{"id":175,"date":"2017-08-28T14:39:38","date_gmt":"2017-08-28T14:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/35.229.98.213\/?p=175"},"modified":"2023-03-16T11:02:56","modified_gmt":"2023-03-16T15:02:56","slug":"what-every-nomad-designer-cannot-go-without","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/creative-digital-nomads\/what-every-nomad-designer-cannot-go-without\/","title":{"rendered":"What every Nomad Designer cannot go without in 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The digital nomad movement is now a fully-fledged cultural phenomenon with developers, designers, and freelancers. While the glitz and glam of traveling the world and using a few digital skills to pay the way has some serious plus-points, there are a few things that require careful consideration before laptops are placed in rucksacks.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The challenges and fundamental requirements of working as freelancer remain and nomad designers can easily make mountains of these molehills if they fail to plan ahead. This may seem a little doom and gloom but there is, of course, a big shining beacon of light at the end of the tunnel &#8211; the tools being used to meet the challenges are multiplying and improving all the time.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Here\u2019s a rundown of the integral tools and nomad designers will need to rely on<\/strong> (we\u2019re going to leave out the design software for now).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Finding decent wi-fi when travelling and working<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If content is king, then wi-fi is some sort of conquering emperor that has subjugated it. The life of the nomad designer is dictated by their ability to access decent wi-fi, every decision about travel itineraries, tech and even where to eat must consider this most pertinent fact, always. Thankfully, the nomad community has plenty of tips on where to go.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Caf\u00e9s<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The bastion of the digital nomad, caf\u00e9s with decent wi-fi are top of the list when it comes to must-haves and there\u2019s plenty of resources to help travellers find an ideal spot:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/workfrom.co\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Workfrom.co<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> allows users to search any city for the best coffee shops and co-working spaces for digital nomads and read user reviews<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.wificafeguide.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wifi Cafe Guide<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a growing, user-submitted, guide to cafes with wi-fi around the world<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Co-working spaces<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Co-working spaces are also a solid option, if a little formal, offering fast internet, a likely unlimited supply of coffee and the potential to meet other nomads.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/copass.org\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Copass<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sharedesk.net\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ShareDesk<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.desksurfing.net\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Desksurfing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> all work in roughly the same way and give members access to thousands of co-working spaces around the world by providing a platform for individuals and businesses to rent out their extra office space.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After from the wi-fi conundrum, remote working\u2019s biggest challenge is invariably getting work in the first place and then managing the client through the process. Talent marketplaces like <a href=\"https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\">DesignBro.com<\/a> have made it increasingly simple for freelancers to get work but designers must consider and decide which technology they\u2019re going to use to get as smooth and clear communication as possible with clients.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">All-in-one project management solution for freelance designers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While there are a few project management tools out there like <a href=\"http:\/\/asana.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Asana<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/basecamp.com\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"basecamp.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Basecamp<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/teamwork.com\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"teamwork.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Teamwork<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/monday.com\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"monday.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Monday<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/notion.com\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"notion.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Notion<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/trello.com\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"trello.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Trello<\/a> and more there&#8217;s only one (recently launched) that is specific to freelance designers. It&#8217;s called <a href=\"https:\/\/gency.io\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/gency.io\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gency.io<\/a> and was launched by designers as not just a <a href=\"https:\/\/gency.io\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/gency.io\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">freelance designer project management<\/a> tool, it&#8217;s the full package. It lets you send project proposals to your customers, take payment, it manages timing &amp; workflow, let&#8217;s you manage communication &amp; feedback with your customers, and file delivery in order for your client to have continued access.<br>With this recent launch, if you&#8217;re on the go, all you need is Gency.io and your favorite design software &amp; you&#8217;re pretty much good to go. That is, as long as you manage to find some half-decent wifi somewhere!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Getting the job, communication and managing clients<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s a host of tools available but the time-tested favorites are exactly for good reason &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/whatsapp.com\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"whatsapp.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Whatsapp<\/a><\/span>,<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skype.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Skype<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/hangouts.google.