The design profession is full of happy folks, and understanding why so many designers enjoy their work is not hard. But not all are so happy. If you’re not careful, the joy of getting paid to pursue your passion can be tainted by the less joyous realities of the professional world. You see, no matter how skilled you are as a designer, unless you are equally prepared in **professional matters**, your prospects will be limited and your circumstances compromised. This is true whether you work freelance, for an agency or in-house with a company.

Client contracts are essential, but if you're a small to mid-sized business, hiring a lawyer to create them may be beyond your means. The new "Standard Form of Agreement for Graphic Design Services" published by the American Institute of Graphic Arts can

How do you Rate? — Figuring your real hourly rate.

One of the most often asked questions by new designers, part-time freelancers and those wishing to make a go at freelancing full time is what to charge. […]

What happened to the mutual respect that web professionals are supposed to pay one another? I mean, I know there's not a formal guild or anything, but seriously - why on earth would anyone want to go out and throw a colleague under a bus without provocati