But what about the simple, time-intensive tasks graphic designers tediously undertake? Things such as identifying a font, changing a CSS style, or choosing a complimentary color can take hours away from more “important” tasks such as creating your designs and choosing imagery. The creative can be stifled by the banal.

Some of my favorite productivity software for graphic designers include:

FileZilla — An FTP application that lets you instantly edit server-side files. This comes in handy when you need to make a simple CSS change or swap a banner image.

7-ZIP — Lets you compile, compress, and unpack a myriad of file types that the built-in Windows application can’t. If you work with large file transfers, Z-ZIP and FileZilla are necessities.

IdentifFont — Identify a font by name, style or by answering a series of quick questions.

Open Source CMS systems — Content Management Systems, once put in place, save time and money. When you need to make a portfolio update, you simply fill out a form and upload your file. If you want to change content, add products or do anything else in a flash, there’s probably a CMS that facilitates the action. Learn to design and find a good developer (if you don’t code) for systems such as Wordpress, Joomla! and Drupal. Content is still king, and Open Source CMS is here to stay.

Color scheme generators/color wheels — Here’s a great list of 25 color scheme generators.

Whatsitscolor.com — Upload an image or submit a link to an image and Whatsistscolor generates a color scheme based on the colors in the image. This is valuable if you like the look of a website, brochure or postcard and want to emulate its color scheme. Color Hunter does the same, perhaps slightly cleaner.

Don’t forget that Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Quark and other software have add-ons, plug-ins, actions and a whole host of other time-saving devices available for free download. Try this list of Photoshop plug-ins for starters.

Of course, software suites such as Microsoft Office and OpenOffice deserve a mention, as well as the many commercial project management applications. For free and simple project tracking, check out FreeMind.

Image CC License Flickr.

©2009 PsPrint Blog. All Rights Reserved.

But I question recent posts such as the “25 Years of Tech Blunders” slideshow on CNBC. I think it’s too early to tell whether these are indeed blunders.

Follow me here: In nearly every business blunder story, some time passes before the idea that was balked at becomes the billion-dollar behemoth. Some take two years, others take 20. Still others are inspired by century-old designs that “never worked” until resurrected as part of a “new” invention.

Microsoft’s Vista might be regarded today as a business blunder, but who can yet tell if a technology developed for the operating system might later serve as inspiration for something truly fantastic? Or what if people do start scanning bar codes because their cell phones can do it? And how can you refute that Circuit City’s Digital Video Express could be considered the forbearer of NetFlix?

We might yet see the era when we want to enjoy the scintillating smells emanating from our laptops (DigiScent iSmell) or when everyone is cruising along on their Segways — in fact, I think both of these are highly likely.

So before we can truly judge whether a product or business decision is or was a business blunder, we must let ample time pass. Let’s see what the world looks like in 100 years before we start judging.

Image from Segway.

©2009 PsPrint Blog. All Rights Reserved.

But that’s all on the search party’s end.  What I want to talk about is what Bing can do for you – and more specifically, for your business.  First things first:  because Bing’s pop-ups reveal more information about your website directly in search results, you can compare your site’s pop-up to your competitors’ and work to optimize your pop-up.  You’ll make your website more appealing at the search level beyond the simple site description.

Second, Bing might be the perfect for advertising.  It’s PPC ad system is similar to Google’s, and does not get the same traffic, but it also has far less competition.  If you know how to finagle the PPC marketplace, you can potentially get more clicks for less money with Bing.

The challenge Bing faces is to compete with Google, and Microsoft is taking great strides to do so.  The company has implemented a cash-back rewards program for searchers who purchase products after using Bing to find them – to the tune of up to $2,500 each year.  This incentivized search function is appealing to many shoppers, and if your website is among the top results you can likewise reap the rewards through volume purchases.

What’s more, Microsoft has reportedly launched an $80 million to $100 million ad campaign to promote Bing.  This kind of money has never been put behind a search engine launch before, and though it isn’t likely that Bing will dethrone Google any time soon, it is likely that Bing will draw crowds.

If you’re in the top results, if you’re advertising for keywords with few competitors for less money, and if you’re able to make sales because customers used Bing to get the incentive for discovering your website, then Bing is a good place to be.  Better get on board now before your competitors beat you to it!

Weigh in on this one:  To Bing or not to Bing?

©2009 PsPrint Blog. All Rights Reserved.

For the uninitiated, Web 3.0 is the catch-all name given to the next generation of technology development, which means that Web 3.0 is not just one new technology, but a whole host of technologies that collectively work to make life easier (and more profitable).

We can’t predict everything that Web 3.0 will bring, but here are a few things that we do know about Web 3.0:

Information will be customized. The term “semantic search” has been applied to the Web 3.0 generation. Today’s search engines rely heavily on keywords to locate what you’re searching for; but the next generation will apply meaning to phrases to better define what you want. This will enable you to hone in on exactly what you want in as few clicks as possible. Instead of searching for “Chicago hotels,” you will search for “Chicago hotels with a Jacuzzi, room service, balcony, fitness center, located close to the theater district.” Bingo!

