Posted by: Catherine Morley
Category: Designers Working With
Bookmark on: del.icio.us

Back in March, designers pulled out the stops on the question, “How do you work?” Then in April, I asked the same of writers. And as the photography section of this series is no different …

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Bill

I work personally with all my clients, from our very first contact to my delivery of the final images plus follow-up. The exact workflow varies widely with the circumstances: some deals are done completely over the phone or by e-mail; in other cases, I visit and consult with the client at their offices; or sometimes they come visit me at my studio.

In the case of architectural shoots, if it the location is at all nearby, I like to scout it and do a walk-through with the client before the shoot — but if the location is in another city that we have to fly to or drive several hours to reach, we just bring a lot of equipment, so we’re ready for anything; and those shoots have worked out great, too.

My studio, my office, and my residence, are all in the same building — a restored Art Deco building in Miami’s South Beach. So essentially when my clients get my phone numbers — the land-line and my cell phone — they can reach me after-hours or on the weekends. I work on weekends often — and sometimes take weekdays off. Every week is different.

I prefer to be contacted at least three weeks before the planned shoot — but in the real world we all know that folks often call with urgent projects and little advance time, even with very big projects. We always try to accommodate them, but sometimes we are constrained by previous commitments or by logistical realities. On the other hand, we’ve been able to do lots of the last-minute assignments, too, and our clients love us.

I always send clients a written proposal (even if we discussed everything verbally); and upon my acceptance of an assignment, I generally require a 50% advance up front; and in connection with that I send the client a detailed invoice with terms and conditions, which also serves as a contract. For certain large projects I’ll also send a formal contract that both parties sign.

In general, I think part of my job is to make life easier for my clients — and that includes not only creating beautiful and effective photographs, but also giving great service.

Bill Wisser | Advertising and Editorial Photographer
Bill Wisser Photo.com | The Naked Eye

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Bruce

I’m a business, lifestyle, portrait and fashion photographer. These days I use very little auxiliary lighting since digital captures allow me to use post production to enhance the file thus making it easier to capture the emotion on set. I work fast, take a lot of frames and – more than anything – have fun with my subjects. I’m exclusively digital since the workflow is so dramatically different that it was with film.

Bruce DeBoer | Photographer
DeBoerWorks Photographic Productions

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Jeffrey

Alone. Just kidding! I often work unsupervised (clients are rarely on site with me) but I am big on COLABORATION! I photograph mostly architectural products and environments so I often walk the site with the designer and gain a real understanding of their visual ideas and together we explore the most flattering views to explain the design, although I am often asked to “go do your thing”. I am happiest in collaboration unless I have worked the client several times and already know what they want or have an in-depth conversation or two depending on the complexity of the project.

Jeffrey Jacobs | President
Jeffrey Jacobs Photography Inc.

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Jon

I work to a photography brief normally, this can be loose or pretty descriptive. Sometimes I get to interpret the brief and sometimes I work with an Art Director or Creative Director who will have a rough idea of what they want to achieve from the shoot. Sometimes I work solo - sometimes with an assistant and sometimes with a crew, it all depends on the project and the budget!

Jon Boyes | Advertising and Editorial Photographer
Jon Boyes

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Patrick

I’ve always worked very closely with my stylist/assistant. After the initial production meetings we usually brain storm over the layouts, products to be photographed, and design notes. At this time I’ve always found my collection of tear sheets from other catalogues, magazines, books and the web very useful for cementing down an overall mood, and lighting.

Patrick Chuprina | Photographer
Chuprina Studios

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Rochelle

I like to be versatile in my work methods, and to me this is just another aspect of being creative. I mostly rely on email and phone to communicate, but I enjoy face to face meetings as well. When a client gives me a completion date for a project, I use this to plan a timeline for myself, working backwards from that date to establish how long the project will take to complete. I find it helpful to break the project into smaller components and plan the time needed for each, then add on a little extra for unexpected contingencies. If I don’t end up needing the extra time, it’s great to pleasantly surprise my client with the project completed early.

Rochelle Dahl | Photographer & Designer
Rochelle Dahl Designs

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Tom

At first contact I try to gauge how far along in the creative process the client is. Sometimes they have clear expectations, other times I try to work them through their creative process to determine what they need. If it’s an architecture shoot I send over a questionnaire that determines what they have access to and what I might need for the project. For other projects, I develop a list of questions and send it over. This gives me a little time to digest what they said and decide what information I may need to put together a proposal. After this I normally try to get a face-to-face meeting (if possible) to discuss the price, usage, goals, etc. Before the project is begun, a contract should always be signed to protect both parties and spell out everything required to make sure a project is finished.

Tom Smalling | Photographer
Tom Smalling Photography & Design | Tom Smalling’s Photography Blog

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Will

This varies greatly, depending on the client and project. If I have an existing relationship with a client face to face meetings and contracts are often waived. Unfortunately budget also plays a critical part in my working method. If the budget allows it, I’m more than happy to do those extras.

Will Williams | Photographer and Designer
Perspective-Images.com

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For more information on how photographers work, ASMP has an excellent article, Working With An Assignment Photographer.

Next we’ll read how our photographers responded to the question, “How should a company or individual in your profession be chosen?”

until the next
Designers WW,
cat

Posted by: Jeanette Wickham
Category: Designers Working With
Bookmark on: del.icio.us

In the previous post of the Designers Working With Writers series, our guest writers shared their feelings about working with designers. Two or more creatives clashing on a project can be a recipe for disaster. However, if we understand how each works within their own expertise, then the door is open to finding a solution.

With this in mind, the next question we asked our Writers was:

How do you work?

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Liz

I guess you would say that I’m an undisciplined, disciplined writer. This much I know for sure. I’m not a prototype, an archetype, or even regular, but then I’m not sure that I know a writer who is.

I work in a variety of ways to suit the kind of writing that I’m doing and my background has led me to write for every age from preschool through professors of engineering and in every imaginable genre from fiction, poetry, copywriting, how-to, technical, inspirational, and self-help, which could be the result of having written all of the rest.

