Thoughts on Trends

Trends: Damned if you do, damned if you dont?

Here’s my thoughts on trends- when they’re helpful, when they’re not, what current trends are and my philosophy with using them in branding projects.

Each project is different. I hope I’m truly listening to your unique needs and setting you up with your dream brand you don’t need to change every year to keep up with the times.

Trends can be a powerful tool in communicating your brand is modern, up to date, and worth following as a source of innovative fresh ideas. Trends are helpful tools we can use, as long as we also make sure we don’t just use these trends as a ‘catch all’ instead of really figuring out a brand for you that is unique, bold, and unapologetic.

Also over time, the more a trend is used, the less impact it ends up serving because it becomes a situation of copying each other with the same elements and loosing the individual expression of a brand!

So, my philosophy with trends is about balance. If your brand benefits from using trends, I do still think it’s important to define which you will use, and which will be uniquely a part of your brand. Your core brand shouldn’t go out of style!

This year I’ve noted these design trends in 2021 to take into account:

• soft gradients

• thin white lines and shapes, mimicking retro computer designs or print registration info

• lines varying representing different relationships and philosophical concepts

• use of symbols as a graphic element

• elegant unique serif fonts, often centered

• elements from 90’s magazine designs

• general nostalgia from the 90’s as this generation is in its 30’s

• bold black outlines with accent color- generally accessibility is taken into account with icons and buttons very clear

• words shaped into open shapes, such as open circles or waves

• text warping of quotes, especially in the font ‘Shrikhand’
  
  I made this graphic to show yes, I am aware of these trends and am happy to incorporate them if it is relevant and helpful to your brand!
  
  If so I’ll help lay out my game place with how to use these elements while still staying true to your timeless brand.
  
  Contact me about getting started on your project!

Living & Working in Azerbaijan

While most of my ongoing clients are based in the United States, living here in the Baku area has still been able to lead to different projects and opportunities. Here’s a list of projects I’ve been able to have connected to my experience living here in Azerbaijan:

1. Featured Artist in NARGIS Magazine

NARGIS is a trilingual fashion and lifestyle magazine based in Baku. I was contacted about creating 6 pages of art. Each composition was based off a different fashion design who spanned different cultures, part of the month’s theme of “immigrant”.

2. Interview with “La Ruta de Baku”

Bilingual radio show and podcast (Spanish and English) based in Warsaw, sharing stories to connect Azerbaijan and Latin America. They asked me to speak about my experience as a remote designer, being resident of Azerbaijan, and my involvement with the Baku chapter of Ladies Wine & Design.

3. Ladies Wine & Design, Baku chapter

Ladies Wine & Design is a global community started by designer Jessica Walsh to encourage diversifying the creative industry after seeing how few women designers were in positions of leadership. This has expanded into a general space open to anyone who feels they’d benefit from the space. While living in Rome I actually learned about this organization and wished to attend, however I was not confident enough in my Italian to figure things out. However here in Azerbaijan, many people are fluent in English and Baku did not yet have a chapter. (There are about 285 chapters worldwide currently). I made a call out asking for designers who might be interested.

To keep things inclusive we try to post bilingually in English and Azerbaijani, as some Azerbaijanis might not know English, however also some Azerbaijanis might not know Azerbaijani! (Some schools and communities are Russian/English based). Either way, either group benefits from seeing content in both languages to better learn. The Baku chapter is run my Khadija Izabakarova, Parvana Isgandarova, and myself. As I write this we are in the beginning stage, building up a presence on Instagram through educational content that aims to provide a platform for Azerbaijani designers and artists to be seen and inspired.

4. Post-war charity collection social graphics

Donations were being collected in Baku for families who were displaced during the 44-day war in October 2020. This was for the organization Biz Birlikde. I created some custom graphics they could use on Instagram and Facebook in English for collecting supplies and funds.

5. The Caspian Post Branding

Through living in Azerbaijan I was connected with people associated with the The Caspian Post and ended up developing their branding for them. This included some consulting for web and social styling in collaboration with others. See more images here.

Tips on 6 Important Topics to Consider for Location Independence Success

Type in ‘location independence’ to your search engine and the first things to pop up will be staged photos of someone barefoot at a beach stretched out under palm trees totally pretending they’re able to see their laptop screen under the beating sun and with no concern for the amount of sand that will surly build up in the cracks of their keyboard. To have location independent work means to be able to work from anywhere. Often this means in your bedroom, living room, maybe treat yourself to a coworking space a few times months, or maybe actually at a beach if someone has been able to figure this out one.

