Tips for Student Designers and the Small Businesses Who Love Them: OrangeSlyce Life

Going nuts with your brand’s Twitter background design may not be a wise decision. Here’s seven excellent examples of simplicity that some big brands have used to represent them.

1 | @Starbucks

Starbucks puts their main product on display with their background. No frills here, but it works to keep the attention on the conversation.

2 | @JetBlue

JetBlue’s use of angles and complimenting colors on the white background make this design as fresh as the company itself.

3 | @MailChimp

Everyone’s favorite email marketing service incorporates the company’s mascot against a great color scheme.

4 | @CocaCola

The most recognizable brand in the world. It’s also functional with links to their other social media sites.

5 | @Target

Target has done much to improve their look and design over the years, and it shows here with an elegant design.

6 | @DisneyPixar

All your favorite Toy Story characters are here to bring Pixar’s Twitter page to life. No added clutter is needed.

7 | @WholeFoods

The simple earthy greens in this logo identify well with the organic supermarket chain.

As you can see, a complicated design isn’t always necessary to pull off a good representation of your brand. Most times, simple is better. Our student designers know this, and can provide Twitter backgrounds on par with the big boys! Try them out today!

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A few weeks ago, a blog post over at 37signal’s blog caught my eye.  The idea was “How cool would it be if you could design signatures as a side job?”.  An intriguing thought.  You don’t see many signature designers around nowadays and calligraphy is almost a lost art.  I tried taking a crack at my own signature and just wasn’t pleased with my results.  I wondered if my muscle memory was too embedded to be able to make any changes to my John Hancock.  Speaking of John Hancock, look how cool his signature was:

I’m also a fan of Barack Obama’s signature as well:

Design shouldn’t be nothing but logos and color schemes.  With personal branding becoming more prevalent, start thinking of other ways you can improve your client’s product including, but not limited to, their signature.  Many years ago, calligraphers would create seals for powerful families to use in their businesses.  If you can carve out a niche like that, you could be the modern day Wang Xizhi.

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Meet our second student of the month:  Nicole Kutz!  Nicole is a very talented and driven Art Studies major in her senior year at Arizona State University.  After creating exceptional work for us at OrangeSlyce, we realized that this gem of an artist should be our next Student Spotlight.  We asked Nicole a few questions about freelancing, her career goals, and of course, OrangeSlyce.  Here’s how the interview went:

OS:  So what got you interested in Art Studies?

NK:  Ever since I was a little kid, I loved to draw and paint.  My school work was always covered in doodles!  I hope to write and illustrate books eventually, so I wanted to be able to learn the basics about a wide variety of mediums that I could use to achieve this goal.

OS: That sounds really fun!  So what compelled you to join OrangeSlyce?

NK: Actually, a friend emailed me the link to the specific job (drawing illustrations for the OrangeSlyce website) because he thought it looked like something I would be interested in.  The more I learned about it, the more appealing the concept was.

OS: And what appealed to you about OrangeSlyce?

NK:  I liked that, as a student, I have job information without making any initial commitments.  Also, since it’s marketed to students, I know my crazy school schedule will be taken into account from the beginning.

OS: Well said!  So then have you found any other jobs through OrangeSlyce?

NK: I have done a little bit of checking since I started work for OrangeSlyce.  I am currently employed with an engineering company, so I’m not exactly needing any more work at the time.

OS: Do you have any advice for freelancing students?

NK: Being unsure and not knowing all the answers is okay, but being impolite is not!  As long as questions are respectful and you truly apply yourself to learning as much as you can as fast as you can, I have found that people are willing to work with you and help you.

OS: Good advice.  So just to mix it up here, what would be your dream job?

NK: My dream job would be to do writing/freelance writing in between traveling around taking photographs for magazines and books.  Hey we can always dream…..

OS: Of course we can!  So to build on that, do you have a motto or work philosophy?

NK:  My parent’s always taught me to do my best, strive for excellence and work hard and honestly.  It may sound cliche, but it really pays off, especially as I get older and my actions have a larger influence on my reputation and future.

OS:  Thank you Nicole for taking the time to answer our questions.

NK:  Thank you so much for the opportunity!

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So you’ve started your business and have all that you need to get it going…that is until you realize you need a logo, and a website designed, and a background for twitter and facebook.  Sure you could Google designers in AZ and find someone that has an awesome portfolio and really impressive clients but that can get real expensive real fast.  Now what? Hire a student designer!  Here’s why:

1.) They are affordable:  That’s definitely the best part!  Most student designers are in need of experience and samples for their portfolio and are willing to work for a fraction of the cost of a boutique design studio.

