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How to Win Digitalpoint Designing contests

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Are you on Digitalpoint forum from a long time, and never win a single designing contest, well I am here to share some tips on “How to Win Digitalpoint Designing contests“. There are many spammers are there in Digitalpoint, where they don’t pay for your work or they shut the contest without any notification, So, beware of those scammy guys.

Here I am going to share some of my tips, to win Digitalpoint designing contest. Usually I hate designing contest, but for others, I tried and researched Digitalpoint Designing contest.

win digitalforum contest

You cannot win a single contest, If you don’t have quality design. The first and the mandatory thing you need is to provide quality design. What if your designs are good with respect of other participant and still you didn’t win? Yes this happened with me many times, but I am unable to figure out the problem with me, then I started researching and then finally found my problem.

Recommended: 4 Places for A Newbie Designer to Make Money Online

Now How You can Win?

Read client’s description carefully:

What client do is, they wrote 3-4 lines description which is hard to know the exact demand of clients, in this case read the description 4-5 times and think what really he/she wants, else ask once again. If you get what clients need is, then most probably chances are higher to win the contest.

Don’t post your design in public:

For the very first time, I posted my design on the thread which is visible for others, after 10 minutes, I saw my design with some modification. Hell, the designer copied my concept. So, what you can do, is submit your entry via Personal message (PM), You have to check the guideline for PM. Some contest holder doesn’t allow to submit your entries via PM, In that case, I don’t participate at all.

Give them more:

Once you submit your entry, you will get some positive as well as negative feedback, try to fix the problem and provide more than what the client asked. For example, if the client need some changes in fonts, better provide him more concepts with different fonts. What happen with this is, the client give more attention on your submission and the chances are again that you can win.

Fast turn-around:

Mostly the contests are needed urgently, if you unable to provide the design as soon as the client need, then I am sure you will not win. What I do for fast turnaround is, I submit the design, move away from my PC for refreshment and I open my mobile browser and check Email notifications after every 15 minute or so. In this way, I never late for the submission.

Describe your design:

Yes, your design is good, but the client doesn’t know about that. So, its your duty to describe your design. Some time the designer can accept your design after understanding your design. So, this is again a great way to increase your chances to win the contest.

These are the tips, I used to win designing contest on Digitalpoint. Hope you will like it and you will  follow these tips. Thanks for reading 🙂

Business Cards #1- Why business cards are must have?

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Let us suppose that you met someone. You both are talking about each other’s business. And he gave you his business card. And asked for yours too. But you didn’t have any business card. So what would you do? After knowing this, he might think that you are not as professional as you are pretending to be.

This may happen to anyone. Always remember ‘First impression is a last impression’. And your business card is the first impression of your business. If you don’t have a business card then I must say you are so careless about your business.

Nowadays, you will see every person has their business cards. Some people do hard work to improve their brand, their business, their site, etc. They improve everything but forget about the vital thing of their business i.e. business card. So let me tell you that why the business cards are must have.

Advantages of having a business card

#1.  Marketing Tool

Believe me or not, but a business card has become a marketing tool. It’s not only contact information as you think. Whatever info written on the business card is very important for you. Distribute your business cards to everyone so that everyone gets to know about your business and you can be contacted whenever they want. Always keep some business cards with you. You never know when you’ll need them. Offline marketing can also be helpful and can bring some customers.

#2.  Networking

Networking is very important for a business. Whether it is online or offline. And to make network, business cards are must have. You can give some of your business cards to a friend or anyone. So that they can give it to someone who needs your help. You can also drop your business card at any place. I mean when you go to restaurants, hotels, etc. You can drop them while paying bills. Instead of all these things, when you meet someone, don’t forget to share each other’s business cards.

#3.  Professional

Are you professional? You know the answer of this question. But the people whom you meet don’t know. And to let them know that you are professional, I think you should handover your business card to them. Whether you are professional or not but you should make people feel your professionalism. If you are professional then everyone wants to be your customer. So business cards are also part of professionalism.

So what do you think about business cards? Do you have a business card for your business? If you don’t have then check out business card printing

In my next article, I’ll tell more about business cards. So please stay tuned 🙂

How to get more clients for freelancing

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Are you a freelancer? and wants to know “How to get more clients for freelancing”. Well its pretty simple but depends on your work. Most of freelancers are simply waiting for clients came to them and they accept the job. But did you think this will happen? Absolutely NO. I am in freelancing and earns a lot, got many freelancing job and what clients love me and my work. As a designer, I am always with my designing works but I know If I share my tips with you guys, then it will be great to me. Ok without wasting time let me start sharing my exclusive tips on “How to get more clients for freelancing”

get more clients
Hope you will get clients like this 🙂

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1. Be transparent with the client

Whenever I get a client for freelancing, I will simply ask anything what I want and also I make aware him what I am (That doesn’t mean you can share your Bank detail with the client 😛  Joking ). Tell them how much time you are going to take. The money you will charge and how your work will be. This will attract the client that you are pretty awesome at your work.