When I write the “softer” genres, I often hope to work at night or early in the morning. I Like quiet with time for reflecting to do some serious introspection. I think slowly and often listen to music before I begin to let my thoughts come together. When I have a point of view and message, I write as if I’m on a journey from beginning to end. I might edit a bit as I go, but mostly I get the message out. Then I let the piece sit for a short while. When I return to it, I change all of the clumsy words and take out all of the words that I realize don’t need to be there. It’s really quite fun to edit out the unnecessary words and details. And I’m quite lethal.

When I write the “more structured” genres — things that require research, detail, and accuracy — I’m a top down writer. I plan my work in pieces or sections, the way a designer might storyboard a multi-piece design. I define my ending point — that closing conclusion that I want to be the end that satisfies the reader. Then I determine what would be the corresponding beginning to echo or reflect that ending. Usually I’m doing this first, because the middle is the hardest part for me.

If I have a sense of the beginning and the ending, then I can map out what goes in between. First I do that with the broadest brush strokes and quickly. Then I go back to fill in the details. Each time I return to read it, I challenge the details a little harder to make sure that I’ve not left something out.

For that kind of writing I’m highly focused. I often walk around to find the words and to read what I wrote. I rehearse sentences in my head before I write them, because I find putting the words on paper in such detail visually distracts me from what the words mean. So I get the meaning and the words together before I commit them to the text on screen or paper.

Two things are true of every writer, we have to use both ego and self-doubt to write anything worth writing. And no one can help us write. In those ways, writers are like designers.

ME (Liz) Strauss | Writer | Career coach | Strategic planner
Successful Blog | Letting Liz Be | Liz Strauss.com | The Blog Herald | Performancing.com | Write With ME

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Roy

For me, writing is a process, a set of rational steps: the search for an idea; the collection of important stuff; working toward a focus; finding a structure; creating an early draft; revising. I want to involve collaborators as early in the process as possible. I want them to be able to plan and rehearse.

Roy Peter Clark | America’s writing coach
Poynter Online - Writing Tools | Book: Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer

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Tom

Some days more slowly than others.

Tom Chandler | copywriting : online/blogging : marketing plans
Chandler Writes. You Profit. | The Copywriter Underground

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tom

Depends on the project. Mostly I work remote, via iSight, to concept/present. I’ll collaborate w/designers, art directors, or I’ll work alone. It just depends on the scope of the assignment.

tom mullen | writer & proprietor
EXIT3A.com | ANONYMOUS, JR

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Following the set format for the DWW series, next up will be How to Choose a Writer.

until the next
Designers WW,
jay, taking over from cat for this post

Posted by: Catherine Morley
Category: Designers Working With
Bookmark on: del.icio.us

This is sometimes hit and miss with clients and even with some designers in the position of hiring those needed. Do you contact those involved in the early stages of a design project to give professional advice? Or do you wait until their part of the project needs to be done? Inquiring minds need to know … so I asked the question “At what point should your profession be brought into a project?”

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Andy

The sooner you can get a professional consultancy involved the better. A good way to start is to commission an initial discovery phase. This gives the designer an opportunity to learn about your company and the problems you’re facing, and come up with some initial recommendations. It also gives the client an opportunity to work with the designer on a smaller project to see how they get on. If both parties are happy with the outcome, you can then move forward with the main project confident that it will be a success.

Andy Budd | Managing Director | Web Designer | Author
Andy Budd::Blogography | CSS Mastery

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Anna

This is fairly subjective. We like to be brought in early, but after the client has thought through the project enough to know what they are looking for. We definitely don’t like to be brought in a week before the project has to launch - giving your design professional ample time to work through the design is essential. A rushed job never looks as good as it could have.

Anna Corpron & Sean Auyeung | Interdisciplinary Design Practice
Sub-Studio | sub-studio design blog

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Brian

When the idea is first discussed, so that the designer’s input and expertise can influence the scope and objectives of the project.

Brian Sooy | Design Consultant
Brian Sooy & Co | Altered Ego Fonts

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Chris

I think contributing designers should be brought in when the scale/scope of the project demands their presence. In starting any project the person setting out goals and milestones should have a clear understanding when certain things will occur. For instance, let’s say a company is designing a very elaborate catalog/brochure that requires a lot of photos of products and those products are crucial in the layout. I think this would be a point where a PM would want to determine if the copywriter or their layout professional is needed more.

Chris Tomlinson | Communication Designer | Printer
Gonink | Gonink blog

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Dag

I hate to say “depends on the situation” all the time, but it seems to be the case. Not all projects are equal. Although I would hate to bat clean up there are times when someone didn’t provide the design services they were hired to do and someone fresh is brought in to fix/complete the job at nearly deadline. I dislike those situations because they tend to be tricky and stressful. And often you’ll find yourself building upon someone else’s existing framework and working with testy people. If the changes are to a mild degree that’s not a biggie, typesetters (retouchers, etc.) for example do it all the time, but extensive redesigns begs the question of who gets credit for the final output. If it’s a work for hire arrangement the question is relatively moot. If you’re taking over a project from a previously terminated arrangement on the other hand that’s where credit could potentially end up getting a bit iffy at some juncture.

I should also mention that normally typesetters and retouchers are brought in after the initial designs are made, to refine the work. Because of the massive myriad of dimensions in magazine ads for example, many firms outsource approved design layouts to press bureaus who have a design department themselves onhand to clean up and refine the piece. Although many are trained designers in their own right, they often do the majority of retouching and typesetting for all the ads it will end up in, a LOT of work. So in this instance, I would say that a typesetter/retoucher would ideally be introduced once the initial layout is done, to polish the layout (which can include changes to the elements), preflight it and often await for the final approval before sending it along to press. The initial designer of the layout has by this point moved on to other projects.

In the best possible situation, a designer would hope to be introduced/involved during the inception of the marketing and branding stages of the project. Sitting in, taking notes and being creatively inspired by the direction that the company wants to take with the project and product concepts. Branding and design go hand in hand, don’t ever let anyone tell you differently. To help effectively market the brand the design has to at the very least appeal to the target audience, after all. An effective design should have it’s beat on the pulse of the market whether it’s pandering off of existing styles or exploring a direction that the audience would find fresh and stimulating, based on their research.

Dagmar Jeffrey | Principal Arche-tech
NO!SPEC Brainstorming Team Member | Arche-BLogGER

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Daniel

Naturally as early as possible–sometimes even before they have decided “what” they are doing. They may think they’re going to launch a new product or service, but a designer can bring in a fresh POV, from outside their corporate and political structure, and help them refine their offering even before it goes to marketing.

