This week, I’m joined by fabulous designer Veerle Pieters to talk about whether cycling or eating toasties is the best exercise, when working on retainer for long-term projects makes sense and the right questions to ask in our customer enquiry questionnaires. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Perch , the little content management system for projects where you don’t want a big, complex CMS, and Hammer for Mac , the nifty development tool for designers and developers. Please support the ...
Oct 28, 2013•1 hr•Ep. 42
Designer and author of A Pocket Guide to CSS Animations Val Head joins me this week to talk about practical uses for CSS animations, how small publishers have made publishing books more accessible to first time authors and, of course, The Sooty Show. Thanks to our sponsor this week GatherContent — helping people who build websites work with their clients to plan, organise and collaborate on web content....
Oct 21, 2013•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 41
This week , illustrator Josh Cleland joins me to talk about how far we can go using a movie or TV character’s likeness, the differences between an illustrator’s and a web designer’s contract and Josh’s 100% satisfaction guarantee. Thanks to our sponsor, Blush — beautiful letterpress printing of cards, stationery and more for designers and artists.
Oct 14, 2013•52 min•Ep. 40
In this week’s show, Alex’s friend Brad Frost , who having survived his trip to Brighton, returns to talk to Andrew about designing ‘in the open’ and what the benefits for you and the people and organisations you’re working for can be. Thanks to our sponsor, Ghostlab — Synchronized cross-browser and mobile testing taken to the next level. Get 30% off at checkout with the offer code UNFINISHEDBUSINESS ....
Oct 06, 2013•59 min•Ep. 39
In this week’s episode, designer and co-host of ‘ that other podcast ’ Liz Elcoate joins Andrew to talk about the difficulties of working alone for long periods, the difficulties of keeping your portfolio full of new work when you work under non-disclosure agreements and why we should never apologise for working with small businesses with smaller budgets. This episode’s sponsored by our friends Perch , the little content management system for projects where you don’t want a big, complex CMS, and...
Sep 30, 2013•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 38
Special guest Dan Cederholm joins Andrew Clarke this week to talk about making money by making things, how making great schwag makes a great impression and what happened to Foamee. They discuss why on Dribbble it’s important for business to not get in the way of a great service and with Dan’s new book coming up, they talk about the process of writing and whether second editions are worth it. Thanks to our sponsor this week GatherContent — helping people who build websites work with their clients...
Sep 22, 2013•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 37
Designer, icon artist , author and possibly Doctor Who’s next companion Jon Hicks joins host Andrew Clarke this week. They discuss differences in the ways that Jon approaches different types of clients, how publishing his day rate and availability on his web site has improved the ‘quality’ of his enquiries and who ultimately owns the work that they do. As you might expect they couldn’t spend an hour together without talking about Doctor Who. Quite a lot. Thanks to our sponsor, Blush — beautiful ...
Sep 15, 2013•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 36
In the latest episode of your favourite soap ‘apera,’ Anna and Andy go off on a tangent (no really) about the winner of their ‘Daft Proposal Of The Week Award.’ They talk about how to respond to proposals and whether it’s ever appropriate to not respond at all.
Sep 08, 2013•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 35
Back from his holidays, all tanned and gorgeous (obviously,) Andy rejoins Anna to talk about Laura Kalbag’s ‘Good Designers, Good Clients’ article on A List Apart. They discuss how Andy was inspired by Seth Godin to start speaking again and the best bits from the last three episodes including our ‘double our day rate Fridays,’ Sarah’s approach to handling low budget enquiries and the problem of doing work under NDA and having little to show for it in your portfolio. Thanks to our sponsor, Ghostl...
Sep 01, 2013•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 34
Sarah Parmenter co-hosts the show in place of Andrew. This week's topic is money related – Sarah and Anna talk about fair pricing, taking payment before site launch, and educating clients with unreasonably low budgets. Anna also asks Sarah about her exciting new venture and what drove her to start a completely different business. They discuss the importance of honesty, and how working on side projects can help with motivation. This show is sponsored by Perch , the little content management syste...
Aug 25, 2013•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 33
Anna is joined by guest co-host and rockstar, Marcus Lillington, and they talk about estimations, project scheduling and spinning plates. Marcus shares his tips on keeping projects on track while managing maintenance for existing clients. This episode wouldn’t be possible without our sponsor: GatherContent , which helps people who build websites work with their clients to plan, organise and collaborate on web content. Go to gathercontent.com/unfinished to sign up for a free 30 day trial and get ...