Growing in popularity

Apart from the romanticized beach pics, location independence is quite appealing to many people for a variety of reasons. Maybe you’re a parent looking for flexible work, maybe you are looking for a feasible way to travel more longterm, or simply LOVE wearing fleece pants all day.

As the desire to work location independently grows, so are tools that support the lifestyle (often created by these workers themselves serving as their location independent business). From traveler’s health insurance, to freelance tools and DIY financial resources, it’s becoming increasingly easier to manifest a location independent lifestyle if it’s important to you.

My story (skip down if you just want the tips!)

While being location independent has essentially become a necessity now that I am in an international relationship that presents its myriad of challenges to be able to legally live in the same country, still even after being married—it was a dream of mine ever since learning of the concept 4 years ago.

Currently I’m living just outside of Baku, Azerbaijan as a location independent graphic designer. Before that I spent about 1.5 years living in Italy, and before that I took a solo trip around the world working remote for my company. It has been a journey- that began by asking my boss from my FT job if I could work remote for a few months while I take time to travel. This turned into choosing to take a risk and try freelancing for a few months upon returning, then moving to Italy where I really had time to focus and research/figure things out.

After, I’d say, 3 years of starting my location independent journey I can finally say I’ve figured it out enough to stay stable and wake up with excitement for the day rather than stress or worry. While I work until maybe 10pm, sometimes midnight often (due to being so far ahead of my USA clients)—I also often don’t start work until after 2pm lunch and am able to take time off- whether thats going out some nights, or going on local or international trips. Generally my lifestyle supports many healthy habits I previously wished I had- such as sleeping in as long as my body needs, low stress mornings, time to exercise, time to cook healthy meals, etc. This flexibility was always my dream and I will say the 3 year struggle to figure it out was definitely worth it. There is a sense of freedom in controlling your day, and especially for me stepping away from my home country has given me fresh perspective. (Both a critical and appreciative one.)

After going through the struggle, and continuing to research and learn, I thought I’d share some tips I’ve learned to maybe encourage some others out there if you are dealing with hesitations. Or, maybe you’ll read this and think it’s too much work and you’d rather just have stability like you’re used to- that’s okay too. ;)

Dislcaimers

1. Working location independent is MUCH more feasible if you have a lower cost of living. The USA (where I’m from) is a very expensive country to live in day to day factoring in rent cost and contracts, health care cost and risks of not having it, lack of public transportation (so dependence on having a vehicle), cost of produce, etc. While I hope you can swing it, just be aware that moving to a more affordable country temporary or long term is a HUGE step to walking away from the stresses living in the USA can bring upon you. Many European countries are much cheaper to live than the USA. (This is asking to be another blog topic I think!)

2. You have to be the judge of your own success. Success means something different to everyone. You have to assess what is important to you and why. Do you value more free time or money? Or do you want to hustle now so you can have more of both later? I say this because you should consider your individual goals ahead of time and shape your lifestyle around this.

3. There is HUGE privilege either being a US citizen (or w/work permit) or native english speaker. Many of these points below are written from this perspective and I apologize for not being able to write more inclusively for others- it’s what I know. It is totally possible to be location independent if one of these do not apply for you (my hubbie is successfully doing this) however I am not an expert on it and can’t write from this view. Not even accounting for the legality of being hired as a US citizen, some sites even favor you just for being physically there (such as Upwork). On top of that, having a US bank account allows you to receive money much easier and cheaper (often free) and gives you access to a plethora of more products that help manage your money. If you are a native English speaker there are opportunities for you simply for that fact. It’s worth noting.

So let’s begin with the tips!

1. FINDING WORK

This is hands down the first challenge in living a location independent lifestyle. I wish I could say this was a quick painless process for me to find stability, but truthfully it was not! And I’m still working on it, and reevaluating my goals on the reg. On one hand it was ‘adventurous’ to move to Italy 2 years ago with no job, on the other (more practical) hand it was pretty terrifying. But I am here to say if you keep persisting, it’s possible.

Jobs in marketing, translation, design, developing, writing, social media management, etc. are great for remote work, but not necessary!

Remember you can always learn any of these skills above if it helps create the lifestyle you want. Either self-taught or through online schooling. Get officially certified for credibility if you need.

There’s an increasing number of job sites you can apply for, but I would also first put out there you may even be able to keep your current job with with a semi-remote or fully remote role. There are a handful of stories I’ve heard where this has been a successful mutually beneficial situation for the employer and employee. It starts with some research and a meeting with your boss to share your proposal. I know it’s probably scary, but what important things aren’t a little scary to get?

