INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Understand that to control your non-dominant hand, your brain will have to form new neural connections.  This is not a fast or easy process, so you will need to be prepared to put in many hours of practice if you plan on becoming ambidextrous. Developing these motor skills will probably give you a whole new appreciation of what babies’ lives are like. Begin printing the alphabet in both capital and lowercase letters, then move on to sentences. When printing becomes comfortable, you can start practicing your cursive.  If your writing is very messy in the beginning, start by tracing large text out of a book or magazine.  It may also help to buy children’s paper, which has widely spaced lines for large printing and dotted center lines to control the letter proportions. Another good thing to do is to observe the way left-handers write or just ask them for some tips. Write "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" or "Five boxing wizards jump quickly" over and over to improve left-hand neatness. These sentences are good because they use every single letter in the English alphabet.  You should also practice writing the most common words in your language and your name, as this will teach your muscles common letter combinations. Lists of the most common words in each language can be found on Wikipedia. Be prepared for the fact that your left arm and hand muscles will be quite sore after writing practice. This is because you are training certain muscles for the very first time. Drawing basic shapes will help to strengthen your left hand and give you more control over the pen or pencil.  Stick people, square houses with rectangular chimneys, round-headed cats with triangular ears…the goal here is to become more dexterous, not to produce a Rembrandt. Try coloring them in as well to make you feel more comfortable with your left hand. Also, try to draw straight lines from left to right using your left hand. It will teach you to push, not pull. For left-handers, it is easier to pull the pen to the left than to push it to the right. Therefore, writing backward with your left hand is easier than writing forwards.  You can just write backward (from right to left) or you can practice mirror script, where the letters themselves have flipped around. Writing backward is also helpful because you will not smear the ink or tear the page when you write with a pen—however, it will not be that easy for others to read, so try to save it for your diary (just like Leonardo da Vinci!) Liquid ink pens and especially gel pens are worth trying, as they require less pressure and strength when writing.  This makes writing more comfortable and leaves your hand less likely to cramp up at the end of your practice session. Be sure to use quick-drying ink though, or the text may get smudged as your left-hand moves across the page. Don't expect results in just one day. It takes lots of time to get achieve neat, legible writing with your non-dominant hand.

SUMMARY: Understand the complexities of writing with your left hand. Start slow. Practice writing every letter. Draw basic shapes. Learn mirror script. Use the right kind of pens. Be realistic.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If the designer is local, set up a time for them to come by your office, or meet them in a coffee shop. If they’re remote, email them and work out a time for a phone or video call.  Come prepared with a list of questions to ask. Take notes throughout the interview on their answers and your general impressions of them. When the time comes for you to speak, stay calm and relaxed. Remember, they’re the ones who have to impress you! Look at the notes you took while reviewing their portfolio. Talk about the things you liked in their portfolio and ask them about the process of completing those projects. If you saw some work you didn’t like, address that as well. Ask them to explain why they wanted to be a graphic designer and get a bit of their background.  You could say, for example, “Tell me about the logo you designed for this gym. What interested you in that project? How much say did you have in the overall design?” Talk about the different mediums they’ve worked in as well. Say, “I see you’ve done mostly digital work. How confident are you in working in print, which is what my project will be done in?” You want to know that your project will be completed quickly and done well. Ask them how long it usually takes to finish a project of your scope usually. Ask how many rough concepts they typically design through before a client sees one they like. The fewer “rough drafts” it takes them to complete a project, the better. If they usually go through only 2-3 concepts per project, that means they understand what the client wants and is able to deliver. This interview is also a chance to explain your project in depth and make sure that you’re on the same page, and that they can deliver exactly what you want. Briefly describe your business, target audience, what that audience should take away after seeing the piece, and general thoughts about the look and feel that you envision for the piece. Encourage them to be creative with their ideas and honest in their point of view -- you want a designer that will challenge your views in a respectful way. See if they understand the big picture of your business and are excited about, or at least interested in, the message you’re trying to convey and their role in this larger project.  Their views don’t need to be totally in line with yours--in fact, it’s a good thing if they’re not! However, you do want them to understand and connect with your larger vision. Note down anything promising about their ideas as well as any red flags, such as a lack of interest or unoriginal ideas. It’s okay if they don’t, but intelligent and thoughtful questions are a plus. Answer honestly. Be prepared to answer questions like:  “If you’ve hired graphic designers in the past, what made the best ones stand out from the less impressive ones?” “What is the best or worst thing about working at this business?” “What will the pay rate be?” You can say something like, “I’ll be sticking to the pay range listed on the job posting. We’ll talk about the specific rate if you get the offer.” Tell them they can expect to hear back from you within a week. Try not to make them wait any longer than that, unless you’re interviewing another candidate after that time. Specify whether you’ll be calling or emailing them and give them a business card if you’d like. It’s up to you whether to mention you’re interviewing other people or not. You can be subtle and say something like, “I’ll let you know about the offer after I’ve interviewed the other candidates,” or be more upfront and say, “I have several candidates for this position. Why should I hire you over them?”

SUMMARY:
Set up a time to speak on the phone or in-person. Ask them more about their experience and previous projects. Ask about their work style and efficiency. Describe the message you want to get across. Ask them for their opinions and ideas on your project. Ask if they have any questions. Tell them when you’ll contact them with a decision.