Aug 18, 2013•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 32
Harry Roberts steps in as guest co-host while Andy's on holiday. Anna asks him about his sudden decision to leave his full-time job, the events that led up to it, and what he plans to do next. Harry shares his advice for people struggling to balance work and personal projects. They also have a sneaky chat about object oriented CSS at the end even though it's not really business related but something had to replace the usual 10 minutes of banter about soap and apes. Thanks to Blush who are sponso...
Aug 11, 2013•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 31
In the final chapter of the contract episode trilogy, Anna asks Andy about writing a contract for working with agencies, they discuss which browsers and devices they should mention, termination and late payment fees, and who owns the content at the end of the project. Thanks to our sponsor, Ghostlab — Synchronized cross-browser and mobile testing taken to the next level. Get 30% off at checkout with the offer code UNFINISHEDBUSINESS.
Aug 04, 2013•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 30
It’s episode 29 and part two in a series about contracts and the Contract Killer . Anna and Andy talk about how a good contract sets the tone and lays the foundations for a mutually good business relationship. They get down to the nitty gritty of the first few Contract Killer clauses including specifying deliverables, price and payment terms. Oh. And Andy mentioned ze Chermans but he thinks he got avay viz it. Thanks again to our sponsor this week Perch , the little content management system for...
Jul 29, 2013•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 29
Finally , yes finally , Anna and Andy get around to the first of two, maybe three, episodes about contacts. They talk about the ‘ Contract Killer ,’ why they think it’s important to always use a contract and why some people think otherwise. They discuss the essential elements that should go into every contract and why, on top of any legal benefits, how a good contract says a lot about how you do business and why writing yours should be a creative challenge you relish. (Don’t miss the gag reel an...
Jul 21, 2013•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 28
In this week’s episode, Anna and Andy discuss Motorhead and motorcycles and how Andy’s too much of a ‘wendy’ to lift one. Really. They talk about how Stuff and Nonsense’s pattern of weekly working sometimes doesn’t work and how to deal with competing client demands when you have limited time available. Thanks to our sponsor this week Blush — Blush does beautiful letterpress printing of cards, stationery and more for designers and artists. Support the show by supporting them....
Jul 14, 2013•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 27
In this week’s episode, lycra wearing, tightrope walker* Anna Debenham and moustache twiddling strong man Andy Clarke ask “who would win in a fight? Boba Fett or Batman?” “If the world was ending tomorrow, which endangered species would you eat?” and other important business questions? More importantly they talk about reviews and how they can help improve your business. Thanks to our sponsor, Ghostlab — Synchronized cross-browser and mobile testing taken to the next level. Get 30% off at checkou...
Jul 08, 2013•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 26
In this, the 25th anniversary episode of Unfinished Business, Anna and Andrew talk about working in a supermarket (a while ago, obviously) and how Andy’s professional level skiving almost lead him to a career in supermarket management. They talk about selling an experience as well as selling design or code and how creative services are as much about putting on a show as they are about doing work. This episode is sponsored by Perch , the little content management system for projects where you don...
Jun 30, 2013•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 25
While Anna’s away, Andy talks to (Alex’s friend) Brad Frost about iOS7, dropping pretzels and chocolate Hobnobs. (Spoiler: Brad had no idea what they are.) In between they talk about speaking and contributing and what you gain by giving away information freely. Thanks to our sponsor, GatherContent . GatherContent helps people who build websites work with their clients to plan, organise and collaborate on web content. Even better, if you sign up through that page, you’ll get 20% of your subscript...
Jun 23, 2013•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 24
In this week’s episode of Unfinished Business, Anna and Andy talk about Andy being robbed in Geneva and the implications, both personal and business of what happened to him. They talk about the importance of ensuring that insurance is up-to-date (spoiler: Andy’s wasn’t) and how to secure your iOS devices and Mac in case of theft. Thanks to our sponsors, Ghostlab — Synchronized cross-browser and mobile testing taken to the next level. Get 30% off at checkout with the offer code UNFINISHEDBUSINESS...
