Talking of Design
The Skype’s the limit
I think you will all agree, communication is the key to any successful project. That and getting paid ‘phat wedge’ so that you are really motivated :P
Being a freelancer, technology is a vital tool in order for me to ensure that the communication between myself, the client and others involved (programmer, for example) is to a level that ensures the success of a project.
I find a combination of e‑mails, telephone calls, Skype messaging / conferencing, and online document sharing to be the most efficient methods of managing a project from both the developer and client perspectives. Especially if, like me, you is a freelancer yeah innit …
The technologies I use on nearly all of my projects include:
- Skype : a free VOIP telephone conferencing, messaging and file sharing application for both PC and MAC
- E‑mail
- Telephone calls
- Google Docs : An online word-processing application (with all the key functionality of the likes of Microsoft Word) where documents can be shared and worked on in real time and simultaneously by nominated contributors. All that users need is a Google account, which is free and easy to set up. Yummy yummy yummy.
I can’t really give the same level of ‘face to face’ meetings as a design agency for the following reasons:
- many of my clients are from all over the UK and Europe, so the time and cost implications for a freelancer are just not workable
- being a freelancer, when I am away from my studio there is no one else to ‘hold the fort’ and also work on the projects I already have in
I do have ‘face to face’ meetings, although only if geography and/or time permits. In fact, if I feel the issues can be resolved using Skype / e‑mail / telephone conferencing, I would always specify using these technologies to do so. My reasoning:
- removes the cost and time of travel
- Skype is free to use (and quick and easy to install)
- Skype conferencing can be between any number of people from any location in the world
- Skype conferencing can combine with ‘chat’ for file and link sharing in real time with the voice conferencing
- anything discussed by participants can be actioned immediately after, or even — in some cases — during the the call itself if required
I feel the advantages of embracing the latest communication technologies only benefits all involved and also the project in question.
Do you agree? If not, why not? And if you do agree, why? If you don’t really have an opinion, why don’t you really have an opinion? Anyway, feel free to comment. But if you don’t want to comment, why is this? This final bit of my post is annoying you isn’t it? Why is it annoying you? …