If you don’t have this option though, here’s a list of sites to check out, I’m sure there are more:

• Upwork — Most popular freelance site, for all types of skills from translations, design, developing, voice over, virtual assistant. Available across the world, though if you’re US-based you have a HUGE advantage, having access to postings with higher pay rates and less competition. Start with a low hourly rate to gain reviews and go up.

• Appen — This is the actual way I was able to buy some time to build a freelance life. Through a remote job site, FlexJobs, I came across jobs through Appen and started a part-time ongoing data collection job that lasted about 5 months. (It ends when they have enough data.) It’s not glamorous, but dang it was great to have some income stability starting out! My monthly checks were around 800 USD if I remember correctly. (Though note this supports big data which may be an ethical confliction for you?)

• Teaching English: Was English your first language? Just from this you can gain income from teaching kids English remotely! Each site has different requirements, some ask for a college education and some don’t. Look up: VIPKid, Teach Away, DaDa, QKids, iTudor Group, Gogokid...

• Remote Job boards: There are so many remote job boards now, it’s hard to keep them all straight. I’ve personally only used Upwork for one-off jobs because many have turned into longterm clients, however I’m always curious to look at what kind of interesting jobs are listed at well established companies that are often full time and even with benefits sometimes. Dynamite Jobs, WeWorkRemotely, RemoteOK, NoDesk, FlexJobs, Remote Woman, Working Nomads

2. TAXES

The next big question that often comes up is regarding taxes. When you work at a company, you don’t really have to think much about this because you have an estimated tax amount deducted before you receive your paycheck. There’s not much else to worry about because you’ll just input the forms you receive from your employer by April the next year.

When location independent you are collecting your freelance money directly and you need to keep track of it and budget for your deductions ahead of time. Either create an Xcel sheet or use a program like Quickbooks to keep track of how much you are receiving and from who. (I kind of nerded out and made my own pretty-looking chart, maybe I could upload this).

I’m not a CPA of course, though I’m lucky to have several in my family so I was able to learn some concepts from them. It may be beneficial to hire someone, or you can do them yourself/with an online site. Here are just a few tips I’ll pass on:

1. DO keep track of all income you make in a year, record details in case you need for an audit

2. DO keep track of all your expenses, these are considered the cost of running your business and should be written off

3. Do be aware of your tax bracket to properly estimate what you owe as you go so it’s not a surprise

4. DO pay your taxes quarterly- Otherwise known as ‘estimated tax.’ This means you pay 90% of the taxes you paid the year before. It’s divided into 4 payment periods throughout the year. You most likely are required to do this though it’s also much more beneficial to you for budgeting and managing expectations at the end of the year.

5. You can file as a sole proprietor (most likely) and do not necessarily need and/or benefit from an LLC or business entity. This often relates to risk/liability which may not be relevant to many service based jobs. If you are unsure you should talk with a professional!

6. If you live abroad, one or multiple places, for 330 days/year you may want to look into the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. Hire a specialized expat tax company like Greenback Tax to help you if you need, or any CPA knowledgeable in foreign earned income. Not all CPAs will be versed in this niche. Note, physically being in a different country than the USA means you are literally by foot in the country- if you are traveling by plane or boat (under maritime law) this doesn’t count. Just something to be aware of now!

3. LIVING ABROAD

While location independence doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be boppin’ around the world, it could if it’s what you want. Also, as I mentioned above, it is definitely worth considering as many countries might be much more affordable to live than your own, even after factoring the cost of the plane ticket.

Preface/caveat: Often, because of IG culture, ‘traveling’ can be romanticized from the lense of privilege and choice, but working location independent can be beneficial for those also traveling out of necessity. Like I mentioned above, while this was always a goal of mine, living abroad unexpectedly for the past few years due to meeting my husband made it necessary I figured out how to work location independent, since I was/am living in countries I don’t speak the language and it made it almost impossible to get hired in a traditional physical job. Or maybe someone is fleeing violence or persecution in their country, being able to work remote is huge for this. (Though remember receiving money is also dependent on a reliable bank account, which is a whole other topic) . Or maybe those waiting months for their visa to get a physical job. There are so many situations where people would benefit from joining the online workforce. I just want to point out the complex reality for many who would benefit from working online and not follow the same narrative we hear on repeat with these buzz words.

Visa-Free

This topic is highly dependent on your unique passport privileges depending on what country it’s issued from so it’s hard to give a blanket explanation for all. As you may know, the USA passport is highly privileged along with a handful of others.