Your web browser will become a personal assistant. Much like third-party ad servers, place ads according to content, your web browser will identify your personal preferences and offer suggestions based on what you like. The trick will be to balance customization with discovery.

You will be empowered as a creator. Web 2.0 brought interactivity and social media. Web 3.0 will allow you to take advantage of clouded technologies that enable you to develop your own software and applications without knowing a single line of code. You will be free to focus on your Grand Idea instead of how to make it happen. Software as a service and platforms as a service will allow you to collaborate with others on incredible projects heretofore impossible for most consumers.

You will be tracked. One caveat to all of this is that your actions will be tracked, your information will be collected, and you will be heavily marketed to based on your interests. On one level, this is good, because you will be exposed to things you’re likely to want. On the other hand, your privacy will be at stake. As it is, innovation is often spurred by the promise of profit: Bell, Edison, Gates, Jobs — would we have the telephone, the light bulb, Windows or the iPhone without profit motivation? If industry must bankroll Web 3.0, it must have an incentive.

So, when will Web 3.0 be here? Take a look around you — it has already arrived! The first wave is upon us, and these technologies will be expanded upon to build Web 3.0 up to where it is going. Think about:

• Google’s new web search tools, which already allow you to track and customize searches and re-order search results per your whims.
• Chrome, Flock and Firefox, web browsers that assist you in everything from finding coupons to communicating with your social network. Even Microsoft has opened the Internet Explorer code so add-ons can be created to customize the user experience.
• Nintendo’s Wii and Apple’s iPhone development platforms make it easy for developers to create new games and applications and share them globally for immediate sale. Software as a service is a huge concept implemented by hundreds of companies, including Salesforce.com and Aviary.com; while community collaboration has made many rich through platforms such as Joomla!, Drupal, OSCommerce and other applications.
• You are already being tracked. From MySpace and Facebook to your MSN profile and Google searches, your actions are tracked through cookies and other means. Advertisements are then served to you depending on what you tend to view, discuss and do.

So, what does Web 3.0 mean to you?

©2009 PsPrint Blog. All Rights Reserved.

SCORE offers free small business counseling from retired executives.

I’ve seen it before. Someone makes a career change, or a young hotshot graduates, and they start a graphic design business. They put up a website for themselves, advertise a little online, make some money and feel great about what they’ve done.

Then, tax season comes.

Starting a graphic design business doesn’t just mean buying the latest Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office and slapping a profile on Elance or Guru. As with any business, your graphic design business must follow the letter of the law when it comes to registering your business and employees, acquiring the proper insurance and, the infinite truth, paying your taxes.

The last thing you want to do is make $60,000 as a graphic designer and be blasted with a bill from Uncle Sam for $20,000 of that – after it’s spent.

Make sure your ducks are in a row when you go into the graphic design business. Register your business, speak to an accountant and know your tax rate. All of these things can be confusing, especially for someone who has never gone to business school. Luckily, there are many online resources for starting a graphic design business. Here are a few:

About.com has a nice graphic design business area where you can learn the ropes.

CreativePublic.com offers free graphic design business form downloads to help protect you and encourage open communication with your clients.

The Small Business Administration is a wealth of free information with many resources for small business owners, including everything from registering your business and paying your taxes to putting together a sound business and marketing plan.

SCORE, or Service Corps Of Retired Executives likewise has many resources for entrepreneurs, and its members even offer free and invaluable business counseling to help you succeed.

Free business counseling from successful executives? What an opportunity! Any business owner, especially those just starting out, would be remiss to not at least hear what SCORE’s volunteers have to say.

It doesn’t matter how talented you are at design, how much experience you have or who your clients are. A business is a business, just the same, and must follow the rules. Being prepared for the business side of things helps you be a more efficient and productive, and ultimately more profitable, graphic designer.

What graphic design business resources can you share?

©2009 PsPrint Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Customer relationship management (CRM) programs are all the rage this decade. All of the top software companies have a supported platform that you can buy. Some are reasonably priced, while others require the budget of a conglomerate to maintain. SAP, Oracle and Microsoft are all happy to help you out with a CRM. What does a CRM actually do for you? I do not use one, so I was curious. Would these systems put to death the old-school customer contact methods that built most of corporate America?

According to Wikipedia: “Customer relationship management (CRM) consists of the processes a company uses to track and organize its contacts with its current and prospective customers. CRM software is used to support these processes; the software system can be accessed, and information about customers and customer interactions can be entered, stored and accessed by employees in different company departments. Typical CRM goals are to improve services provided to customers and to use customer contact information for targeted marketing.”

It sort of sounds like the old database systems with a fancy new buzz word name, but can these systems replace human contact through print, letters or telephone conversations? Are these systems better at knowing your customers than you?

No. As a matter of fact, most of the software companies that sell these products strongly suggest that you continue to make contact with your customers in print and other media. What? An IT company saying “Use paper!” Has someone spiked their oatmeal? The truth is that human analysis and touch can never be replaced by AI, no matter how advanced it becomes. A CRM will help your company grow, if it is in your budget, but until the cash cow docks, you are going to be better off printing, e-mailing and calling your way to the top of your niche market.

Does your opinion differ from mine? I’d love to hear about it.

©2009 PsPrint Blog. All Rights Reserved.