- Unless you were dealing with a seasoned pro
who has worked with designers for years,
your client may not understand the design process.
Because we live in a world where everything can
happen quickly, clients can expect immediate action.
Changing the identity color from blue to green
will affect dozens of individual items.
But the client assumes a button gets pushed,
and it's done.
You know that each file will be opened, modified,
checked, then sent out for
a second round of approvals.
The client sees a 24 hour turn around.
You know it will take two weeks.
You could push hard, stay up all night, skip meals
and maybe finish by the next day.
But there will probably be errors
and you'll be exhausted.
Don't do this.
Unless the client agrees to pay rush charges
that are usually double,
you're only hurting yourself.
The outcome of this will be a client who is
not incredibly impressed
that the work was done in a miraculous amount of time.
She doesn't know the process.
And you've now trained her
to expect this every time.
She'll be disappointed when you take
two days the next time.
And she'll recommend you to her friends
who also now expect super fast action.
That's a bad treadmill.
Take the time needed to do the job right.
Double it.
Everything takes longer than you expect.
Most clients are fine if you set expectations
and provide a timeframe.
Every once in awhile
a client will tell me they have a great idea.
Their idea is to sit with me at my desk
and we can work at the computer together.
No no no.
This is always a mistake.
This makes you a pixel monkey.
Or, simply a software operator.
A designer tries an idea and then abandons it.
She plays out a typographic solution
and then discovers it doesn't work.
The design process isn't a straight line.
It's a back and forth, good and bad process
that zig zags.
If a client is sitting next to me as I try something,
he or she will be terrified by what they see.
When clients ask me if they can work with me
I tell them that they don't want to do that.
You don't want to see the sausages being made.
It will scare you.
Another common error is turning something around
too quickly.
You might be excited that you completed type setting
all 100 business cards by five PM.
But if you send them over immediately
you're penalizing yourself for being efficient.
Stick with the schedule in your proposal.
If you listed one week for production of the cards
take one week.
This lets you make sure they are correct
and it gives you time to refine them.
I knew a designer who couldn't seem to do
more than one project with each client.
There was no repeat business.
In addition to other issues, he had a bad habit
of billing for revisions on projects unexpectedly.
He would add revisions to a final bill
rather than sending a change order
with an estimate that is approved by the client.
The client was surprised, and had no reason to believe
anything was different than the original proposal.
Yes, the designer had made multiple revisions
on the project.
And is appropriately paid for these.
But he didn't give the client the option
to proceed and pay for the revisions,
or say no.
If you were asked to make 100 copies
of the presentation document,
send an estimate for the printing.
If the scope of the project changes,
send a revised proposal.
Don't surprise clients with billing ever.
Make sure that they are aware of every increase
or change of costs.
Designers have a bad reputation for being difficult.
Whether it is based on reality, or not
it is expected that we may show up wearing all black,
patronize everyone, and have a tantrum
if the client doesn't like something.
Now I'm fine, if you want to wear black.
But, because we have this reputation
I go out of my way to disprove it.
It's best to not treat anyone like a neanderthal
because they don't know the difference between
a San Serif and a Serif.
And if a client makes a comment about the work
listen to what he or she is actually saying.
Taking a comment personally and responding emotionally
reinforces the idea that you are a
crazy creative person.
Remain calm,
it's only graphic design.
And you are a professional.