Designers are artists. If they’re any good, and if they care at all, they’re generally very proud of the work they do. We can also be very protective, and sometimes possessive, and, occassionally, a little bit wacky in our desire to protect our good name.

I’m an artist too. I love my work and I really get excited when I come up with something beautiful and unique. It makes my blood pump. But I’m also a businessman with many years experience in serving clients. I know from that experience that clients don’t really appreciate being told what they can and can’t do. Isn’t it supposed to work the other way around?

If You’re My Client, I’m Here to Serve You

The only terms are that you’ll pay me as agreed. This, however, isn’t the case with most blog designers. Most have very detailed requirements of you.

Here are some examples of other peoples rules (not mine):

Copyright and Intellectual Property

Many well known blog and website designers have very strong wording in their terms which greatly reduce your options down the road.

With most, you MAY NOT:

• alter the design of your blog in any way
• use the graphics designed for your blog on other projects (newsletters, eBooks, business cards) unless you have that project designed by the same designer
• allow your blog design to be used as a “basis” for other work, even just the rough ideas, shapes, and colors
• use the design on another URL (say you want a related blog on another site)
• use the same template (layout/arrangement) even with another designers graphics replacing the ones you have

There’s more… you MUST:

• agree (be bound) to keep a button for your designer in the sidebar of your blog.
• agree to a pre-determined list of extra charges for buttons, widgets, or support services (since you can’t have anyone else’s stuff on your blog)

This Kind Of Agreement Seems Unfair

Just because I’m a good designer doesn’t mean you want to sign a lifetime agreement with me. What if you can’t stand working with me? What if I don’t deliver on time or you just don’t love some part of what I did? Should you be required to work with me to fix it, at a cost that can’t be negotiated? That just doesn’t make sense.

What about if you design a blog now and all you care about is how it looks? But you turn out to be a great writer and you do great with social media? What if you put hundreds, or even thousands, of hours into your blog and you become a success? Then say you decide that you want to produce an eBook, or a print book, or an Email Newsletter… should you be required to hire me or pay me at that point in time? That just doesn’t make sense.

How about the requirement to include advertising for me on your blog? As a general contractor, that’s the same thing as me saying “I get to keep my sign in front of your house all year long” or a car dealer plastering his website on the window of your brand new car. That’s just rude.

I’d prefer to say “If I’ve pleased you with my work and my service, I’d be more than happy to provide you with a great looking button for your blog. I’d really appreciate your help by telling people about me.” But I’m here to tell you… if I don’t serve you well and I don’t please you, then you should absolutely not be bound to tell anyone that I designed your blog.

Why It’s Pointless Anyway

All design is a copy of something. I’d be willing to venture that one idea in a million, maybe ten million, is truly original. Designers are inspired by other designs. Clients tell me what they want by giving me a list of other websites that they like the look of. There are only so many components… layout, header style, colors, post style, fonts, sidebars, buttons… unless I design for a round screen, I’m going to create a design that is similar to others.

And my designs will be copied. If I’m worth anything at all, someone else is going to see what I did and copy it. They might even steal the graphics and use them flat-out. I know it, you know it, everybody knows it. So why should I punish the one person willing to pay me, my customer, for the fact? All these other people can steal my work freely, but my client is subjected to tons of rules.

It just doesn’t make sense.

My Rules Are Simple

• We agree to a clear price and a scope of work (what I will do).
• I do the work with an attitude of service and helpfulness to you!
• The money you pay me covers my time and energy to create the work!
• The rights of the work are shared. I can use similar ideas or derivitives, and so can you!
• If you love me… tell the world. If not… shhhhhh!

If these terms are agreeable and you’d like to talk more, please contact me.

I just read the most amazing thing at ProBlogger.net.  Darren Rowse sold $72,000 worth of eBooks in one week!

The eBook medium is a great way to get your ideas and experience in a marketable moneymaking format!  You write it once, make it professional and put it up for sale.  You may not make $72,000 in a week, but Darren has shown that it is possible.

No matter what you make the first week, you’ll still be making more a year later, long after the hard work is done.

Contact me via email to discuss the options for your eBook.  I can handle all of the “technical side” of your eBook from doing all of the design work, creating the PDF file, and setting up the automatic download services for you.

————————-

As you can see, this website isn’t yet complete, which is explained a little more in this post which also links to some of my work.

Hi! I’m so glad you’re here! I’m very excited about the new site I’m building here for TLD, and I hope you’ll pardon the fact that it’s not quite finished yet.

After twenty years applying my love for design to houses, I’m thrilled to be focusing a second career on bringing that same skill set to work on inspired, creative, and engaging websites and other visual/informative media! I’d love to hear from you today!

Please check out some of my best work and send me an email or give me a call to talk!

Forever…Wherever!

PatLayton.net

Imagine Me, Set Free!

Remodeling Guy

Everything Etsy

KimberlyLayton.com