We’d all like to think that every design project is completed without a hitch, and that every client-designer relationship has the making of a beautiful life-long commitment. However, we know that sometimes it just isn’t the case. Things can go terribly wrong, and it can start with something as simple as a miscommunication. The good news is, we can take some simple, yet important steps to avoid the worst and also get out of your designer what you have hired him or her to do in the first place (and possibly more.)
1. Be concise.
In the beginning of a project, details are outlined and discussed in order to provide an accurate quote on price and time required to complete the project. Be sure to lay all details on the table up front. Designers often come across a common–and frustrating–problem called “scope creep” wherein the project begins to require extra work as it evolves. Most designers will include a small amount of scope creep with no additional fee to you; however, if a significant enough amount of work is being added to the original project outline, your designer may deny the changes, or insist on adding additional fees to the project. I have seen all too often a client-designer relationship end because either the client misunderstood that any work added to the project is not free, or the designer didn’t ask enough details in the original meeting to provide a proper proposal. Both sides of this situation can avoid frustration by being absolutely forthcoming with all details and ask questions to anticipate any possible change in project later on.
2. Get everything in writing.
Your designer should always provide you with a detailed proposal package after your initial meeting. This package will reiterate everything originally discussed. It should include all of the details of the project, the process or execution, milestone dates, and the price breakdown for all elements involved. In some cases (and I highly recommend this) packages should also include an outline of all team members involved in the project, as well as their roles. This clarifies who will be responsible for what tasks and by what dates these tasks are to be completed. Be sure all team members have the same deadline dates.
Before any work is completed and a deposit is sent to the designer, the client should review this package and alter any details necessary. Both parties should sign the package and each have a copy.
This detailed package will serve as your agreement between both parties to ensure the project stays on track, and will hopefully eliminate any miscommunications that arise after the project has begun.
3. Provide all supporting documents and files in the requested formats, and on time.
You’ve agreed to certain deadlines. Those deadlines can only be met if supporting collateral is submitted to the designer on time, and in the formats required. If there is any delay in this process, your designer may need to charge you additional fees for any overtime or scheduling change incurred as a result. Be sure to give yourself ample time to supply these items and avoid a time crunch in the end.
4. Give useful feedback.
There is nothing that derails a project like feedback such as, “I don’t like it, do something else.” If you laid out your visions for the project in the initial meeting, your designer should be able to provide you with something very close to the mark. It does happen from time-to-time that your first draft will not be what you had originally expected. Perhaps your ideas sounded good but did not meet the requirements upon execution, or perhaps the designer has misinterpreted something. Either way, if an entire “redo” is required be sure to provide your designer with details about why it doesn’t work, or where the process went wrong. Never give empty feedback; if the designer needs to clutch at straws to find what you’re looking for, frustration will mount on both sides.
5. Collect your thoughts before requesting changes.
It’s a bit comical after the fact, but I cannot express how many times I’ve received emails from clients requesting changes, but they request them one at a time and send an email every time they think of something. While you may have a more casual and free relationship with your designer, this does actually cause a major problem in the revision process. Most designers juggle multiple clients with multiple projects. Imagine if every client requested changes this way. Designers would have to constantly open and close files, make the revision, save the file, create a new proof, email that proof, and record the time spent on that quick little change. What should be a committed process of thoughtful revisions turns into a muddle of administrative work. The best way to manage revisions is to minimize them by reviewing your project with focus, thoughtfully planning out the changes and making one request to your designer with all of the details. This way your designer can also understand your methodology and possibly make additional suggestions to improve the project. It also ensures your designer doesn’t lose hair.
6. Be honest.
We all know that sh*t happens. Perhaps you aren’t able to pay your invoice on time, or circumstances prevent you from meeting a deadline. By being honest and speaking to your designer about the situation, you are more likely to be able to work through it together and come to an agreement than if you fabricate the reality of it. Don’t ever tell your designer that a cheque is in the mail if it isn’t. We see the postmark when it arrives and if you have lied, we are far less likely to accommodate you in the future if you need a rush job, or if you need to be extended a courtesy.
A bit of a side note to the honesty category: Don’t play power trips or make false accusations. Many designers learn in the beginning to record everything, not only to track time spent but also to ensure that they have a record of what has transpired. I had a client accuse me of withholding project files that had actually been transferred to them via DropBox, and he even accused me of never granting permission to the client to access the files. The great thing about DropBox is that it has a transaction history with no time limit, so I was able to go back and find the record of when that client not only accepted my access invitation, but downloaded the files in question. This kind of blatant lying gains absolutely nothing in your relationship, and is likely to sever the relationship completely, perhaps even mid-project.
7. Be respectful.
You care about your business, as does your designer. In the case of a freelance designer, most often we are a one-man show. We must juggle our multiple clients with multiple projects as well as answer our phones, do our bookkeeping, keep up with social networking and attend real life networking events. Our time IS our business, and it must be scheduled meticulously in order to succeed. Don’t call someone six times in a row just because he or she doesn’t pick up, and don’t leave multiple voice mails saying the same thing. The matter may be urgent, but there is a good reason the person didn’t pick up the first time. Be respectful of that and you will receive respect in return.
8. Be open-minded.
Our job as designers is to execute your vision. You know what it is you want out of your project, and you’ve expressed this to the best of your ability to your designer. A good designer, however, will make suggestions on how something can be done better, or differently. Be open to new ideas and fully explore the positives and negatives of these suggestions. Your designer should also understand that it is your project and your company, and every decision about your project should be made in the interest of end goals.
9. Pay on time.
I know this one can be touchy, but it’s one of the most important issues in question. I hear a lot from fellow designers that they struggle regularly to be paid on time, and sometimes they struggle to be paid at all. I’m not sure why this is so common, actually. Obviously clients believe in the need for the designer, otherwise they would not have hired one in the first place. But when it comes to the invoice, it is like the client shifts into the Bermuda Triangle and suddenly cannot be found or contacted.
Design is not free, and it is not “easy.” Design is a career and a way of paying the bills for most of us. A great deal of creativity, research and knowledge goes into everything your designer does. For every new client we take on, we must learn a new company in order to understand how our work can help your business flourish. How or why that doesn’t carry the same value as a plumber for your leaky faucet, I will never understand.
By paying your invoices on time, you are showing your designer you respect and value what they do. This in turn will pave the way for your designer to meet and exceed your expectations, and he or she will be more than happy to do so.
A note about deposit payments: If your designer requires a deposit up front (industry standard is 50%), then that deposit needs to be paid before any work will commence. If you have established a good relationship with your designer, he or she may be flexible with this and start work before the deposit arrives, but in most cases this deposit needs to be in the designer’s bank before anything begins. With that in mind, never delay a deposit and expect your designer to still meet the original deadlines.
10. Keep your target market in mind throughout the entire process.
By this, I mean don’t use your kids, spouse, or Grandma Nell to give you feedback on your project. While they may fall within your target audience, they are too close to the project and will not give you the proper feedback you need. Stick to the team members outlined in the original agreement. If further information is needed, hire a research company that specializes in this sort of thing.
CONCLUSION
A client-designer relationship is like a marriage: a certain level of understanding, give-and-take, mutual respect and integrity is necessary to make it work. Should you ever feel the other party is sliding in another direction, discuss it before it gets to the point of no return. With all of this in place your projects should hit the mark, show great success, and you will both benefit from growth.
Have you encountered any other issues in your client-designer relationships that I may have missed?
May 9, 2012 

