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Google Hangouts<\/a> for chats, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.basecamp.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Basecamp<\/a> for ongoing communication, and <a href=\"http:\/\/slack.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Slack<\/a> for internal communication.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Backing up and sharing files<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re a designer, storing and sending larger files is also going to be a challenge. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dropbox.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dropbox <\/a>and <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Google Drive<\/a> are great services for storing resources and can also be used to share files alongside tools such as <a href=\"https:\/\/wetransfer.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">WeTransfer<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Project management and tracking time<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maintaining discipline and a routine are some of the keys to success for digital nomads and a well-used project management tool is a staple. Besides the previously mentioned <a href=\"https:\/\/gency.io\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/gency.io\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gency.io<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/trello.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Trello<\/a> has proven to be a great tool for pretty much everyone who\u2019s ever used it and has few worthy competitors. For time tracking (which is vital if you\u2019re charging for your time or keeping track of how much time you\u2019re spending on projects), there\u2019s plenty of tools out there but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.toggl.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Toggl<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rescuetime.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">RescueTime<\/a> are highly recommended.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Finance<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While talking finance is the least sexy subject here, it\u2019s a vital cog in the traveling nomad machine.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Travel insurance<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shopping around for adequate travel insurance that covers any existing medical conditions and electronic equipment is a must. Sometimes, however unlikely, things go wrong and without insurance, there\u2019s often a hefty bill to pick up. Enough said.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Budget management<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keeping track of your incoming and outgoing funds is perhaps more important while traveling than when at home; changing currencies, unexpected bank charges, chasing client payments, invoicing\u2026 the list of stuff that can become a pain in the backside without a proper process in place goes on.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.xero.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Xero<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mint.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mint<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/wally.me\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Wally<\/a>, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.expensify.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Expensify<\/a> are all solid budget management tools with Wally being a favorite in the nomad community \u2013 it being free and all.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For invoicing software, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.invoicely.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Invoicely<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.waveapps.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Wave<\/a> are both brilliant and free.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The digital nomad movement is a fully-fledged cultural phenomenon with developers, designers and freelancers galore cashing in. While the glitz and glam of traveling the world and using a few digital skills to pay the way has some serious plus-points, there are a few things that require careful consideration before laptops are placed in rucksacks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":184,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-creative-digital-nomads"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-photo-297755.jpeg",1000,653,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-photo-297755-150x150.jpeg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-photo-297755-300x196.jpeg",300,196,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-photo-297755-768x502.jpeg",768,502,true],"large":["https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-photo-297755.jpeg",1000,653,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-photo-297755.jpeg",1000,653,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-photo-297755.jpeg",1000,653,false],"penci-single-full":["https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-photo-297755.jpeg",1000,653,false],"penci-slider-full-thumb":["https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-photo-297755.jpeg",1000,653,false],"penci-full-thumb":["https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-photo-297755.jpeg",1000,653,false],"penci-slider-thumb":["https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-photo-297755.jpeg",1000,653,false],"penci-magazine-slider":["https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-photo-297755.jpeg",780,509,false],"penci-thumb":["https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-photo-297755.jpeg",585,382,false],"penci-masonry-thumb":["https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-photo-297755.jpeg",585,382,false],"penci-thumb-square":["https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-photo-297755.jpeg",585,382,false],"penci-thumb-vertical":["https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-photo-297755.jpeg",480,313,false],"penci-thumb-small":["https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/pexels-photo-297755.jpeg",263,172,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Christiaan","author_link":"https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/author\/chris\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The digital nomad movement is a fully-fledged cultural phenomenon with developers, designers and freelancers galore cashing in. While the glitz and glam of traveling the world and using a few digital skills to pay the way has some serious plus-points, there are a few things that require careful consideration before laptops are placed in rucksacks.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14730,"href":"https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175\/revisions\/14730"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}