Just read an interesting article on Smashing Magazine (makes a change from lame “top 10″ lists) about the perils of working alone. For freelancers this can be a major problem, and something we have discussed at previous Second Wednesday events. Whether it is visiting each other’s offices or using a shared workspace – do you have any experiences about solo working that you would like to share?
Nick
Original article: Web Designers, Don’t Do It Alone
Second Weds September 2011 with Simon Collison.
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I couldn’t agree more that working alone has it’s downsides – especially when it comes to homing those all important human interaction skills.
I also agree that networks can be the answer. Freelancers can benefit socially as well as professionally from networks. Network events break up the calendar and may even help the Serotonin flow. Also, it helps to talk about work with other people who might be interested, because let’s face it, the sad truth is that not everyone loves IT and web design.
With regards to forming actual busines partnerships, I only have experience of formerly working with myself (since setting up in business anyway).
Can anyone who has experienced both comment on the pros and cons?
Seb
I’m almost certain that Twitter has changed the nature of freelancing. When I first attempted freelancing back in 2002 I eventually found the isolation too much to bear, and I must admit I went a little bit peculiar. I had plenty of work on, but after less than a year I gave up and went back to paid employment.
Which is unusual because anyone who knows me will tell you what an anti-social bastard I am. I guess it just highlights the deep-seated and instinctive human need for interaction.
Nowadays, although not freelancing, I work mostly from home. Staying in constant touch with colleagues and like-minded people through Twitter and IM seems to, at least for me, fully negate any feeling of isolation. It’s a completely different experience than I had when freelancing before.
That’s my two cents/pence anyway
Thanks for your comments guys, I too work from home most of the time and go a bit odd if I spend too long programming and not enough time socialising! The key thing for me though is spending time with people that I want to, rather than have to
Some may say that the internet cuts off social interaction but I feel it has just changed it – and for the better as we can be more selective now. I have met loads of interesting local folk through the interwebs that I wouldn’t have met otherwise…
Nick
Agree with you fully there Nick
Sitting in an office being forced to work with people that you really don’t want to spend time with has the biggest negative effect on my productivity ever.
I don’t mind working from home alone but I get noticeably more done when I’m around people I want to be around.
I’ve started doing a lot of my developing outside of my full time job in coffee shops with like-minded techies. The background noise is perfect for concentration and bouncing ideas of people who, without being condescending, are of the same intellectual level as you is superb.
It certainly beats the office environment!
Amen Phil, nothing worse than trying to code with people sat next to you talking about their hair or making sales calls!
Working from home is possibly better for us techie introvert types, but relies on there being some kind of measurement of progress by the powers that be… which is lacking in a lot of workplaces. They can only assume that “sitting at desk == doing some work”.
Haha yes that currently sums up all of my problems with office work
It’s tricky to try to explain to people that techie and designer brains don’t turn on at 9am and turn off at 5.30pm and sitting at a desk does not necessarily mean your working – and being at home doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not working
You have to work when you’re brain wants to, not try to force your brain to work when people expect you to
Company owners need to start to realise that it’s much easier and more effective to set project deadlines and goals and not care where and when the work is done as long as it’s on time.
Its a tight line between selfish and social – get the balance right and you’ve got it made, the holy grail that all the top 10 lists boast but never deliver.
Smiles
Alan
I agree with a majority of the people on here, I’ve been working in a marketing team where nobody appreciates how designers/developers work and after 3 months its already ended up in zero productivity and anything other than that just isnt up to the usual standard.
So much so, its time to look for a new job before i finally lose the plot!
Word of warning (from my experience), solo web designer/developers in marketing departments dont work.
Anybody else had this experience?
Phils comment
“You have to work when you’re brain wants to, not try to force your brain to
work when people expect you to”
This sums up web-design quite accurately. I find the harder I try to force designs the more frustrated I get. But catch me in a good mood with a positive outlook on the day and I can easily spend up to 10hours designing away happy as larry.
I love working in collaboration with others. The term “too many cooks” does ring true but if its 2, 3 or 4 ppl you can quickly turn ideas round and make them very workable. Its even better when there are a mixture of skills sets.
I often work alone, but I find when there is someone online I can chat to it keeps me entertained and I can have a nosey at their work too. By being nosey you can learn interesting snippets of the software or skills and i may help later down the line by showing the limitations/advantages of different codes etc.
. I would like to work on a project with another designer.. but I fear conflicting opinions on layout, colouring etc could crop up. Then again you might just make the next masterpeice.
Has anyone else worked on a design project with other designers?
Hi Jamie – thanks for your comment! I have done design work with others and find it very helpful – and it’s been working well doing design with the client too. Maybe we should have a collaborative design session at one Second Wednesday and see how it goes
Nick
Yeah, that might be a great one for the books!.. unfortunately I use a desktop to do my design work so might need to think of a way around that.
I did used to work with a partner (he was a coder with a good eye but no imagination), he would often say if something looked rubbish.. which I did find helpful.
But as for working with clients.. I dont have a great amount of experience but I think if the customer has a good idea what they are after its easier to push in that direction.