2.Share your freelance work on social network

This is the biggest reason I get many client’s. What I does is simply post my earlier work on social network, mostly on Facebook and let wait for some one PM you asking “Hey I just saw your design, Its awesome. Can you please design one for me and How much you will charge?” SO, its time to make this people your next client. You need to talk friendly, don’t be professional too much. Talk like a friend and if possible give discount.

3. How “DISCOUNT” gives more clients

I usually give discount to my clients like, Get logo with (Business card design free). That really gave me many clients in a single day. And did you know the recent client will shout about you on his profile. Where other people turn to you asking for the job. This is what we building relationship with the clients.

4. Provide free service in free time

Yes, you are reading it right! you should provide some free service to other people by posting status on your Facebook account “Get a logo for free just for 2 people”. Yes I know this is social work, but this really going to give clients. What you do is, simply write a letter in MS-Office asking for your recommendation if some one need any freelance work also you can directly tell them at chat or message.

5. Build your own online portfolio

Yes, the client surely ask for your earlier or recent work. Be ready with your portfolio. Simple copy the URL of your portfolio and paste them on their Message. Now you will think where I build my portfolio? Then the answer is again so simple, you can build your portfolio on your Facebook album or my recommendation is Create an account on posterous and share your work there. You can check my portfolio for reference ifhamkhan.posterous.com.

6. Make use of twitter

Twitter is the fastest growing micro blogging network which is also used for Internet marketing and freelancing, (If used wisely) You may think twitter is just for updating status what happening around you? Absolutely NO, it can be used for marketing and freelancing too. What you have to do is create a Twitter account if you don’t have and start searching what people are asking for. For example Iam a logo and graphic designer I simply search “Need logo” and then hit the search box, this result into people asking for logo. You can personal message them regarding the job with your online portfolio. Also it is very important to follow me on twitter  @ifhamkhan.

These tips are really helped me a lot, hope you can do the same. Wish you all the best on getting more clients for freelancing. And yes don’t forget to get updated subscribe our newsletter

Photo credit : Nickytu

Showcase your designs in realistic way

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Today we are going to learn how to showcase your designs in realistic way. This tutorial is not so hard, anyone one can do it with a little bit of practice. So lets start the tutorial. In my previous article I showed,

So, In this tutorial we are going to take Business card as our design.

1. Open your business card or you can download the business card, if you don’t have. Merge all the layers of the business card. (Note: You cannot revert back once you merge the layers. In order to prevent from this, please make a copy of your psd file)

2. Once we merge the layers, we got a single layer of the business card. Now create a new canvas with the size of 1200×800. See the screen shot:

3. Now we have to choose the background to showcase the design, you can simply download any of the background you want. Here I am using the wooden background:

Click the image to enlarge.

4. OK now put this background to the canvas you just created and we have to transform it in a bend way. Simply click on any of the corner and then move it the way you want. Make it something like this

5. Ok, now Increase the size to cover the transparent area

6. So, now we have to put the business card accordingly, do the same with the business card to like what we have done with the above background.

7. If you face problem in putting in this way then, use any of the business card which is in a realistic way, then decrease the opacity and then trace it accordingly. Look at the screenshot below for reference

8. Once you completed with the bending period now add another business card for more realistic look

9. After that we have to add some shadow effect. For this right click your mouse by selecting the business card layer. Choose Blending option and do the following setting:

10. Do this with the other business card layer and you are ready to showcase your design. Hope you like the article. Visit again for another cool tutorial. The final shot:

An Introduction of MashDesigning

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Hello friends,

Today I am Launching this blog named MashDesigning.com and thanks to my god who helped me in everything. I will not going to share any tips of Designing or making money on this article, because this is just a brief look of MashDesigning.com.

So What is MashDesigning?

MashDesigning is a blog which helps designers or any other who is interested to learn designing, not just that I will also share tips on how you can make money from your designing.

Who is behind MashDesigning?

This is another important thing you should know. MashDesigning is run and own by Ifham khan (Might be you heard my name 🙂 ). Ifham khan is Designer, freelancer, logo artist, and of course a blogger.

What tips you cover?

MashDesigning mainly focus on designing tips and also how to make money from that. We are going to cover almost every designing tips which helps not only beginners but also for pro designers.

How I automatically get daily update whenever you post?

Ok, we have setup the feedburner newsletter for you, just see the sidebar there is box which is asking your Email Address. Simply write your Email address there and click on subscribe. Now you get our updates directly on your inbox.

So friends thanks for coming to MashDesigning and reading this post, which is just an introduction (I already said).

Mean while you can follow me on twitter for live updates. Here is the link.