Go to PassportIndex.com to see what countries you can stay and for how long without prior visas.

Since I can only write from my experiences, here’s some tips from the perspective of the same passport:

A USA passport currently lets you visit 170 (out of 198) countries with no prior visa process. (that’s nuts!)

Legal stays for a US passport currently (this can change, I’m sure I missed some too, check what’s up to date):

• 360 Days: Georgia, Palau

• 180 Days: Antiqua and Barbuda, Armenia, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, United Kingdom,

• 120 Days: Fiji, Jamaica

• 90 Days: Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Austria*, Belgium*, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic*, Denmark*, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia*, Finland*, France*, Germany*, Greece*, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary*, Iceland*, Israel, Italy*, Japan, Kosovo, Latvia*, Liechtenstein, Lithuania*, Luxembourg*, Malaysia, Malta*, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands*, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Norway*, Poland*, Portugal*, Romania, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia*, Slovenia*, South Africa, Spain*, Sweden*, Switzerland*, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Vatican City, Zambia, Zimbabwe

*Schengen zone (meaning you have 90 days in these places total/collectively)

Nomadic Life

It’s true many location independent workers end up moving from country to country as their visa stays run out. This in turn makes their life essentially nomadic. There is such a large number of ‘digital nomads’ the group is calling themselves the 200th Nation.

Student Visas

Another very popular way to legally reside in a different country is to become a student. You may be surprised at the affordability of getting your undergraduate or Masters in a different country, especially one that has more social programs to support higher education in their country. For a while tuition for even foreign students in Slovenia was free, otherwise many Universities may charge for example 1200 euros for each year of studying. Of course then you would be signing up to be a student, on top of establishing freelance work at the same time, but if you sign up for minimal courses it might be an overall enriching experience that will also add to your resume.

4. HEALTHCARE

Again this is written from the perspective of coming from the USA, because this if often the number one reason we feel we cannot leave the security of our jobs. Having health insurance there is necessary due to how expensive healthcare costs are currently. While there is no longer a mandate to have insurance, it is very wise to be prioritizing it.

If you plan to live in the USA, you DO need to budget for your own monthly insurance to avoid the real risk of financial hardship.

If you plan to live abroad, read on:

1. HSA globally accepted - If you are lucky enough to have an HSA account already, you are indeed still able to use this abroad where cards are accepted. Just research the transaction fee (mine is 1%).

2. Healthcare is MUCH cheaper in other countries - You honestly might not need insurance at all. Living abroad you will see the whole insurance industry doesn’t exist either at all or in the same way. My doctor visit/tests in Tokyo was about $30 for example, and a cavity filled at the most expensive place in Baku was $55. (Compared to the $400 in the US). (Unfortunately) several friends of mine have had bad accidents in New Zealand requiring many overnight stays but did not walk away in debt in the slightest. (There, as long as you are legally in the country, you are covered.) It is worth researching the countries you plan to live in first. But remember the extreme of stress and worry from not having insurance is a very uniquely American (USA) thing.

3. International health insurance IS available - For peace of mind there’s companies out there. SafetyWing for example covers you when traveling, and even the first month (or 2 weeks if USA) back in your home country! There are a handful of other travel insurance options. Here’s a link with more details on health insurance for nomads.

4. Online therapy - For mental health, there’s an increasing number of companies offering text and video therapy!

5. MANAGING FINANCES

In the past few years there’s been a surge of online personal finance trackers, online banks, investing apps, and resources!

When I stepped away from stability and benefits, I was stepping way from automatic contributions to my retirement. I was taught growing up having this security is important, and also a huge reason many people would opt to stay with a company that does this. But as I jumped into the world of DIY everything, I learned there were many resources out there to educate myself more on finances and tools to help as well. It definitely forces you to be more hands-on with your money and puts more responsibility on you.

First, I would highly encourage you to binge watch as much of the YouTube channel The Financial Diet as possible, especially anything about retirement and investing. (They also have good videos about working remote and passive income.) And really any YouTube channel that breaks down investing and retirement. There are so many resources out there to feel more in control of your future and stability.

Here are just a few tips that I would pass along:

• Know and track your net worth - See the ‘big picture’ rather than focusing on just a number in your savings or checking account. Track how investments let your money mobilize faster and educate yourself! Sign up for a modern, user-friendly centralized finance tracker (and broker) like Weathfront or Wealthsimple.

• Retirement - Make monthly or quarterly contributions to an IRA. Note you can start and/or maintain one on your own, no need for an employer to do this for you! Of course you do not have an employer matching contributions now, something to consider in your risk to reward.