2.) They are talented:  Did you know that the ASU graphic design program is one of the most prestigious at ASU and due to this only the best are accepted?  Students are expected to deliver amazing work under tight deadlines using only the best that technology can provide so keep this in mind if you still aren’t convinced that a mere student can do your logo justice.

3.) They have fresh ideas:  In the design world youth is definitely a bonus simply because with youth comes with a fresh perspective.  Since a student is relatively new to the field, they bring new ideas and don’t simply repeat old ones with different colors and typography.

4.) They do what you ask:  Because they are happy to get any paying work, customer service will be attentive and prompt.  You don’t have to worry about being forgotten due to other clients and best of all, a student won’t try to sell you any additional services.

5.) They are temps:  Once you get the services that you need, both parties are free to go their own separate ways.  No commitment, no awkward conversations just great work for you and great experience for the student.

Still think a design firm is the way to go?  Of course not!  Make an Orange Slyce account today and find your perfect student designer.

Have some feedback?  Leave me a comment

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Part of freelance work is flexibility and being able to negotiate the price you charge your client will broaden your opportunities.  However, when going into a price or salary negotiation, it is important to know about what you’re negotiating so you don’t get taken advantage of.

Do your market research
Finding out what the going rate for similar work or jobs should be your first task.  Using the salary wizard at Salary.com, I was able to find the median salary for a junior web designer in Phoenix, AZ was $48,000.  Another research tip is to find other artists and designers and ask what they charge.  Ask how flexible they can be on price.  Get an idea of where you can fit in the market.

Negotiating tactics
Negotiation is an art itself.  Good negotiators are hard to come by so even if all you learn is how to haggle, you’ll have come away from this post with something.

Price is nothing more than a mind trick in most cases.  This is articulated by the phenomenon known as the Anchoring Effect.  I definitely recommend reading the article in depth, but to summarize, whoever names the first price is in the driver’s seat.  No matter how much you negotiate, the first price quoted is the price both parties will subconsciously use to determine who got the better end of the bargain.

Ramit Sethi from I Will Teach You To Be Rich, has excellent posts on how to negotiate – everything from negotiating bank fees, car insurance, cell phones and most importantly – salary.

And to completely round out your negotiating skills, learn from the masters of the art, the ultimate hagglers – rickshaw drivers.

Improve your skills
Using the market research you’ve collected and the negotiating skills you’ve learned, you can increase your income, but there’s nothing like a quality education that will boost your earnings potential.  Having a degree or certification is a key bargaining tool that you can use during your negotiation process and no amount of jedi mind tricks will have the same effect as a degree.

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By Lizzy Rice

As students, we sometimes agonize over what we want our major to be.  Do you ever think things like, “well I like history, but can I actually get a job with that degree?”  Well don’t worry; you’re not alone.  We all question what we are studying at some point in our academic careers but one of the most foolproof ways to maintain a balanced degree (and by balanced I mean studying something that interests you but still learning marketable skills) is to add a minor.   Here are just a few good ideas that Arizona State University offers that are bound to add some depth to any major.

Business: This is probably the mother of all minors.  A minor in business gives you a great base for any given career path.  As a business minor, you will take courses in economics, accounting, management and other skills that can easily be transferred from one industry to another.

Communication: Some people may disagree with this selection, but I think a communication minor can add a lot to a degree.  As any book, teacher, or professional will tell you, the number one highly sought after skill for potential new employees is strong communication skills.  Therefore, I say, add this as a minor and you have a seriously marketable skill listed directly on your resume.

English: You know in a group project how someone always has to be the writer?  Well the work world is no different and most people cringe at the thought of writing a report or composing a memo.  Do you enjoy writing?  Then why not add English as a minor, so that your employer can breathe a sigh of relief at potentially hiring somebody who isn’t afraid to write.

Psychology: The ability to understand different types of people is an invaluable skill for any potential employee.   Adding a minor to your degree like psychology gives you this added value plus it also is a great way to discuss in a cover letter how being a psychology minor helps you relate to clients and/or customers; always a definite plus.

Spanish: If you plan to continue living in Arizona, you might want to think seriously about minoring and becoming fluent in Spanish.  To list this minor on a resume automatically gives you a leg up in any industry.  So if you love Spanish or foreign languages in general, you should consider making this your minor.

Agree or Disagree?  Leave me a comment 

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