There's always an excitement associated with having a new potential client reach out to you with new work. Sometimes you'll receive a very detailed brief and other times a very simple paragraph, but I can't remember a single time when I received a proposal and wasn't immediately filled with questions. The process of debriefing involves raising questions that the client hasn't even thought of, and that will help you save a lot of time; avoid disappointments and also make sure you're meeting the client's expectations. You're not supposed to be a magician who guesses what's going through other people's minds, so you shouldn't be afraid to ask questions no matter how obvious they look. This will in fact make you look professional because after all you're trying to understand your client's business in order to solve their problem as successfully as you can.

In this post I’ll share some insights and tips on how to navigate situations where your work ethic and worth may be put to test. Please keep in mind that spotting red flags doesn’t automatically mean someone is a bad client and you shouldn’t work for them. A lot of the time clients are not fully aware of the work process and value a creative person can add to a project, so some of these sentences can simply come out of ignorance.

Whether if you’re just starting out your adventure in the lettering world or if you’re a seasoned expert, composition can always be an intimidating topic. Even though general people might not understand the importance of a good layout, it’s our job to make it work so well that it becomes unnoticeable.

Two years ago I started a personal project about vintage matchboxes which was a way for me to experiment with new styles and techniques. In this tutorial I’ll talk about my process and give you some tips on how to create vintage inspired packaging illustrations.

When I started freelancing I had no idea what I was doing. I studied design in college and had a couple of years of experience but I never learned how to survive by myself in the real world. Today, after almost 5 years working as a freelancer (whew, has it been that long?!), I’m still learning new things everyday but this journey taught me a few lessons that I wish I’d known from the very start.

These are a couple of things I learned working as a freelancer that can hopefully help you avoid some mistakes I’ve done in the past.

The turn of the year was the perfect excuse to organize my book library which made me remember this series I started but never continued. Here are some design books that I like to go through once in a while. Some of them are great to find inspiration while others are filled with incredible wisdom nuggets and information

I love books. There's something very special about flicking through the pages of a brand new book and smelling the paper. Even though I'm not much of a reader, design books always had a special place in my heart. Not only they provide a lot of value as they're great places to look for inspiration and references.