• Investing - Understand investing and have fun with apps like Robinhood, Acorns, etc. Know that you CAN invest in industries you are ethically in line with, like renewable energy for example. BlackRock has been a leader in progressive investing. There is even an ETF for vegan and climate-friendly business.

• Credit cards - If you have access to a credit card optimized for travelers (and use it responsibly, the same way you would a debit card), you can end up saving a good amount of money through points and rewards, and also many of these cards have benefits like built in travel insurance. A popular card with no foreign transaction fees is Chase Preferred. Cards aren’t for everyone, and they often benefit those already spending money. It’s best to research, and if any card changes your buying habits in the slightest- if you see you need to spend a dollar more to get the point benefits, it’s often not worth the value unless you are considering the value of insurance, etc. Credit responsibly. :)

6. FRIENDSHIPS

A topic less technical but just as important to your wellbeing is friendships! Working location independent often means working in isolation. It is very common for people doing this to report feeling lonely, isolated, out of touch with others. Whether this is due to working from home and forgetting to step out of the house, or from constantly traveling so all your interactions become temporary.

Some tips on friendships while working location independent:

• Appreciate them - It is really common for those working location independently to face loneliness and lack a sense of belonging. As you begin your journey, remember to appreciate all the people in your life and remember to put effort into continuing these relationships.

• Keep them - Weeks go by fast, then months, before you know it you don’t know what’s going on in their lives! Remember to check in, and also to not take it personally if they can’t get back to you right away. Value them but remember not to resent them for you not putting effort into making connections where you are. You are responsible for this.

• Make them - If you are reading this, then you understand English and you will be able to make friends anywhere in the world. Join a Facebook group for “expats”, or see if there’s a chapter of “Girl Gone International” where you are. “Digital Nomads”, etc. I was able to start a book club pretty easily by making a post in a group called “Baku Expats".” Before I knew it I was connected to a wonderful group of ladies I am so appreciative to have!

• Facebook groups are a great way to connect, also there are communities like Indie Hackers, Tropical MBA, etc. Besides making friends in your city, there are many online communities of location independent workers around the world going through the same experiences. Often there are meetups within these communities.

CONCLUSION

So those are my tips on 6 important topics for those interested in maintaining a location independent lifestyle. I want to remind people that working location independent is a global trend, and doesn’t always mean one romanticized Instagramable perspective. There are so many reasons for people to want to work remotely full time, from wanting more comfort in your day as an introvert, seeing more of the world as you fund your travels, or are in a position where you can’t legally get a physical traditional job in your location but need to make an income.

I hope some of this insight has helped clear up some questions some of you have about a location independent lifestyle. Just like with any lifestyle, you have to be the judge for yoruself what you find important in life. Certainly having this lifestyle means a more DIY approach- there are some more factors you may have to consider and weigh in order to determine if it’s right for you.

While it took me a few years of perhaps more stress and incertainty, the time freedom and significant deduction of stress I’ve now become accustomed to is absolutely worth the struggle.

If you truly dream of working remote or location independent, I hope you believe you absolutely can do it. It might not be as fast or easy as you’d like, but if it’s important to you it’s worth it.

Any questions you may have for me I would be super happy to help. Just message me at hello@loopandlaurel.design.

Thanks for reading!

—Daniella Attinella

10 Best FREE Design Resources for Freelancers and Makers

Image above made with the help of Undraw, Unsplash, WhatFont and free Photoshop paint brushes

Making the transition from full time employee to full time freelancer, there’s a lot you know you’ll have to learn. For sure you’ll have to develop a system that works for you to keep track of finances considering taxes, expenses, healthcare, and lifestyle. Absolutely you’ll need to learn how to be self-motivated to ensure your client’s needs are being met while also giving yourself permission to relax and refresh for your mental health to avoid burnout. But something that greatly intimidated me as I entered the freelance world was being cut off from the crucial resource provided at my job: access to iStock!

As you know, iStock is an endless supply of completely royalty-free photographs, illustrations, icons, graphics and entertainment from those ironic, out of left-field photos that populate when typing in something as bland as “Easter.”

iStock as the backbone

If you are an in-house designer working on a variety of clients (as I was) istock (or other another stock site) can become the backbone to your making process. This is possible because your company enrolls in an (essentially) unlimited account. There’s no need to hold back in obtaining resources from the site, and it can be easy to form a habit of thinking this is the only resource out there.

As soon as you get a new project ticket- you head over to iStock to get started.