I do a lot of what I call “Design Therapy,” where I help the clients be more focused on what they offer and who they are offering it too. It’s surprising how many companies aren’t really clear on what makes them different and unique.

Daniel Will-Harris | Communication Designer
Will-Harris House | Schmoozeletter

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Dan

As early as possible which will help manage expectations (on both sides).

Dan Sturdivant | Communication Designer | Editor
TexasDesign.com

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Leslie

Earlier is better than later. Creatives aren’t worker-bees who churn out product–they are most valuable as concept-creators and so can bring ideas to brainstorming sessions you never even would have vaguely considered.

Leslie Burns-Dell’Acqua | Creative/Marketing Consultant & Coach
Burns Auto Parts–Consultants | Burns Auto Parts blog | Podcast | Book

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Metin

Whenever there’s need for a visual addition to any project, such as an illustration that will strengthen a message.

Metin Seven | Communication Designer
Seven’s Heaven - design and illustration

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Neil

As early as possible. Bringing a designer on early can avoid problems later and the designer can usually make suggesstions at the beginning that will help develop a successful project.

Neil (nt) Tortorella | Marketing Manager
Tortorella Design | The Marketing Mind | Creative Latitude | BoDo Team | Marketing Minute

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Roger

Designers should be brought into a project as soon as the project’s goals and objectives are defined. Waiting until too late results in “deadline madness” and expensive, wasted effort.

Designers who position themselves solely from an aesthetic point of view may be doing their careers a disservice. If a designer can only make something more attractive, or easier to read, their value proposition is not as strong as another designer who can help clients identify their strategic objectives and help them come up with a plan to achieve them.

Roger C Parker | Designer | Writer | Marketing Consultant
Design To Sell Online | Roger C. Parker Design to Sell Blog | Design to Sell

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Scott

A designer’s eye can be an invaluable resource at nearly any point of a project, but it depends on the nature of the project. For web sites or applications, having a designer and a usability expert on hand early on can help mediate decisions that are difficult to reverse later and can bring new ideas to the table earlier on in the process.

Design isn’t just something you slap onto a project, or at least it shouldn’t be. Design needs time to settle in and get the lay of the land. Design is about listening, understanding, and communicating. Rushing it is an easy way to lead to mistakes or a bad end result. For myself, being somewhat technically inclined as well, I like to get in on the ground floor of projects so I can provide input as early on as necessary to make sure that my job as a designer isn’t made any more complicated then it needs to be.

Scott Boms | Communication Designer
Wishingline DS

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Summary

It seems everyone is pretty much in agreement - bring in designers as soon as the scope of the project has been determined (if needed, sometime sooner).

Next up is the age old question, How do you charge?

until the next
Designers WW,
cat

Posted by: Neil Tortorella
Category: Designers Working With
Bookmark on: del.icio.us

The dictionary defines “design” as a plan to make something … a process. Without a workable process in place, one that’s sound and repeatable, things can erode into happenstance and you lose control. Not good.

Many designers tend to approach their process only from the design point-of-view - sketch out some roughs, whip up a comp, do the production and “bill ‘em, Danno”. They may have even been taught this method in school. But, truth be told, it’s a bit myopic. The business part is being separated from the design part, when, in reality, they’re both part of the project. Also in that mix is how you work with other professionals.

Having a workable, documented process in place can also go a long way toward weeding out those pesky prospects looking for a logo for a buck and a quarter or a two bit website.

So, where do you start to hammer out a process that will work for you, keep your clients pleased as punch and insure smooth workflow with your team? Begin by putting on your thinking cap and start to map out each step during the course of a typical project. Consider some gigs that went smooth as silk … and the ones that went South. What went right and what went wrong?

Since designers tend to think in visuals, a flowchart might be a good idea. For others an outline will do the trick. Either way, what you’ll end up with is a system for you and a process that you can easily communicate to your clients and associates.

Begin by thinking about what happens when a prospect calls. What are the next steps? Break things down into smaller nuggets such as:

1. Arrange initial meeting to gather information about the company’s background, project scope and goals, audience, competition, available resources, budget and schedule. Also discuss how you will communicate (in person meetings, phone, email, IM, etc.)
2. Conduct preliminary competitive and audience research for the proposal
3. Prepare and submit requests for quote from project associates (photographers, writers, printers, etc.)
4. Prepare proposal and agreement
5. Arrange proposal presentation meeting

Okay, so you’re over the first hurdle. But, this has all been preparation work and is often chalked up to cost of sales. You need to make the big push at the proposal presentation meeting. This is where you’ll demonstrate your strategy, your plans to make the gig a success and get the client to sign on the dotted line.

Well, gee, this all sounds pretty designy. Where’s the business part? Glad you asked. Also within your process is your methodology for developing your proposal and a consistent manner of presenting your terms of agreement. Much of this will be a one time deal that’s implemented the same way over and over as the projects come rolling in. When a prospect tempts you with a juicy gig and wants to put off the agreement, your process helps to insure you stick to your guns.

Creating a winning proposal can be wrought with angst for those new to being in business. But, going into detail about drafting proposals is a bit out of the scope of this article. For the skinny on how to do it right, check out our e-book, “Winning Web Proposals,” by veteran pro, Nigel Gordijk. Another resource (by yours truly) is “Crafting the perfect proposal,” available on our sister site, Creative Latitude.

As for your terms of agreement, odds are you’ll want to get with your attorney when you’re starting out and have them draft up a contract that works for your practice’s personality. Check the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines and Shel Perkins “Talent Is Not Enough” for references about agreements and practices. Odds are, you’ll want your attorney to do some customizing to make a contract that’s just right for you.

Now that you have your project documents and the client’s signing off on them, you’ll want to get some up-front money. For some folks it’s 50%. For others, it’s one-third. It’s your choice what to request, but it’s important to get some money at the onset. If a client’s not willing to drop some dough in the beginning, odds are, they won’t at the end, either. Or, they may give you headaches. No money. No start. Getting that money is an important part of your process.

Next you’ll want to address your project partners. What will be your working arrangement? Will you pay them a deposit? Or, maybe it’ll be Net 30 days when the work is done. How will you handle communication? Consider the steps involved for getting that excellent image, perfect prose, etc. Do this for each type of supplier.

