands of people wait in line to order the special cup of coffee that makes getting up worthwhile. Unimaginable thirty years ago. Coffee shops and baristas were nonexistent. Now there are over 50,000 coffee shops bring in more than $18 billion dollars annually in the United States.

So you enjoy that barista-crafted gourmet nonfat latte, but how much do you really know about this tasty, invigorating beverage? Some of these strange but true coffee facts may surprise you.

Coffee and Bacon…and Cats

Creme Puff the cat is a record holder. She is not around anymore but, according to the 2010 Guinness World Records, was the longest-lived cat ever recorded. Her owner, Jake Perry, of Austin, Texas, also owned Granpa, a cat who lived to the ripe old age of 34. Perry fed his cats an unusual diet that was most certainly not recommended by his vet: Every morning, the cats ate bacon, eggs, asparagus and broccoli along with a bit of coffee. Folgers was Granpa’s favorite, according to Perry.

Coffee and bacon are paired together in Boca Java’s Maple Bacon Morning Coffee. Reviewers frequently mention its pleasing aroma and smooth taste. Of course, there’s also Joy the Baker’s Coffee Bacon Sandwich. Some people can’t get too much coffee and bacon.

Instant Coffee: A Presidential Invention?

George Washington invented the first mass-produced instant coffee. No, not THAT George Washington. This George Washington, whose first brand was called “Red E Coffee,” came up with his invention for American soldiers in WWI. The brew, according to most, didn’t taste very good, but soldiers in the trenches loved it.

Theodore Roosevelt had, according to his son, a coffee cup that was “more in the nature of a bathtub.” Roosevelt reportedly drank a gallon of coffee a day. He was also instrumental in helping Maxwell House come up with its famous slogan. One day when Roosevelt and Andrew Jackson were having coffee together, Roosevelt exclaimed, “Good to the last drop.”

The Cup of Joe Conspiracy

Where did the term “Cup of Joe” come from? It’s a good question. Theories abound, but no one knows for sure. Some think it started in the Navy in 1914. That’s when Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels prohibited alcohol on Navy vessels. The strongest drink left on board was coffee. Using a play on Daniels’ first name, the sailors started calling coffee a “cup of Joe.”

A second theory is that “Joe” is a combined, shortened version of two slang terms, java and jamoke. In fact, jamoke is a combination of java and mocha.

The third theory is also based on slang usage. First appearing in the English lexicon in approximately 1846, “Joe” was slang for the common man; therefore a “cup of Joe” became the drink of the common man. The term “cup of Joe” first appeared in the English language lexicon in 1930.

The Life of the Barista

The word barista is the Italian word for bartender. In the United States, baristas are the coffee shop artists who make your custom cup of coffee in the morning. It’s not easy being a barista. It takes a lot of patience to make coffee for people who haven’t had their first cup in the morning yet. Many baristas are college grads and have attended barista school. It takes time to become great, but top-level baristas compete in contests. There is even a United States Barista Championship. Who knows? You may be getting your favorite cup of coffee from the champ.

You Put What in Your Coffee?

People put some awfully strange things in coffee. How does smoked salmon cream cheese sound? Probably not good, but there are some additives that may appeal to your palate. Spices like cinnamon and nutmeg are tasty additions. Some swear that the taste of crushed bananas in coffee is heaven. Cocoa powder gives coffee a richer flavor. Ice cream in your cup turns a hot summer day into a delight. Scandinavian people like to mix a raw egg with the coffee grounds, believing it clarifies the coffee and gives it a sublime color.

Coffee: The Legend

It all started with dancing goats, or so the legend goes. Shepherds in Ethiopia discovered that after their goats ate coffee berries, from whence the seeds that are coffee beans come, the goats became lively and started dancing. African tribes originally ate coffee berries, which gave them an edible form of energy. Coffee is the second most traded commodity on the face of the earth. The first is oil.