Tunnel vision

The problem with this habit of always turning to one resource is you are constantly only seeing content filtered through one entity. Looking back, I am realizing the sort of tunnel vision that is created in that process.

With that one, extensive resource it is easy to forget to look outside of it, which in turn has the ability to limit the progress and modernness of your outputs.

The Game-Changers Make their own Rules

Now that I am more in the ‘wild west’ of resource hunting, I’m realizing the game-changers, the ones leading trends are typically those outside of these architectures.

The graphics on stock sites aren’t always the most up-to-date with what is trending in the world of design since it takes some time to get there- after the market has proven this style would be profitable.

Don’t get me wrong, stock sites are a wonderful resource for finding photographs of very specific situations you normally can’t find, but I see these stock sites as more of a piece of the pie instead of the whole pie. Plus, there are several free, relatively extensive photography resources out there that can sometimes fit the bill.

I should also mention though that Adobe Stock really seems to put effort in providing quite modern illustrations and graphics, but this post is about how it’s possible to navigate the industry without having this resource!

Shared economy is the modern economy

I’m writing this article to try to assure anyone that is considering making the leap to freelance that it is more possible that you might think even if you don’t have this resource, and show how I actually believe you are in a better position to improve your design skills this way. Without this security, you find yourself needing to be more open, more adaptable and more creative.

The shared economy exists in the creative world- and this will only increase in time as more and more tools empower the individual.

Now instead of going to one primary resource for everything—as a Swiss army knife does a convenient and kind of good job for everything— the future is having a reliable design toolkit, where each tool does their job really well and we can use whichever resource is best for the job.

This design kit mindset- rather than relying on one resource- lets us grow our skills and produce more up-to-date quality materials. It also sets us up to be more a part of that curation rather than chasing it.

10 OF MY FAVORITE DESIGN RESOURCES:

Below is my list of design essentials I use on a daily basis- my toolkit. These truly allow me to improve my skills and open my mind to how to create more quality content. From photography, illustrations, time tracking, fonts, html e-mail templates and more— I hope you can find some of this helpful.

There’s a ton of resources out there with a quick google search, but I thought I’d collect the ones I use every day to simplify.

More importantly- if you have suggestions for other resources, please share!

1. Unplash: Royalty-free* dynamic and modern photography

Unplash is the most common site for free* photos you’ll hear for the modern quality of the images. The site is volunteer-based, meaning photographers ‘donate’ images to be used knowing it may give them some exposure. Why does that darn asterisk keep showing up after free? *Unsplash shares these photos as completely free, but you do not have permission to sell the images directly without changing enough of it. Meaning, don’t use these images for your print-on-demand side hustle. Unless you add text or significant changes, these photos in their raw form don’t constitute as completely commercial license (as photos and graphics do in say Creative Market).

Pros: a quick way to obtain dynamic high quality images that are ready to be used
Cons: So many images have a thick filter, it’s not useful if you need the raw image do to your own editing within your project. Since so many people use unsplash, you start to see the same images on repeat, therefore becoming more generic. On that note, I doubt photographers gain real exposure- I’ve done IG searches multiple times on some of the most popular images and they often don’t have that much of a following. Case and point- how many times have you seen this image shared on different instagram accounts? The original post from the photographer has 32 likes (compared to the hundreds, probably thousands I’ve seen elsewhere):

2. Pixabay: Royalty-free images with less ‘hipster’ filters

For ‘cons’ stated above, I’ve been spending much more energy with Pixabay. On top of having a much larger selection of images, you will also find more natural, original versions of them without the thick grey filters. Thank you Jessica (check out her web dev!) for the recommendation!

3. Flickr: Circling back to the creative commons

I don’t know about you, but the photo-sharing site Flickr around 2006 was a place I found community and explored the world in a way. It was a place you could share your amateur photography and find others with similar interests. Recently I’ve been going back to Flickr to find images under a Creative Commons license, which is a box you can check for searching. They even have a commercial license option. These images I have been using more editorially for GoTravel Azerbaijan, but depending on the license could be used for your design projects as well (shown below).

4. Undraw: beautiful MIT-licensed vector illustrations

Undraw is a site created by Greek illustrator Katarina Limpitsouni with over 500 beautiful vector illustrations that are free to use for your projects. If you visit the site, you can see that it’s possible to change the main color of all the illustrations before downloading, for the most efficient way to add aesthetic beauty and emotional connection to your sites, presentations, etc. Her illustrations are spot-on with what sort of concepts are in demand right now- people interacting with technology, health, and most importantly those abstract concepts such as ‘growth’, ‘building’, ‘delivering’, ‘connected’, etc.