Since you’re dealing with other creatives here, odds are, they’ll have their own process. This is where the negotiation dance begins. Can you meet in the middle? If a supplier’s process is too alien to yours, you might want to consider someone else. Trust me, it will save you aggravation.

So, you’ve got a signed client agreement. You’ve banked some money and you’ve reached agreement on terms, schedule and deliverables with your associates. Now comes the design part. What will that entail? Some designers use a three part design process, others more, some less. It’s up to you and what makes sense with your manner of working. The main thing is that it’s consistent and can be reproduced again and again. Here’s a typical process:

Phase One

1. Additional competitive and audience research, as needed. Design style research to include historical design styles, typography, stock image research, if needed, etc.
2. Preliminary design. Sketches and/or roughs to explore possible design solutions
3. Edit preliminaries to those you will present
4. Mount designs or create pdfs, jpegs or other method of presentation
5. Draft status report(s) as needed
6. Arrange presentation meeting, phone call or other agreed upon method of communication
7. Presentation meeting (in-person or by other method)
8. Obtain client approval in writing for selected design direction or change order, if needed, documenting change(s), schedule and budget impact, along with client sign-off
9. Make changes, if needed
10. Second presentation, if needed, and appropriate documentation

Phase Two

1. Design refinements, as needed
2. Create comprehensive (comp) layouts (layouts as close to the finished piece as possible within budget constraints). Comps may or may not include final images and copy, depending upon the schedule of deliverables
3. Proofreading
4. Repeat steps 5 -10 shown in Phase One

Phase Three

1. Production - create final press ready files, HTML files, etc., swop F.P.O. (For position only images with final images and/or low resolution with high resolution, replace F.P.O. text with final copy, etc.)
2. Proofreading. Corrections as needed. Cross platform and browser testing for web work
3. Supplier/Fabricator meeting to review material. Make any needed adjustments to files
4. Arrange presentation meeting
5. Final client review. Change Order, if needed
6. Final revisions/corrections, if needed
7. Final client sign-off
8. Deliver files to printer/fabricator/server
9. Press check/Fabrication check as needed
10. Final delivery to client
11. Final project billing

Some steps may be slightly different along the way, depending upon the way you work and the type of project, but this is the general idea.

Test and tweak until you have a rock solid process. Once you do, communicate it to your prospects, clients and associates. Many designers either create a hand-out or put their process on their website. The latter is an especially good idea as it can help weed out headache prospects. If they see you require a one-third or 50% deposit and they don’t want to pay, they’ll usually walk … without you ever having top deal with them, taking time away from the billable stuff.

Having your process in written form, including mentioning that you prepare formal proposals, require a written agreement and deposit can go a long way toward demonstrating your professionalism and business savvy. Your clients and associates will give you more respect and you’ll find yourself reaching for the antacids less often.

until the next
Designers WW,
nt

Posted by: Catherine Morley
Category: Designers Working With
Bookmark on: del.icio.us

So far we’ve concentrated on clients - what our clients should know before making contact, a wishful client’s guide to conduct, and a shared range of problems that crop up with the client / designer relationship.

As this series is about designers working with the surrounding industries, it’s important to first lay out how designers work - the process.

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Andy’s into research, planning and relationship building where possible

At Clearleft we employ a relatively flexible process that can be scaled up or down depending on the needs of the project. This flexibility is vital as every client and every project is different, so what works for one may not necessarily work for another.

Where time and budget allow we like to start our projects with some initial stakeholder research. This could be anything from a few quick user interviews through to a more structured program of contextual inquiry. This information is then used to create a series of personas, scenarios and user tasks that guide the rest of the process. If we were dealing with an existing site we would normally perform a content inventory, whereas with a new site we would run a competitive analysis so see what the marketplace was doing.

Using this information we would normally arrange a series of planning workshops with the key project stakeholders. We would use these workshops to uncover the required site functionality and content, and then create a content plan, features list and site map. Once the client approves the proposed functionality, we create a series of wireframes that are tested on real users. Once everybody is happy with the overall user experience, the user interface is designed and page templates are developed. These are then integrated into the back-end system, tested and deployed.

We don’t have dedicated project managers so each team member is responsible for their own part of the project. This means that our clients have direct access to the people working on their projects and requirements don’t get lost in translation. We use Basecamp to manage our written communications and make liberal use of Skype and IM throughout the process. We like to build relationships with our clients so face-to-face meetings are good. However with around half of our clients coming from overseas, it’s not always possible or practical. An average project will take around 4 months and we usually have several on at any one time. We are in fairly high demand at the moment as there aren’t many agencies offering the range or depth of service that we do. As such, we usually need a couple of months notice before scheduling new projects.

Andy Budd | Managing Director | Web Designer | Author
Andy Budd::Blogography | CSS Mastery

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Ann makes sure needs are met

We typically begin with a face to face meeting with our clients where we discuss their needs and desires. We describe our design & production process to them and try to communicate what they can expect from working with us. We then come back to them with a proposal (fees, scope of work, and a timeline) based on the conversation we had at our first meeting. Once the contract has been signed and the retainer has been paid, we begin work. Since most of our work can be communicated via email (website development, design proofs via email), how often we meet with the client after this point depends on the needs of that client. Some people want to meet once a week, others we might not meet up with again until the product is launched.

We never give out our home phone number, but we are available 9-6 Mon - Fri and always via email. We try to be as prompt in answering clients’ questions and concerns as possible, so that they feel they are being taken care of. How soon we take on a project just depends on our availability at the time. If we have the time we can take a project on immediately, if we are busier, it could be a few weeks before we are able to begin. Regardless, we work with the client to make sure that everyone’s needs are met.

Anna Corpron & Sean Auyeung | Interdisciplinary Design Practice
Sub-Studio | sub-studio design blog

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Brian believes in “no uncompensated thinking”

Initial client contact is handled by the firm principal, who then continues with relationship building. Ongoing interfacing is handled by the designers who work on the project, and our coordinator.

As the firm principal, I am not involved in design as much as client strategy and client management, and of course running the firm!

The best contacts come from referrals, without exception. A first meeting generally involves a portfolio review and a capabilities overview.

If we’re asked to bid on a project, we prepare a general proposal for costs, but without any conceptual work (ideas or concepts or specifications). Proposals are kept as general as possible, without any specifics.

