[Phpwm] Full time front end developer or freelance?

[Ed Lea]

As a freelance designer since 2003 I can say that projects work really well
outsourced. It depends on the type of designer you're after. For someone
more experienced you'll want them in right at the start of the project (i.e.
concept stage, even client meetings).

Freelance designers can also bring in experience from other companies with a
different perspective on the issues at hand e.g. they may have already
solved that UI problem at another company.

My advice is to build up a relationship with a designer(s) which may take 6
months. The best projects I have worked on are always the 2nd or 3rd for
that client/agency. Building a relationship means things like inviting them
to work do's, regular catchups even if there is no current project, letting
them know what you're up to - make them feel like part of the team. Don't
treat them like a resource you just turn on and off! (same goes for any
freelancer)

I have to say though, I have never worked anywhere that there is no in-house
designer. Although I have worked at agencies where there is no in-house
developer! So I can't directly answer whether only outsourced design can
work. For someone with lots of experience though I would say it's possible.
I've remotely pm'd / designed various apps with no problems.

Anyway.. on to deal with Andrew :)

On 7 September 2011 16:22, Andrew Fielden <shrewsburyprop at hotmail.com>wrote:

>  Having spent years working with designers outside of the development
> company my experience is that the most critical thing is to make sure that
> you have deadlines for delivery of the designs so that compete integration
> and testing can take place. Designers often push it to the limit and this
> can cause you to run late. They would probably say the same about developers
> but they are wrong ;-)
>

Unfortunately, development tends to lie further down the process than design
so any delays are often started at the concept/design/client approval end.
It's not to do with being a designer, it's to do with that stage of
development. Like any professional if a date is set and parameters fixed
then there is no reason a designer would deliver later than any other
profession.

The other thing to watch for is designers putting in extras that aren't
> there in the spec and getting clients to think that they are getting
> something that they were not in the first place
>

That's implied (for the most part) in the role. If you don't want the client
to see it, get the designer to send you a version without it. If you had
strict spec for that design, they it should be sent as a second mockup
titled "what about this"
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