Unfinished Business – Details, episodes & analysis

I’m your host, Andy Clarke, and I’m writing a Hardboiled Web Design book about Art Directing for the Web. You can find out more about that at stuffandnonsense.co.uk/books. Over the next few weeks and months, I’ll be discussing art directing for web with my guests, some of the most experienced art directors and designers working on the web today.

In this episode, Rob Weychert and I discuss Art Directing the Web.

Sponsor: This season of Unfinished Business is proudly sponsored by CoffeeCup Software, and in particular their new CSS Grid Builder. CSS Grid Builder is currently free while CoffeeCup develops it and if you like what they’re doing, you can throw a few dollars their way to help fund its development. Find out more and download CSS Grid Builder at https://cssgrid.cc

I’m your host, Andy Clarke, and I’m writing a Hardboiled Web Design book about Art Directing for the Web. You can find out more about that at stuffandnonsense.co.uk/books. Over the next few weeks and months, I’ll be discussing art directing for web with my guests, some of the most experienced art directors and designers working on the web today.

In this episode, Stephen Hay and I discuss Art Directing the Web.

Sponsor: This season of Unfinished Business is proudly sponsored by CoffeeCup Software, and in particular their new CSS Grid Builder. CSS Grid Builder is currently free while CoffeeCup develops it and if you like what they’re doing, you can throw a few dollars their way to help fund its development. Find out more and download CSS Grid Builder at https://cssgrid.cc

I know. I know! It’s been far too long since episode 117. But fret no more, Unfinished Business fans, we’re back and back for good, every two weeks with some brilliant guests and some good old fashioned conversations. This week, I’m joined by Sean Johnson and Drew McLellan to talk fat and fitness, cruises and coach trips.

• Sean on Twitter
• Drew on Twitter
• Perch

You might remember that I’m not taking paid sponsor spots on the show anymore. I’m going to briefly talk about something that I use and really like instead. And this week, it’s my Rotring 800 .5mm mechanical pencil.

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 and ice-cream banter after the show. It’s a scorcher.)

This episode wouldn’t be possible without our sponsor: GatherContent — GatherContent helps people who build websites work with their clients to plan, organise and collaborate on web content. If you sign up through that page, you’ll get 20% of your subscription.

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.

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 checkout with the offer code UNFINISHEDBUSINESS.

* We lied about the lycra.

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’t want a big, complex CMS.

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 subscription. That’s a great offer.

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 , and Blush.

Blush does beautiful letterpress printing of cards, stationery and more for designers and artists. Get 25% off their classic ampersands and ligatures prints with the offer code UNFINISHEDPRINTS.

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.