Arthur Cundy is the CEO and founder of 3Eleven Creative, a Brooklyn, New York based design studio offering a full menu of creative services. Arthur is a self taught web designer that is making quite a name for himself.
Q: Since you didnβt go to school for web design, how did you learn?
A: Well, first I had a friend who knew basic html and he showed me a few things. Very basic stuff. I was very thirsty for knowledge so from there I learned as much as I could. I read tutorials, I played around with Adobe Photoshop I viewed other sites source code to see how they built it. I built my own personal website and would re-design it every month. Then I started freelancing. The more websites I created the more I learned.
Q: What was the most challenging part of starting your own design business?
A: For me it’s finding the balance between choosing the right clients to work with and getting paid for the work I do. Even though I would love to help everyone, I want to make sure that I don’t work with a client that won’t be beneficial for both of us. It gets hard to do this because I am in effect turning down money. However, this is the mindset that allowed me to work with big companies like Crown Holdings and organizations like Teach For America.
Q: How do you find work?
A: Word of mouth + social media. Some of the best projects are the ones not advertised. The projects that are advertised are very competitive. And you end up competing over price, which is not good for anyone. I get out there and network.
Q: Was it difficult figuring out how much to charge your clients and what was your process?
A: When I was first starting out it was. Right now I have a range already in mind for certain projects. So I start there then figure out specifically what they need, how long it would take, and if I need to bring someone else in on the project. Then I come up with a customized quote.
Q: What designers do you look to for inspiration?
Q: Can you give some examples of how you stay organized?
A: I use a unique combination of emails and a legal pad or notebook. I save every email and flag all the important ones. When I am really busy I write out a task list for the day and focus on crossing out that list. I am usually all web based with things, but writing tasks down helps me not have to rely on my brain and memory for making sure I get things done.
Q: Have you ever taken on a project that was beyond your scope of practice? How did it turn out?
A: Yes, I do that on occasion. Some of those projects include heavy media, or another technology like Drupal. I usually bring in another freelancer to work on the project with me. I have a few people that I work with consistently so the final project always comes out right.
Q: You’ve worked on Fortune 500 projects; what’s next for you?
A: I’m glad you asked. I run a company called Shrewd Operations. We provide products and services that help everyone be practical and efficient in their everyday lives and businesses. I will also launch a personal blog soon where I will show my process on who I market and grow various businesses and projects. I’m going to put a lot of my personality into it so it should be fun. Videos, Photos, Funny client stories….I’m very excited about it.
If people want to learn more they can connect with me here:
http://www.twitter.com/arthurcundy
http://www.linkedin.com/in/arthurcundy
http://www.facebook.com/arthur.cundy
http://www.myspace.com/acundy
Skype ID: arthur.cundy
One Comment
Thanks again for the interview!