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Grumpy Designer

The Grumpy Designer Wonders: Why Are Clients So Cheap?

The Grumpy Designer Wonders: Why Are Clients So Cheap?

We discuss cheap clients and how they limit what a designer can accomplish. And, how we can convince them to see the error in their ways.

My Client Made Me Do It: True Tales from the Grumpy Designer

My Client Made Me Do It: True Tales from the Grumpy Designer

Designers often like to critique other designers. It’s just a natural side effect of being creative. We see a website or app and immediately start looking at how it all…

The Grumpy Designer Looks Ahead to 2021

The Grumpy Designer Looks Ahead to 2021

Consider this the definitive tongue-in-cheek look at how the new year will impact the web design community.

The Grumpy Designer’s WordPress Plugin Pet Peeves

The Grumpy Designer’s WordPress Plugin Pet Peeves

There are a number of plugin behaviors that have become pet peeves over the years. Here are a few of the more egregious – in one grumpy designer’s mind, at least.

Why the Grumpy Designer Will Keep Working from Home, Thank You

Why the Grumpy Designer Will Keep Working from Home, Thank You

The last time I regularly worked anywhere other than my home was (gasp!) 1998. When I became a full-time freelance web designer, it was at the very beginning of the…

When I Get out of Here: The Grumpy Designer’s Post-Quarantine Bucket List

When I Get out of Here: The Grumpy Designer’s Post-Quarantine Bucket List

Quarantine is like jail. Well, sort of. Even if being homebound isn’t quite the same as an episode of “Orange is the New Black” or “Oz”, there are definite parallels…

There Are Questions Even a Grumpy Designer Can’t Answer

There Are Questions Even a Grumpy Designer Can’t Answer

I am not an advice columnist. Nor am I a mediator, lawyer or even an IT specialist. Like many of you reading this, I’m a web designer. In reality, this…

The Grumpy Designer’s Ode to Troubleshooting

The Grumpy Designer’s Ode to Troubleshooting

Over the years, I’ve had more than one client tell me that I have terrific job security. Why? Because something always breaks. And, even for a client who is pretty…

The Grumpy Designer’s Advice for Avoiding Painful Tasks

The Grumpy Designer’s Advice for Avoiding Painful Tasks

Every job has its highs and lows – web design is no different. For me, I often find my highs when there are opportunities to be creative. Whether it’s through…

The Grumpy Designer’s Guide to April Fool’s Day

The Grumpy Designer’s Guide to April Fool’s Day

It seems like each and every year we celebrate what I like to call “fringe” holidays more feverishly than the last. Just to be clear, my definition of a fringe…

The Grumpy Designer’s Bold Predictions for 2019

The Grumpy Designer’s Bold Predictions for 2019