If a client wants a detailed specification for a project, or does not have a design brief, we offer to create one for them on a fee basis, in order to then provide them an accurate proposal. The idea is “no uncompensated thinking.”

See this for some eye-opening mantras: New Years Resolutions for Designers (check out Win Without Pitching).

We have many remote clients. We meet face-to-face when appropriate. I’m keenly aware that managing client expectations and leading them well gives me the freedom to suggest that a requested in-person visit may be better suited to a conference call.

If a designers’ phone system doesn’t handle conference calls, it’s simple to set up a conf call at www.freeconferencecall.com.

We don’t share home phone, but occasionally mobile phone numbers.

We’re closed on the weekends, and our clients respect that. We also close from the last business week of the year, and have for 11 years with no negative impact on client relationships.

In general, new projects will take from 3 days to two weeks to work into the schedule, based on existing workload. There are always last-minute projects that require quick turnaround, the key is to charge more of a premium for those type of projects (when possible) to compensate for having to meet the client’s short-term deadlines.

We combine proposals with contracts: legal language with general project specifications.

Business affairs are run from a home office; staff and myself work from a main office in another part of town. Actually I work at a home office and our main office, and anywhere I can open my laptop.

Brian Sooy | Design Consultant
Brian Sooy & Co | Altered Ego Fonts

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Chris is informal, flexible and professional

I prefer to start off with a face-to-face meeting with my client if at all possible. We will sit down and just chit-chat to get to know one another and our business(s). I then start an informal and random questionnaire to help me understand their business even more, their goals and their aspirations about the project. Because my company is me, myself and I, I bend over backwards for clients (to an extent) in offering meeting times, calls, etc,. But not a single client I meet with gets anything before a contract is signed and agreed upon. And as far as payment goes, the contract is flexible. Sometimes it’s paid as certain parts are accomplished and others are 50% up front and the remaining when the project is finished.

Chris Tomlinson | Communication Designer | Printer
Gonink | Gonink blog

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Dag works under pressure

As the song goes, “Under Pressure” ^_^ Actually, I divide my time. Sometimes I work on site, that is, as an independently contracted work for hire. Other times I’m contracted for a project and will work on site at a client’s studio, or I will work on a project in my home studio then present it to the client at a pre-arranged meeting place (either their office or set up a “power brunch” at a quiet enough spot where we can pull out our work and pow-wow).

Dagmar Jeffrey | Principal Arche-tech
NO!SPEC Brainstorming Team Member | Arche-BLogGER

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Daniel rarely has a face to face

I always start out with emails, to make sure everyone is taking the time to clearly put their thoughts and requirements in writing. Quite often e-mail is the only contact I have with clients. Some clients prefer to use the phone, which I’m happy to do if they request it. I rarely have face to face meetings but can do it in the SF bay area, or if a client pays travel expenses. I am waiting for a client in Fiji or Venice who wants to do this :)

For international clients I often use Skype because it allows for discussion, and for sending ideas and revisions to them instantly.

I don’t give out my home phone number, but I do check my office VM at home and return calls.

If I client needs a job done fast I can get it done on almost no notice. I actually love very short deadlines. I had a client come to me on Friday afternoon needing a web design by Monday morning. I gave them three comps, let them select, made revisions and delivered the polished design before 8am Monday.

I use proposals and contracts. Most often clients come to me after seeing the work on my site, so proposals are unnecessary. Usually, instead of a formal proposal, we email back and forth until I know what they need, then I write up a contract to match. The only time I create proposals are if the client is talking to several designers and wants to see what I offer in terms of experience, process, time and cost. In that case, a proposal is a kind of sales pitch.

Daniel Will-Harris | Communication Designer
Will-Harris House | Schmoozeletter

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Dan uses a process

We use a 4-d development process:

1. Define
2. Design
3. Develop
4. Deploy

Initially I like to meet the client in person (where possible). We then meet throughout the project, as well as email and telephone calls along the way. For after hours contact, although I don’t share my home phone number, if around, I do field calls, but they may or may not be answered or replied to. For contracts and proposals, most jobs I work on require a proposal, followed by a contract.

Dan Sturdivant | Communication Designer | Editor
TexasDesign.com

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Distance is not an issue with Roger

Most of my clients come to me through my educational website, www.designtosellonline.com, online events like Microsoft webinars, and word of mouth referrals. Education–like my blog and Design to Sell PDF newsletter–earns a prospect’s trust long before our first conversation.

Training often plays a role in converting prospects into clients. I present an ongoing cycle of teleconferences and webinars. These give distant clients a chance to get to know me in a “safe,” non-threatening, environment, before they bring up the issue of work.

Distance is not an issue. Given the realities of today’s traffic-clogged cities and suburban sprawl, a client’s location five or six miles away is not necessarily an advantage. I would rather work with someone thousands of miles away–by phone and www.gotomeeting.com shared-screen technology, than spend forty-five minutes in traffic, or circling a crowded parking lot in a suburban office park.

Roger C Parker | Designer | Writer | Marketing Consultant
Design To Sell Online | Roger C. Parker Design to Sell Blog | Design to Sell

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Scott’s into research

As part of any project, before I design anything, I spend time doing research. I’ll look into the client’s industry, their business, find out who their customers are, who they’re trying to target, who their competition is and what their strengths and weaknesses are, etc. I’ll amass a folder full of notes, images, and relevant documents. From there I’ll start to assemble some initial ideas on what the nature of the problem is and then go about coming up with starting points on a solution to the “problem”. From there I’ll likely start with pencil and paper and begin working on visual ideas or some basic copywriting, all depending on the particular project. I try to avoid getting right into comps on the computer until I have a few solid ideas worth fleshing out so that I don’t waste too much time on the computer. It’s just easier to start with old school methods. There are cases where I may know exactly what I’m going to do and I’ll go right to the computer, but that’s rare.

Scott Boms | Communication Designer
Wishingline DS

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Stefan believes in relationship building

Our design process is an ever evolving entity. Generally it starts with the first introductory meeting with the client where we go through a process of discovery to determine the goals and objectives of their project. On occasion we will walk our clients through a branding discussion in order to determine if there are some brand issues that need to be solidified before continuing on with the project at hand. (There’s nothing more aggravating than working with a client whose brand isn’t performing and functioning efficiently.)

