Killer Visual Strategies

CHAPTER 14GOING THE FREELANCE ROUTE

Figure 14.1

Source: Callaham, “Are You a Baby Boomer Looking for Work?”

More often than not, working with freelancers can feel like the path of least resistance when you want to develop great visual content. If you are a good communicator and project manager, then this might be the case for you. Freelancers are agile, affordable, and often willing to work evenings and weekends to ensure a fast turnaround. Because of this, they can provide organizations with immediate support when they need it most. But if you struggle with communicating your expectations, have a lot of work on your plate already, or cannot fully envision the content you want developed, then working with the wrong freelancer can do more harm than good.

When you work with most freelancers, it's important to consider that a few key roles in the development of your visual strategy will always fall on your plate, so you must be prepared to dedicate your time and attention to the project at hand. You will need to scrutinize the level of effort required of you and determine how many hours you will have to contribute to the project if you want to ensure that working with a freelancer will truly save you time and money.

At minimum, expect to take on the following responsibilities when hiring most freelancers:

• Determining and clearly defining the overall goals of your content or ...