Jun 16, 2013•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 23
If you’re an ‘everyday’ web designer or developer — instead of one who’s perhaps made of plastic or maybe carved out of soap — we think you’ll love this week’s episode of Unfinished Business. Anna and Andy talk about being nominated for awards and being made into action figures and how that’s made them feel. They discuss whether it’s acceptable to make you or your company look bigger than you really are and whether sites such as Agencies Rated can really help freelancers.
Jun 09, 2013•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 22
Anna and Andy talk about their worst business mistakes and disasters, what went wrong on the worst client projects and what they learned from them. Andy also wants to know why his hotel’s housekeeping steals his soap, plus there are confessions galore about shampoo, Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber. This week the show’s sponsored by Smashing Magazine’s CSS3 For Responsive Design workshop with Andy Clarke. It’s happening in Freiburg in Germany on June 25th. Save 15% off the ticket price with the of...
Jun 02, 2013•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 21
In this week’s episode, Anna and Andy talk about secrecy, about what they can say about the business they do and what they can’t They talk about non-disclosure agreements and why it’s important for everyone to sign one, plus why Andy wrote and published his plain speaking Three Wise Monkeys NDA . Andy gets all emotional about Alex’s twenty-first birthday and can’t quite believe that Anna’s never heard of Blackpool illuminations. This episode is sponsored by Perch , the little content management ...
May 27, 2013•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 20
While Anna’s away in Amsterdam, Andy talks with designer Laura Kalbag about Star Trek Into Darkness, how they name wifi networks and whether location really affects their businesses. They discuss about how to find good sub-contractors and the differences between working for clients direct or via third-parties. This episode is sponsored by Slide + Stage — become a better presenter with this full-day, intensive masterclass with Aral Balkan. If you’re one of the first twenty people to use our speci...
May 19, 2013•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 19
In this week’s episode, Andy tells bad Dad jokes and Anna doesn’t laugh. They answer listeners’ questions about charging expenses and project assets to clients and when it’s appropriate to charge for ‘learning’ time. They talk about making the transition from a steady job to running a new business and why it’s important never to burn bridges, and how to compete with bargain basement website designers. This episode is sponsored by Perch , the little content management system for projects where yo...
May 12, 2013•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 18
Anna and Andy talk about biscuits and business software. Anna explains how she uses FreeAgent to keep track of her finances and berates Andy for not trying it. They talk about back-up software and how Stuff and Nonsense use Dropbox to collaborate with clients during projects. Andy runs through his favourite design tools including Gridset and Typecast and no discussion about software would be complete without bemoaning how Adobe are abandoning Fireworks. This episode is sponsored by 8faces , a li...
May 06, 2013•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 17
Anna and Andy exchange notes on their workplace setups and some of the tools they use, from hardware to software, and Andy gets distracted by Mutton Bustin'. This episode is sponsored by Hammer for Mac , the nifty development tool for designers and developers, and Handheld , the conference for all things mobile that’s happening in Cardiff, Wales in November 2013. Get 10% off your ticket with the offer code unfinishedbz....
Apr 28, 2013•1 hr•Ep. 16
This week, Andy’s back from two weeks in Japan and he and Anna talk about his trip Tokyo and Hiroshima. Andy explains why he thinks everyone should visit Hiroshima at least once and Anna opens her presents with loud rustling. They answer listener questions about weekly working, pricing and invoicing and then discuss whether it's a good idea to work while on holiday. This episode is sponsored by Hammer for Mac , the nifty development tool for designers and developers, and Five Simple Steps and Co...
Apr 21, 2013•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 15
While waiting for Andy's return, Anna chats with her "big brother", the righteous Ryan Taylor. They discuss working from home, apprenticeships, front-end portfolios, and working with a hybrid designer/developer. This episode is sponsored by Hammer for Mac , the nifty development tool for designers and developers, and Beyond Tellerrand , a conference and workshop event for the web community. Beyond Tellerrand is happening May 27th to the 29th in Düsseldorf in Germany. Use the offer code unfinishe...
Apr 14, 2013•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 14
While Andy is in Japan, Anna is joined by the amazing Ashley Baxter , who took over her dad's insurance business at 18. They talk about starting out young, learning new skills, determination, vision and overcoming fear. This episode is sponsored by Hammer for Mac , the nifty development tool for designers and developers, and Five Simple Steps and their Pocket Guide series . Get 10% off Collection One by using the code UNFINISHEDPGC10 at checkout between the 8th and 15th of April....
Apr 05, 2013•1 hr•Ep. 13