Once we have determined that all of the pieces are in place and have a firm understanding of their project scope, our design team will get together to discuss and begin brainstorming in order to get an accurate picture of the breadth and scope from our side of the table.

We then prepare a proposal that reiterates all of the project goals and objectives and an outline for timeline and pricing. Once the proposal is complete, we generally email it to the client, unless we have some other reason to deliver it in person.

We then answer any questions/concerns regarding the proposal, shore up any loose ends and begin designing. Generally here is where we would handle any contractual issues the client may have regarding property rights etc., but most of our clients do not require any formal contract.

After the project has gone through the initial design phase, we will internally critique it, make necessary changes and then make a formal presentation to our client. We prefer to deliver the initial designs in person so we can get immediate feedback and give a full report on the decisions we made. On occasion, we will send the designs via email to a client that may be halfway around the world, but in general, if we can get them to meet with us, we feel we are able to understand their needs, should there be changes to make or new ideas blossom during the meeting.

After meeting with the client, we will then take the discussion and make the necessary changes to make another presentation before the client signs off. Upon client approval, we will send the project to print or, in the case of web design, launch the site.

Once all bills associated with the project have arrived, we will bill the client per our initial estimate. From that point on, we are maintaining contact with them to find out how well the project has been received by their audience as well as to follow up regarding any other needs they may have.

Our primary concern is to build relationships. The more face time we have with a client, the more comfortable they become with us, the more trust they have in our process and the more likely they are to become a long term client.

Because we are a small firm, we rarely need to do much project management. Occasionally I will walk around the office to see how critical projects are going, making sure they are on task, but our designers are very reliable and very aware of the timelines. (We have never missed one in our 20 years.)

We believe that in building relationships with our clients, that they are like good friends. They should have access to us any time they may need us. So, we want them to call us after hours, on the weekends, etc. That dedication to the relationship is what proves to your client that you are serious.

We generally allow projects to come in at any point, no matter how tight the deadline, however, we do try to maintain that the more lead time we have, the better the final product will be. Our clients have been very good about honoring that rule. Why would they want to sacrifice better design?

Stefan Bean | President/Creative Director
Pulse Creative Partners, Inc. | BoDo Author | Bean’s Biz

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Summary

Last year, Michael Bierut (Design Observer) penned a wonderful article, This is My Process.

The basics: Listen carefully, research, use firsthand experience where possible, wait for an idea to come, figure out strategic justification for the idea, then add other ideas if necessary. And lastly, depend on the client’s trust.

Michael stated in the beginning, “What would happen, I wonder, if I actually told the truth about what happens in a design process?” But if you compare, his stripped down design process is the same as what others are saying, only without the promise of magic.

A given, when aiming to capture a client’s trust, throwing an element of magic into the process wouldn’t sell all that well. Or would it?

Sans magic, but filled with needed information, next up is Neil Tortorella’s The Power of Process. It’s where he details a designers process, all the way to phase three. Enjoy.

until the next
Designers WW,
cat

Posted by: Catherine Morley
Category: Designers Working With
Bookmark on: del.icio.us

BoDo exists to help out those new to the business of design, so when I put this series together, I thought back to questions I had as a new business start-up.

It wasn’t just my client (singular) I was unsure of. I didn’t know how to work with writers, printers (and their in-house pre press staff), illustrators, or the in-house marketing staff of my client. Then when web came into the picture, I had to turn my hand with programmers (I’ve found gifts of chocolate help pave the way).

The questions for this part of the series went out to designers with varied backgrounds and experience levels. Each have tackled similar issues, coming up with workable solutions.

To summarize: I asked designers what they wanted clients to understand about their business, the problems they’ve run into when working with clients, how they (as designers) work, how they feel a designer should be chosen, when a designer needs to be brought into a project, how they charge, and any tips they’d like to share on improving skills.

I started out with client issues because that’s where it started with me. When clients first arrive on the scene, the true reality of running a business begins. Snafus happen, lessons are learned, and eventually, experience wins the day.

Getting new clients into the design process can be time consuming. The newer the client is to working with designers, the more educating the designer needs to do before the main chunk of the work begins. An ideal would be a prepared client, so I asked designers, “As a professional designer, what are the main points you want clients (potential and present) to know before contacting you about a project?”

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Adrian has reasonable expectations

I expect a client to be familiar enough with my work that they can trust me with their project. The best clients that I have worked with are the ones who trust me enough to let me do my job. If I could tell a prospective client one thing, it would be that I expect to be leading the design of the project. There will be time for you to give input and feedback, but ultimately you will have to trust in my ability to give you what you need. There is a huge temptation for a client to backseat drive, and that rarely results in great design.

Adrian E. Hanft | Art Director | Photographer
Be A Design Group | Found Photography | Adrian3

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Andy has a practical ideal

Ideally the client will have done some preparatory work and have a rough idea of the project goals, budget and the type of design services they are looking for. However as a professional consultancy, it is our job to guide clients through the process no matter how prepared or experienced they are.

Andy Budd | Managing Director | Web Designer | Author
Andy Budd::Blogography | CSS Mastery

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Anna finds the need to educate

We find we often have to educate our clients on the value of design. In the projects that we have ended up taking on, we’ve been lucky to work with great clients who really value design and are looking for something that will enhance their brand or their product. On the flip side, we have been approached by many potential clients looking for design for free (or almost free). This is always a frustrating point, and more often than not, we end up not taking on those jobs, because why work with someone who doesn’t value what you do? The other thing I like clients to do before beginning a job is have their content ready. It’s really hard to push a design forward without having all (or at least most) of the content in place.

Anna Corpron & Sean Auyeung | Interdisciplinary Design Practice
Sub-Studio | sub-studio design blog

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Brian understands expectations

You have expectations, so do we:

• That you will respond to us in a timely manner
• That you will proof your copy
• That you will make us aware of budget and time constraints
• That you understand that changes to the scope of the project will result in additional fees

Brian Sooy | Design Consultant
Brian Sooy & Co | Altered Ego Fonts

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Chris asks for understanding

Understand that designing is not a commodity based business. I can’t put a website on the shelf for $399 or place a yellow smiley sticker on it and call it a “sale”.

