The dictionary definition of consultant is:<p>"A person who gives professional advice or services to companies for a fee"<p>Does anyone have any experience with cutting out the latter part of the definition?<p>I'm currently studying some options, and exchanging my services for an hourly, daily, weekly or even per project basis is becoming less appealing. Maybe not less appealing, but I'm certainly interested in looking at other avenues to sell my expertise and experience.<p>Does anyone have any experience in making the jump from "Designer" to "Consultant"? Can a designer even be a true consultant, or will hands on design always be involved?
I'd love to hear about your experiences.<p>Thanks
Nathan
I think there are many opportunities for 'consultancy' in this area. Design is not just about working in photoshop at your desk until 'it's done'.<p>A few examples:<p>1. Nathan Barry's latest photoshop course is akin to 'consultancy' in that he is providing an educational service to others. He is charging for access to this course which means it can continue bringing in revenue whilst he works on other projects.<p>2. Luke Wroblewski and Gabriel Svennerberg are both accomplished UX Designers who consult for companies. Much of their time is spent advising clients by asking questions rather than simply designing the answer.<p>3. Clarity.fm and AnyFu provide a consultancy marketplace for designers (amongst other professions)<p>[1] <a href="http://nathanbarry.com/photoshop/" rel="nofollow">http://nathanbarry.com/photoshop/</a><p>[2] <a href="http://www.lukew.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.lukew.com/</a> <a href="http://www.svennerberg.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.svennerberg.com/</a><p>[3] <a href="https://clarity.fm/browse/search/design" rel="nofollow">https://clarity.fm/browse/search/design</a> <a href="http://anyfu.com/" rel="nofollow">http://anyfu.com/</a>
I believe the distinction here is between "contractor" or "staff augmentation" and "consultant." A contractor gets hired to practice his craft, while a consultant (theoretically) leaves a company better than when they first arrived.<p>This involves things like leading meetings to get buy in across groups, developing plans for what needs to be built, etc. It's very far from sitting behind your screen in Photoshop all day.<p>One of the best books I've read to understand what a consultant truly does is [Getting Naked](<a href="http://j.mp/1mAnhnn" rel="nofollow">http://j.mp/1mAnhnn</a>).