Real Reads No. 16

A selection of Real Owl’s favourite articles all under one cover

By Steph Martin

4 Things Every Designer Should Know About Whitespace
webdesignerdepot.com - Nick Babich
Whitespace (or “negative space”) is an empty space between and around objects of a page. Elements of whitespace in graphical user interfaces …
I work for a fixture-making company in a small,...
clientsfromhell.net
I work for a fixture-making company in a small, industrial town. They’ve been in business for sixty two years, and their employee lineup has been …
I work in a print shop. A client signed...
clientsfromhell.net
I work in a print shop. A client signed off on a proof for a shower invitation. I suggested a few changes that she rejected – she wanted what she gave …
Client: We have to fix the website. I typed...
clientsfromhell.net
Client: We have to fix the website. I typed in “Jane Doe” as my username when I was testing the site, and now it shows up for EVERYONE who tries to …
Whops, page not found!
thehumaninthemachine.com - @alexduloz
SuperYesMore is an open publishing platform derived from the CMS used to run The Pastry Box Project. We're still in beta. Please let us know about …
What if the thing you are most afraid of doing is the thing you are supposed to do?
freelancersunion.org - Tyra Seldon
I grew up watching Star Wars, and as much as I wanted to gravitate towards Princes Leia like a lot of my friends, Yoda was my guy.From his distinctive …
Why I’m rejecting the “hustle” mindset
freelancersunion.org - Kiera Abbamonte
This is a post from a member of the Freelancers Union community. If you’re interested in sharing your expertise, your story, or some advice you think …
A returning customer who is a repeat offender for...
clientsfromhell.net
A returning customer who is a repeat offender for wanting last minute orders of hand written sheets typed up ASAP came in the other day. Her …
So I took on a pro bono project. I...
clientsfromhell.net
So I took on a pro bono project. I enjoy providing free work for those who I deem worth of it. I’ve done it in the past and while those projects have …
5 productivity tips and tools
freelancersunion.org - Jessica Broome
This is a post from a member of the Freelancers Union community. If you’re interested in sharing your expertise, your story, or some advice you think …
Every day is a new opportunity for growth
freelancersunion.org - Max Pete
This is a post from a member of the Freelancers Union community. If you’re interested in sharing your expertise, your story, or some advice you think …
I work at a marketing/advertising agency on the West...
clientsfromhell.net
I work at a marketing/advertising agency on the West Coast, in an area known for agriculture and country-living despite being near to a major city. …
Not a client from hell, but wanted to share...
clientsfromhell.net
Not a client from hell, but wanted to share this to show everyone that GOOD clients do indeed exist. An old client emailed me out of the blue: Client: Are …
Reaching people on the internet
theoatmeal.com - Matthew Inman
View
Advice for designers
zeldman.com - Jeffrey Zeldman
Start by asking questions. Sketch, share your sketches, ask more questions. Don’t be precious with your work. Don’t hurry to finish.The post Advice …
Work from home? Develop these habits
freelancersunion.org - Josh Hoffman
This is a post from a member of the Freelancers Union community. If you’re interested in sharing your expertise, your story, or some advice you think …
Client: I noticed you changed some of the text.Me: I made some slight grammatical changes, yeah....
clientsfromhell.net
Client: I noticed you changed some of the text.Me: I made some slight grammatical changes, yeah. Mostly adding commas where they should be, etc. Is …
I set up, designed, and maintained a vanity blog for a bored, wealthy middle-aged woman. After a...
clientsfromhell.net
I set up, designed, and maintained a vanity blog for a bored, wealthy middle-aged woman. After a few months she wanted analytics installed.Client: …
Great Questions Lead to Great Design: A Guide to the Design Thinking Process
webdesignerdepot.com - Jorge Juan Perales
Great designers help teams and stakeholders make better decisions by using questions to identify opportunities, reveal underlying needs, and …
Client: Why aren’t you in touch? You should be calling me once a day.Me: I didn’t think the job...
clientsfromhell.net
Client: Why aren’t you in touch? You should be calling me once a day.Me: I didn’t think the job required that much touching base, but if you’d like …
Client: I’d like to hire you for a wedding shoot. Your website says initial meetings are free - is...
clientsfromhell.net
Client: I’d like to hire you for a wedding shoot. Your website says initial meetings are free - is that right? Me: That’s right. I’ll meet you to show …
To Hell With Subtle Design
webdesignerdepot.com - Ezequiel Bruni
Don’t try to be so damn subtle in web design.Okay, let me explain that…About a year or so ago, I made a terrible mistake: I tried to be funny; More …