Ease of use does not equate to ease of design. Because the Internet is quite simple to use, I think people have a misconception that it’s just as easy to develop. And yet, you could ask them to build a car from scratch and they’d be clueless. Well, it’s pretty darn easy to drive a car also now isn’t it?

Your monitor is not a piece of paper. I think the majority of Joe Public believes that just because they can right/command click an icon on their screen and print it off on their desktop printer and it looks pretty “good”, that we (printers) can/will do the same thing. Sure, it can be done, but the loss of quality is tremendous and we can’t correct it before printing.

Chris Tomlinson | Communication Designer | Printer
Gonink | Gonink blog

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Dan has two things

Two things. First, that design creates value for our clients- this value traditionally extends well beyond the cost of the project. Secondly, that our time is worth something.

Dan Sturdivant | Communication Designer | Editor
TexasDesign.com

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Daniel’s stimulating

1. I want everyone to be happy with the results–most especially the target audience.
2. I’m fun to work with and make the process stimulating, interesting and energetic.
3. Expect the unexpected. I find that the best results are sometimes the most surprising ones–to me as well as to others involved. That these creative solutions come about as a result of many questions and answers and if you’re open minded and let one idea spark another, in the end you’ve created something with energy and life.

You can read a popular piece I wrote called How to (and not to) work with a designer.

Daniel Will-Harris | Communication Designer
Will-Harris House | Schmoozeletter

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Danita has suggestions

• The extreme importance of Branding.
• Basic Design Terminology. Because they can then better communicate their needs.
• Having a good defined idea of what they need and don’t need. Being vague about content is detrimental.
• Having an open mind about creative solutions.

Danita Reynolds | Communication Designer
Creative Expertise | Creative Expertise blog

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Dawn believes in partnership

Time is money. I sell my time as well as my ideas. I need time for research, time for creativity, time for production, time for implementing and management of projects, etc.. And yes, it’s all billable.

I operate a business, and my business is for profit. Please don’t ask me to work for free or reduced rates. I will, however, work within your budget, or present other ideas to maximize your budget. Oh, and PLEASE just give me at least some idea of a budget. If you need help putting one together, I’ll do that, but you have to give me a ballpark—you know you have one. Then I’ll let you know what we can and can’t do…

I want each project to be successful. My intent is not to waste your money on unnecessary items or services. The success of your projects directly reflects on my expertise and ability. If you’re not seeing results, making money, getting new customers, etc., then I’m not doing my job. I want you to be wildly successful.

I cannot do my job to the best of my abilities without complete cooperation and feedback from my clients. This is a partnership, and to be successful the lines of communication need to be left wide open. If you don’t like something I’ve done, tell me. You will not hurt my feelings. If we can’t be honest with each other, communicate, try new things, exchange ideas, then the partnership is doomed from the beginning—and there’s a good chance the project might also fail to deliver the desired results.

Dawn Burgess | Communication Designer
abdfla.com

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Metin has expectations

First of all I expect clients to have checked out my website and have a good impression of what I do and especially what I don’t do, so I don’t have to disappoint them. Furthermore, I expect clients to understand that I am an experienced professional with a price tag that matches the skill level I’ve built up through the years.

Metin Seven | Communication Designer
Seven’s Heaven - design and illustration

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Neil sets out requirements

First and foremost, good design requires two things – time and money. It takes time to learn about a client’s business, their competitive environment and their audience. It also takes time to explore possible solutions and distilling them down to the most appropriate for the client’s specific situation. Without the time investment, and the money to pay for it, a project can quickly erode to decoration and not strategic graphic design that solves a given communication problem.

It’s important to take personal preferences out of the design equation. Just because a client (or worse, their spouse) thinks PMS 185 is the bee’s knees, it may not be the best choice to hit a chord with the audience. Everything within a design should be there for a reason. The designer should be able to communicate, and defend why this or that is included. The client, who’s the one paying for our expertise, should listen.

For smaller and independent design practices, cash flow is often king. Clients should respect that and pay invoices in a timely manner.

Neil (nt) Tortorella | Marketing Manager
Tortorella Design | The Marketing Mind | Creative Latitude | BoDo Team | Marketing Minute

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Nigel gives a few pointers

The main thing clients need to know is what their budget is. If they’re serious about their organisation or business, then they must have some idea of how much money they have in the pot. How do you run a company and not know your own finances? Of course, many people refuse to pass on this information because they fear that the designer is going to bill to the penny exactly what they say they can afford, so it’s up to me to explain and convince them that if they can only afford a smaller budget, then they may have to reduce their expectations of what their site will be able to do.

Additional points:

• Clients should realise that I am a professional designer, which means that my time has a financial value attached.
• There is no such thing as a “five minute job”.
• I won’t supply designs with my written proposal, even if the other pitch candidates are (I tend to win the pitches anyway).
• I trained for several years before I became a professional designer and I currently have over 18 years’ experience. I know what I’m doing.
• Just because the client wants a simple-looking Web site does not mean it is a simple process to achieve it.

Nigel Gordijk | Web Designer | Consultant
Common Sense Design | Common Sense Small Business Toolkit

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Roger believes communication is key

Clients should be able to concisely communicate their design needs in terms of marketing goals. After a few minutes conversation, designers should be able to create–on the basis of the client’s answers, a Creative Brief answering the following questions:

• Who the market is they’re trying to reach? Are their prospects young, old, rich, poor, blue collar, professional, etc. Are they accustomed to reading? What is their market’s likely attitude to the client’s message?
• What is the action they want prospects to take? Buy something, visit a website, download a report, attend an event, relocate, etc.
• What obstacles stand in the way of attaining their goals? What keeps their prospects from taking the desired action? Lack of money, lack of information, bad credit, etc.
• What is the primary message they want to communicate? What is the single, main, idea that prospects should take away from the project?
• Who are their competition? What are their competition’s URLs, what do their marketing materials look like, what are the competition’s primary messages?
• Where will the project appear? If it’s an advertisement, will it appear in an upscale magazine or a local daily newspaper?
• Are their any restrictions or limitations? Has a budget for the project been approved? Does the client have an idea of what the project should cost? What is the project’s deadline?
• Who’s in charge? Where does final responsibility rest? Is there a single individual in charge, or will the designer be reporting to a committee? Who has to sign-off on the project, and how reachable are they?