The best part (if you are a designer or with knowledge of SketchUp or Illustrator) is all illustrations are in .svg format. Meaning, they are fully editable. For me it is extremely useful to have a base of an illustration, then add/subtract to is as I need. Or, use them as is. I can’t say enough good things about them.

Simply wonderful!

View fullsize

5. Creative Market’s e-mail list

The digital goods shop Creative Market is helpful in a few ways. First, it creates an e-commerce platform where one can sell their own visual products at a rate of 70% profit (unabashed plug for my icon + more shop here), and second their e-mail list is insanely valuable to anyone that makes stuff.

Every Monday you’ll get a message in your inbox that will make you do an internal little happy dance, that says “☺ Happy Monday – Download 6 New Free Goods!”. Attached are digital goods you are free to download anytime in that week. Again, these are donated by the makers in attempt to gain exposure to their other products on sale. Thanks to videographer (and my former coworker) Pat for originally sharing this with me!

Typically you’ll find 1-2 fonts and other elements such as patterns, illustrations, mockups, Wordpress templates, icons, etc. These are free for commercial use. That’s right, you could slap any of these elements on a coffee mug and sell it. They do have specification for the difference in their standard commercial license and extended license, read more here.

Actually, I’ve had to start being more selective about what to download because I am running out of room on my computer….the privilege of abundance!

Here is an example of the free goods this week:

6. WhatFont: Identify those beautiful fonts

Something that used to kind of stress me out is how to keep up with my font game if I am freelancing and not really conversing with other designers. I noticed the fonts I was using were becoming out of date- either too commonly used or just not seeming ‘modern’ or ‘kind’ enough, without knowing why.

The WhatFont browser extension is the answer to this fear/frustration. Anytime you are on a website where you fall in love with the font, just click on the extension and hover + click on any type. All the details including font class and size are shown. Now when I visit a site I appreciate, I feel more curious and connected to the design rather than intimidated. Often these fonts are available with Adobe Typekit, so I usually immediately add them. It’s fun to learn of the true variety of so many fonts out there, and also makes me appreciate when some companies developed their own fonts.

I was clueless to this extension until my partner noticed I was ‘inspecting element’ on a site in search of the font listed in its CSS. He let me know about this extension, so you can imagine how much time I am saving! :)

Here’s what it looks like:

7. Wappalyzer: Chrome Extension to see how Sites are Built

Another Chrome extension that has come in handy when working with clients is Wappalyzer. This might be more relevant if you are a developer, but I’ve found it useful as a designer too. The extension quickly lets you know what tools, plug-ins, languages, etc are detected on any website you visit. I’ve personally used this when I am working on web design with a client and wish to quickly know how their site is constructed. If I see it is made in Wordpress, using Shopify, I have a better understanding of what sort of graphics they might needs from me vs. if they use Squarespace or something custom.

It also can be fun to see how some animations are created so you can do something similar in a web design of your own. For example, particle.js is a versatile javascript animation that can be customized and used in some neat ways which I can take note of using this app.

8. Bee: HTML e-mail templates

Something recently I’ve been creating is custom html e-mails, usually to be used in tandem with a print piece I’ve designed. Whether the e-mail will be sent with Constant Contact, Mailchimp or some other service, it makes the most sense for me to send an html code which they can paste. Since I really don’t know much about coding, I have found Bee to be extremely helpful!

They do have some free and paid templates, or you can create your own from scratch in a drag-and-drop manner (what I do) which is very user friendly. When done, you are given the html file. Note- you do have to have a solution for hosting the images (having your own url paths) if you want to deliver just a copy/paste instruction for your clients. Otherwise, they can upload all images separately and their e-mail client can host them.

9. Harvest: Time tracking, invoices

My freelance projects are split between flat-rates and per hours, and Harvest has been quite helpful for keeping track of the hourly jobs. Not only does it offer a timer correlated to whichever project you are working on with its own rate, it also keeps track of uninvoiced hours and very easily creates an invoice sent via e-mail to your client with a clickable link to pay through paypal. I love the simplicity- I just start/stop the timer when I am working, then at the end of the month an invoice is neatly and automatically created when I’m ready. It is free for one client at a time.

