## Success as a Creative in 2021

Last year changed the game for most designers as we had to find new ways to be collaborative, adaptive, and productive in a different environment. Hopefully, 2021 brings better predictability, but regardless it is important to stay up to date with trends and learn new skills. The latest post on Dribbble's blog outlines [how to get ahead as a digital creative in 2021](https://dribbble.com/stories/2021/01/21/bannersnack-tips-for-creative-success). With tips like learn to work with new tools and work on your management skills, it is a great overall guide to get your professional career started off right this year.

## Chrome 88

As of last Tuesday, version 88 of the Chrome browser has begun to roll out to the stable release. This version brings some great new features for developers such as manifest v3 for Chrome extensions and the *aspect-ratio* CSS property for any element. There are tons of new features, bug fixes, deprecations, and more to read about, so check out the [release post on the Chrome Developer blog](https://developer.chrome.com/blog/new-in-chrome-88/).

## Performant Animations and Micro-Interactions

There's no doubt about it, animations give your website that next-level, polished look. But there is a fine line between tasteful animations that enhance the experience and animation for animation's sake. Luckily, Logrocket is here to help with a recent post from their blog that explains [how to design highly performant animations and micro-interactions](https://blog.logrocket.com/how-to-design-highly-performant-animations-and-micro-interactions/). This highly detailed guide breaks down the importance of performance on website speed and accessibility through actionable examples, like trying to stick to the composition properties *transform* and *opacity.*


## Reduced Motion Design

Modern web browsers now support a wide range of CSS and JavaScript properties that can create awesome interactive features and animations. However, it is important to keep accessibility in mind and realize that some people have sensitivities to too much motion. Yesterday's post on Smashing Magazine outlined [how to use the prefers-reduced-motion media query](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2020/09/design-reduced-motion-sensitivities/) to take these users into account. The feature has fairly good support now across browsers (sorry IE users) and can be used in both CSS and JavaScript.

## Linking to the Web Archive

When linking to an internal page on your website you can be confident that the content will always be there, or at least be redirected to. But when you link to an outside resource you are at the mercy of that website owner, or are you? A post on Monday from Hawaii GenTech brought up the interesting idea of [linking to a web archive version](https://hawaiigentech.com/post/commentary/why-i-link-to-waybackmachine-instead/) of that page to ensure consistency, avoid broken links, and perhaps have better link authority. What do you think: should you link to an archive like the [WaybackMachine](https://archive.org/web/) or to the direct source?

## Improving Client Communication

Quality communication with your client is the key to any successful project. Finding that perfect zone of not over-communicating or under-communicating can be challenging for many, especially those newer to client interactions. Last week SpeckyBoy published a post about [how to improve client communications](https://speckyboy.com/simple-ways-you-can-improve-your-communication-with-clients/) to avoid wasting your time and the client's. For example, being very specific about your services up-front can help avoid headaches down the line.



## Starting a Freelance Business

Starting a freelance business is the dream for many web designers and developers. Making your own schedule and working from anywhere are some of the benefits but there are also many cons to consider. Before you quit your full-time job and dive right in, read through [Sunday's post from Pixel77](https://pixel77.com/freelance-web-design-business/) about things to consider when creating a freelance business and actionable steps to start with.

## Finding Freelance Clients

So, you've started a freelance business, now comes the important part: getting clients. Before you start, take a look at the [post from earlier this month on creative.onl](https://www.creative.onl/how-to-find-web-design-clients/) that gives several suggestions on how to earn new clients for your business. They vary from proposals to content marketing to referrals and give methods for succeeding at each.

## Habits of Successful Freelancers

Now that you have your business and you are getting clients, how do you maintain and grow your business? The key is creating habits to make your business life consistent and run smoothly. There are several habits you can adopt, many of which are outlined in [yesterday's post on Dribbble](https://dribbble.com/stories/2020/09/02/habits-successful-freelance-designers), including setting up systems and marketing daily.


Posts Tagged with "freelance"

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