Roger C Parker | Designer | Writer | Marketing Consultant
Design To Sell Online | Roger C. Parker Design to Sell Blog | Design to Sell

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Scott needs clients to tell him the problem

I’m contacted on a regular basis by clients or potential clients regarding upcoming projects for which they need design and/or html/css work. Often there’s limited information on which to produce an accurate estimate or with which to gauge the amount of time that might be required to complete the project. Couple this with evasiveness to provide even a rough budget on occasion and you have a recipe for trouble.

I find it’s a general problem with the industry and people requiring design services. It’s a difficult concept to grasp for the people outside the industry because what we do can seem like black magic. People understand the output, but have trouble grasping the process and therefore tend to undervalue the work required to get to the end product.

Ideally I’d like clients to be able to concisely tell me the problem they need to solve or some background on their situation so I can determine the actual problem. Clients will say “I need a website”. My response would be “why”?

I’d love to be able to spend more time educating clients, particularly on the web because there’s so few that really “get it”. A lot of people’s experiences with the web are really bad, they only know really badly designed websites or say “make it look like Apple”. Clients focus too much on the pure visual experience and not as much on usability, accessibility and other less glamorous things but which are equally if not more important.

I’d like clients to know a bit about me, my company, the work I’ve done in the past, the types of clients I’ve worked with. Clients need to be able to sell a project to me, not just expect that they can call and I’ll jump all over their project. It doesn’t happen. I won’t say never, but 9 times out of 10, I’m too busy to take on new work unless it’s really interesting and they can prove to me that they’ll be good to work with.

Scott Boms | Communication Designer
Wishingline DS

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Stefan has the client’s best interest in mind

Well, we aren’t cheap. Good design shouldn’t be, in fact if it is, I would be a little concerned about where it’s coming from. But because we don’t pretend to be cheap, we are able to offer a service that in my mind is the best possible design available, and that is what we strive for on every project. We believe great design is essential to running a successful business. Design builds experiences, perceptions and loyalty before the consumer ever uses your product/service, so if your presentation is not the best possible, it will ultimately make choosing a much more sharp competitor that much easier. Not only that but great design gives credibility to a brand. A business that takes care to manage their brand image from the beginning is probably more likely to pay that kind of attention to their clients needs. We certainly believe that about our own brand and it is proving to be a successful philosophy.

Secondly, we are the designers. Yes, we want your input, in fact we cherish it, but if the client comes in expecting us to be production artists, then they probably aren’t the right client for us. Ultimately we want to work with every client like we are in partnership. The client came to us for design because that is not their specialty, so let us do the design work you hired us for. Because they have hired professionals, that will give them the opportunity to do what they do best, manage their company. We have every clients best interest in mind and wouldn’t let any work walk our our door that we didn’t feel would bring our client success.

Have a budget in mind. It’s always good to know what you have to work with on a project so you know if you have to be really creative in order to give them an excellent piece, or if you can splurge on some more expensive processes or materials. Ultimately we want every piece to look like a fortune was spent on it, but sometimes you don’t have a fortune to spend.

Finally, we want to be able to build a relationship with every client that walks through our doors. Loyalty is far less expensive than skipping around having to explain your story time and time again. That’s why we can offer most every need your business might have so we can fill your needs as they come up. And, it also gives us the opportunity to let you know when it might be a good time to try something new that could give your firm a leg up on your competition. That’s why being in a partnership is so beneficial. It lets us know you’ll be coming back and you know we have your best interest in mind every time.

Stefan Bean | President/Creative Director
Pulse Creative Partners, Inc. | BoDo Author | Bean’s Biz

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Tamar has the target audience in mind

While we are designers, and for the most part, good at what we do, we are not magicians. We can not turn a 100 pixel x 100 pixel 72 dpi image into a 300 dpi 4″x 5″ print-ready image without MAJOR loss of quality.

Truth be told, the final design really isn’t about what the designer, or even the client likes - to be effective, it NEEDS to be about what will attract the target audience.

You get what you pay for. Sure, there are less expensive online companies clients can go to, but they will not get the research, experience and expertise that they would get when working with a designer.

Tamar Wallace | Communication Designer
Tamar Graphics | Tamar Graphics blog

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Von gets to the point

Small business owners: If they want cheap they shouldn’t call me. I mean that both monetary wise and conceptual wise. I am not an extension of their arm. If allowed to do my job unfettered, I am a serious professional who can equip their business to succeed.

Larger Agencies/Firms: I can be your hired creative gun. Allow me to expand your firms creative spectrum and offer your clients more without increasing your overhead.

Von R. Glitschka | Illustrator
Glitschka Studios | IllustrationClass.com | Art Backwash | Three Thumbs Up Award

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Summary

The answers have been written with the client in mind, but a clear message comes through for the designer - designers need to communicate how they work, and this includes their expectations of the client / designer relationship.

Several years back a number of us put together a Clients Code of Conduct. If you can hang on about fifteen minutes, it’s on the way. It was an interesting exercise, and one I feel should be batted around more, so please feel free to leave a comment as I’d love to get your views. Along these same lines is another project you may want to look into, Chuck Green’s Design Constitution.

Certain client issues are delicate because they tend to bring up past or future sins. To get around the possibility of driving away a potential client with too much truth too soon, some designers prepare a brief how we work page on a website, a small brochure for that first or second meeting, or a pdf they can email or have clients download from their site. The downside of doing it that way is you might end up fielding window shoppers. By laying it all out (partial payment up front, kill fees, late charges, etc.), you have a better chance of weeding out the less serious clients.

If you don’t have this information easily available (and why not?) then a perfect opportunity to explain in detail (or even again) is the project proposal. Describe your process and procedures in black and white, then go over the items to field questions either in person, Skype, IM, phone or email.

If you are unsure how to put together a proposal, talented Web designer Nigel Gordijk tells all in fabulous detail in his e-book Learn how to write better, more professional Web design project proposals. For those who prefer a slim skim or want to keep their overheads down, Nigel also has a short Creative Latitude article, How to write a winning proposal.

Next week we’ll get back to the discussion of process. Before we do, up next is our Clients Code of Conduct. And for a bit of client levity, Tom, the host of Dire Straits is joining in on the client discussion with Clients, the Crisis.

until the next
Designers WW,
cat