The reason for all this Fried-fervor is a side project that I’ve been working on with a friend called InvoiceStorm (site prototype). It’s an application for freelancers like me, as well as small and medium businesses.

We didn’t quit our day-jobs to do this project. We could have and maybe would have been done already, but we kept it a “side-project” as Jason (and others) have recommended. That way there was never any pressure on us to pay the bills or succeed at the cost of a quality product. At every turn I think, “wow, this is sort of how 37Signals was started.” It’s been driving me to find more and more time to devote to my new baby and it’s slowly becoming my main project. When it launches, I’ll likely have to slow down or stop my freelancing and devote more serious time to it – The goal being a full-time job working on the sites & software that I’ve created with amazingly talented people.

Does your project have that kind of importance to you? Do you feel excited for the chance to work on something that matters? If not, maybe it’s time.

I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some amazing clients who know exactly what they want and communicate it beautifully. These are the best clients to have and if you’re one of them – Thank you. There’s another type of client, however, that tends to make life so much more difficult. I’ve only worked with this type a few times, but it was enough to make me not want to work with them ever again. Here’s what you can do to get the most out of us freelancers:

Know what you want

The most important thing about any design or development project is understanding your project. If you don’t know what you want, how do you expect to get it? When you hire a freelancer or outside vendor remember these rules and you’ll get the best work possible and things will magically come in before the deadline.

• Have goals – A lot of projects I get start out with the phrase, “I need a website.” This is probably a true statement, but many people don’t know why they need a website. They don’t know what they want to accomplish from having a website and they sometimes don’t even know much about websites. So start out by figuring out what you want to get from a website – than say, “I need a website.”
• Learn your market – There’s probably already someone out there doing something that you do, or at the very least something similar to what you do. Go to their website. Call their phone number and talk to the person who answers the phone. Find out as much as you can about them and than figure out a way to do it better, faster, or more fun. Add those to your goals list.
• Be open-minded - This is a tough one for a lot of people. I know that when I have an idea, I think it’s the greatest creation in existence. It’s usually not. After talking to others, I find out that I’m not as smart as I like to pretend. So when you hire someone to do a job for you – whether it’s a new website or building you a new widget – tell them what you want and than trust them to come up with the best solution. A good designer (or developer) will fight for the idea that is the best. If you find yourself arguing with them about a specific detail, you should step back and ask why your freelancer is fighting for that idea. Maybe they’ve had a similar problem and found the best solution a long time ago.

Pick the right person for the job

Every project is different just like every freelancer is different. We all work differently and getting the same results out of all of us is not going to happen. I have a few styles of design that I’m great at. I can adapt fairly well, but I’ll never be great at everything. No one can do it all. I prefer to work in a very clean, useful style. If you ask me to build your website, unless you tell me otherwise, I’ll look for a clean, modern solution like these:

If you want a grungy or dirty look, you’ll want to find a designer that has plenty of examples of doing this type of  work:

Hire the person with experience working with your type of project and you’ll both be happier. Not knowing who you’re hiring is no longer an excuse – Every designer or developer has a website so do your homework.

Communication

The final piece to the puzzle is communication. If you’re upfront and honest from the start, both you and your freelancer will walk away happy. Be clear immediately about your expectations and ask them about their expectations of your project. Some designers hate limits and rules and love to think outside the box. Some love to find elegant or interesting solutions to a problem given a set of rules. You have to decide how willing you are to put your trust in the person you hire.

If you’re laid-back and easy-going, you don’t want to work with a designer that needs constant approval. You probably want someone that you can give the main idea to and let them run with it. If you’re a more hands-on person, but want someone to give you something amazing that you’ve never seen before, don’t expect to get much say in the process with an “out-of-the-box” type of designer. You may want to hire someone that simply follows the rules.

Bottom line: Be honest with yourself and with the people you hire. You know if you’re a micro-manager or more like the Dude, so let prospective freelancers know ahead of time. Both your lives will be easier.