- Many of my biggest problems came from not understanding
what my role was in the process of a project.
I either didn't take responsibility for the parts
I needed to,
or I stepped all over someone else's job.
Knowing where your job ends
and when to be involved is critical to the success
of a project.
Your role as the designer is to asses the problem presented,
determine the best solution and delivery,
provide an easy to understand and fair proposal,
design the visual forms,
manage the imagery and copy,
listen to and collaborate with the client with respect,
communicate with the client clearly and honestly,
get approvals every step of the process,
and make sure the final deliverable is the highest quality
and exceeds the client's expectations.
The client will present the assignment based on what
he or she thinks the solution is.
I need a flyer,
they may say.
It's your responsibility to look at the larger issue,
such as message, audience, and effectiveness,
and determine what the best delivery vehicle is.
Would a booklet, poster,
or website be a better solution?
Once you decide,
you need to back that up with logic,
such as if the audience is under 30,
they are more likely to find information online
rather than in print.
It's the designers responsibility to present the client
with a clear and understandable proposal.
I like to make sure it's written in plain english,
not marketese that someone might not understand,
and it's your job to make sure he or she understands it.
Go over each item,
and make sure it makes sense,
and match what they expect.
Your role is also quality control.
I've received copy with inconsistent punctuation,
has bad grammar,
and makes no sense.
I keep a copy of The Chicago Manual of Style
and refer to it often,
but the client must always be responsible
for the final proofing and approval of the project,
and always get a signature on it.
You don't want to be responsible if someone's name
was spelled wrong.
You are responsible for the end product,
from resolution of imagery,
coding of a website,
the quality of printing,
to the exact paper choice.
Others will be working on these things,
but you are the final gatekeeper.
And finally, you are responsible
for the schedule and budget.
Once you and the client have agreed on your fees
and project timeline,
you need to keep these things on track.
A client will play with text,
or ask for new iterations for the rest of your life,
it's your job to say,
at this point,
we need final approval based on the schedule.
If the client delays this,
revise the schedule with a new delivery date.
If they want additional work,
send a change order with new fees.
Time and money are the only things you have
to keep the project running properly.
When a client has told me they need another week
to proof the copy,
or wants to add more pages,
I send a revised schedule or change order.
Usually, all of a sudden,
it's okay as is.