10. Toggl: Data visualized time tracking

Harvest functions really well for time tracking and invoices, but the user experience lacks a visual nature and often I heavily gravitate towards sites and apps that give immediate feedback. For this reason, I’ve recently signed up for Toggl and have been really enjoying it (to the point where I’m leaning towards getting the paid account). Toggl is much more visually appealing solution to time tracking- it provides pie charts showing the proportion of time different projects took, and overall gives you a time report sheet with more detailed information. The downside is they don’t have the invoice creation like Harvest does, but that isn’t horrible because that way you are not locked in to getting paid only via paypal which, like all most online transactions now, keep a transaction fee which can really add up with transactions of over hundreds of dollars.

CONCLUSION

I hope some of these tools were useful, and perhaps their value transfers across not just designers but social media managers, entrepreneurs, makers, etc.

These tools are quite basic and the building blocks to my making process now as a freelance designer. I hope to keep adding to this list. If anyone has suggestions for more, I’d love to hear.

Of course with the internet now any kind of google search for “free illustrator patterns” or “free photoshop paint brushes” are all you really need to find some quality content. (Just be careful not to download anything malicious on accident right!?)

I’m appreciative now and look forward to the future of increasing collaboration. While nothing can be truly ‘free’, many of us are learning the power of sharing in order to be seen or heard, and I think this is an exciting time to create. Sometimes it’s overwhelming all the tools we have available, but that’s not the worst problem to have.

Thanks for reading!

—Danielle Attinella

(Loop & Laurel Design)

Little Eye Web Development and Design: Reveal!

Little Eye: We add meaning + beauty to the digital space— then donate 5% of profits towards protecting the rainforest

Exciting announcement!

As you know, I specialize in all things visual- design, illustration, branding, iconography, etc. while my partner specializes in all things dev- from enterprise software to websites.

Over the past year, we have been collaborating our skills together with our own projects (Split Up!, Hip My Trip, Go Travel Azerbaijan, etc…), as well as projects for friends and family (Cooking On The Front Burner for example).

So, to continue on this path of joining forces we felt it was time to be ‘official’ by creating our own brand + website as a point of contact for our web design shop: Little Eye.

Why the name, Little Eye

There’s actually a bunch of reasons, literal and figurative, that we landed on Little Eye.

1. Little Eye refers to the most powerful eyes in the world. These aren’t the largest eyes like you might think, they’re of raptors/birds of prey. This is why the logo includes a bird. You can tell it is a bird of prey by the shape of its beak- how it curves down. If you’re curious, this curve is to help them tear apart their prey, but we don’t mean this concept to be relative to our work ;)

2. Little Eye is meant to sound humble, not like we are this big agency with lots of workers- because we aren’t. We’re two people, with connections to possibly hire on more people if we need per project.

3. The initial idea of ‘Little Eye’ was from looking at both our last names, Alili and Attinella. We were thinking of combining them, to Alinella or something like this, but didn’t like how this was not referring to anything tangible and therefor it would be easily forgotten. Then we broke apart Onar’s last name: a + li’l + i. A little eye.

4. We were hoping to use an animal as part of our logo, because we wanted to incorporate donating part of our profits towards animals. We decided to donate money towards rainforest protection because it protects many endangered animals and rainforests are the most impactful carbon sink (but also the most endangered of forests).

5. Finally a coincidence- the head of a bird happens to be the same shape of Azerbaijan, the country Onar is from and also the base of our travel site, Go Travel Azerbaijan.

Our capabilities

By combining our skills, we’re able to do pretty much anything on the web. We can create sites from scratch, but also give current sites a makeover.

Sites from scratch (no Wordpress or ecommerce platform)

Wordpress makeovers (new branding, graphics, custom ‘related post’ feature without a plugin)-

Browser extension (dev, design)-

And we also feature custom icon design, since that if often wrapped up in the creation of a site:

Of course, we’re open to any web related project.

The illustrations

You might notice the cute illustrations we used on the site, and think to yourself, “Where have I seen this style before?”

These illustrations are part of the open-source MIT-licensed illustrations of Katerina Limpitsouni’s project, UnDraw.

What’s extra awesome about these illustrations is not just that they are free to use and part of an extensive modern library that makes the web a more beautiful place, they are all vector! Meaning, each are completely editable and customizable. This is how we were able to create aliases of me and Onar matching the rest of the drawings.

If you have web needs beyond design, we’re here for you!

We just launched our site, and are looking forward to future opportunities to create together.

This project is part of our goal to build sources of income remote so that we can more easily visit our friends and families that are on opposite sides of the world.

Wish us luck!

Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions about our abilities, feel free to reach out to me (hello@loopandlaurel.design), fill out the form on the Little Eye site, or email us (hello@wearelittleeye.com).

—Daniella Attinella