Since 2011, Justin has presented dozens of live talks and webinars on freelancing, typography, and printing at Rhode Island School of Design, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, AIGA Boston, New England School of Art and Design and for the National and Boston Chapters of the Graphic Artists Guild.
Combining his approachable, straightforward, and low-key style with a strong understanding of the subject at hand allow him to simplify even the most complex topics.
Justin is available to present any of the following talks and is open to developing new presentations to better align to the needs of your audience.
A brief history of gigs
February 2011 — Putting the Free in Freelance — MassArt
June 2011 — Putting the Free in Freelance — MassArt
October 2011 — Pixels to Ink — MassArt
November 2011 — Pixels to Ink — Graphic Artists Guild Webinar
November 2011 — Pixels to Ink — New England School of Art & Design
February 2012 — Putting the Free in Freelance — MassArt Webinar
May 2012 — Ready, Set, Freelance! — Creative Careers Conference — MassArt
January 2014 — Ready, Set, Freelance! — RISD Webinar
February 2014 — Putting the Free in Freelance — Graphic Artists Guild Webinar
March 2014 — Pixels to Ink — Graphic Artists Guild Webinar
November 2014 — Ready, Set, Freelance! — Art of Business Bootcamp — RISD
June 2015 — Putting the Free in Freelance — RISD Webinar
April 2016 — Ready, Set, Freelance! — RISD
March 2017 — Ready, Set, Freelance! — Graphic Artists Guild Webinar
April 2017 — Ready, Set, Freelance! — RISD
October 2017 — Design & Illustration Panel — RISD
November 2017 — Ready, Set, Freelance! — MassArt
February 2018 — Ready, Set, Freelance! — Graphic Artists Guild Webinar
April 2018 — Ready, Set, Freelance! — RISD
November 2018 — Money on the Table — Art of Business Bootcamp — RISD
November 2018 — Ready, Set, Freelance! — MassArt
February 2019 — Ready, Set, Freelance! — RISD
Putting the “Free” In Freelance
Setting up a business should take years of planning and thousands in investments, right? Well, that doesn’t always have to be the case. With the right resources, you can get everything you need to start or expand your own business without the hassle of spending money!
You’ll learn how to set up a business bank account, build an online portfolio and blog, get a business phone number, start an email newsletter, invoice clients, accept credit card payments and more all for free and without having to jump through hoops.
This talk is designed for juniors, seniors, and recent graduates in mind but has been well-received by anyone looking to kick start a freelance career.
Money on the Table: Pricing Work as a Freelancer
For freelancers, it’s the million dollar question: how much do you charge?
Rather than relying on your gut, I’ll show you ways to think about pricing that focus more on value than some magic hourly rate. You get tips on discussing budgets, creating proposals, and negotiating rates in a way that makes even the most uneasy creatives seem like seasoned pros.
This talk was designed for somewhat experienced freelancers looking to better understand the fundamentals of pricing and negotiation.
Ready, Set, Freelance!
Get ready for your crash course into the wild world of freelancing as you navigate the rewards and potential pitfalls of a freelance creative career. We’ll cover everything from finding clients, to marketing and promoting, to getting paid and other steps that lead to a successful project and a happy (which often means returning) client. You’ll also learn about valuing your work and talking money with clients. You’ll become more confident in treating your freelance work like a business and in your ability to work with clients while enjoying more success.
Whether you're someone new to the game who needs to get up to speed or a more seasoned professional who wants a refresher, this fast-paced, low-key, and off-the-cuff talk will provide you with plenty of useful tips and insights.
This talk is designed for anyone looking to get a jump start on freelancing: those still in school, recent grads, or working professionals.
A Semester of Type at 90mph
Typography is an increasingly important skill for everyone from print and web designers, to photographers and illustrators, so here’s your chance to cram a semester into 90 minutes. This talk is designed for those with little to no experience with typography (or those who feel a bit rusty).
We’ll go over the history of type, common terminology, classifying faces, the basics of layout, where to find free quality fonts, and tips that will make the type in your projects look sharp and professional.
This is designed for anyone that works with type and wants to get a better grasp on it.
Pixels to Ink: A Printing Primer for Graphic Designers
Ever wonder why a print job didn’t print the way it looked on your screen? What is rich black? How offset printing differs from digital printing? It’s time to get some answers!
This presentation will run designers and creatives through the file-building process to cover topics such as RGB vs CMYK vs PMS, margins, bleeds and all the terminology found in the print shop.You will be provided with the information you need to help you better set up your files and improve the outcome at your printer (and with your clients!)
This talk is designed for current students who need a solid once-over on the printing process.