Seek criticism
With Liv Strawbridge
Seek criticism
“Do not seek praise. Seek criticism.” ― Paul Arden
Getting praise feels good – especially if your love language is words of affirmation (like me). It’s easy to ask only the people who we know will say nice things to get positive feedback. But you need to have people critique your work. Then, you’ll make changes, learn from it – and become a better designer every time you repeat the process.
So next time, instead of just looking for praise, seek criticism. Ask someone, "What can I improve? What's not working?"
This will help you get honest feedback you can use to make your work better.
Note: It’s good to remember that you don't have to accept the criticism if you don't agree with it!
Illustration kits for designers: Growwwkit
If you’re looking for editable illustrations to help bring your website content to life, check out the Growwwkit library, where you’ll find both free and paid high-quality sets.
P.S. I’ve added this to my toolkit.
How to land work faster
As soon as you receive an enquiry from a potential new client, address the two most important questions they're likely to have: your availability and how much it will cost.
Below is an example email that you can send to potential clients (based on what I usually say):
“Thanks for getting in touch! Work like this usually starts at around [$X-XK] depending on project specifics, but once I have more details from you I can give you a better idea of cost.
Also, just to let you know I'm currently booked up until the end of [Month].
If this budget and timeline works for you, let’s organise a time to meet to discuss things further.”
This approach saves time for both you and the client by avoiding discussions if their budget is too low or if their timeline is too tight. Try this approach next time to land work faster.
