Building A Client/Designer Relationship, In A Single Word

You’ve been on the hunt for an excellent new designer. You’ve googled, emailed, called and met several until finally you meet the designer you’ve been looking for. You may be thinking that the hardest part is over. Surely, looking for a designer who just like Brisbane web design that has (a) was suitably skilled, (b) excited about your project and (c) within your budget means that it will all be smooth sailing from here! Hmmmmm, not necessarily!

There are a few things that you need to bear in mind (and practise) when it comes to dealing with your new found partner in design. Actually, it really just comes down to one word: communication

Simple really, isn’t it. Communication is about sharing information.

Good communication will result in you building an incredible, collaborative relationship with your designer. Bad communication will most likely end up with you not getting whatever you wanted. Now, I’m certainly not going to sit here and put it all on your (the client’s) shoulders. A client/designer relationship is the epitome of a two way street – there needs to be great communication from both sides. So to assist you, I’ve written several points below that will help both client and the designer to build a successful relationship.

CLIENTS

* Be open and honest with your designer. If you have got several designers working on concepts to suit your needs, tell them. You never know, a little competition may just produce some out of the box final results.

* Be clear, but concise with your vision. Know what you want. Pick your words thoroughly to describe what you are after. For instance , using the words ‘bold’ and ‘vivid’ will likely produce a different design result to describing your vision as ‘dark’ and ‘intense’.

* Understand that good design takes time. Nothing takes five minutes (and if it did I’d be a bit worried! ). Determine sensible timeframes at the outset with your designer.

* Be able to make a decision. When your designer offers you with options, you can take your time, but ultimately you need to make a YES or NO decision and own it. As always, communicating your reasoning behind your decision can help everyone progress.

* Give a little praise along the way. Always give credit where credit is due. We hope you can gush when you see your design work, but even a simple ‘thank you’ or ‘great job’ will do wonders for the relationship.

* Pay your invoices promptly. No business likes to chase clients for cash, so your designer shouldn’t have to either. If your payment is going to be late, a quick phone call or email to clarify is more believable than ‘I thought I’d paid that’.

* Trust your designer. A good designer will not lead you down the wrong path. Listen to what they say and trust that their ideas and advice come from years of experience.

DESIGNERS

* Build a solid foundation with your client. You can’t expect to produce amazing results based on a 5 minute call and a sketchy creative brief. Take time to understand your client and their business.

* Explain your process to your client. Give them an idea of how you attack a brand new job and give timeframes regarding up-dates, proofs etc .

* Be sure you listen carefully to your clients. In the early stages of a client relationship you have to learn everything you can about them and their business, so keep your ears wide open.

* Give advice when it is warranted. Many clients have very firm ideas about what they really want and how it should appear. As the expert, you might have some suggestions that are not necessarily in line with their current thoughts but would benefit the project.

* Avoid using industry jargon. Most clients will not know or need to know what the dpi, ppi, native file, cmyk or bleed is. Keep it nice and easy when asking for information or explaining a design item.

* Try and provide examples whenever possible. When discussing ideas it can often be hard for a client to visualise what you can. If at all possible email them an example that shows what you are talking about or give them the url link to check out an idea online.

* Always put everything in writing. No doubt both you and your client are very busy and are working on more than just this project. To ensure that there's no misunderstandings along the way, it is important to document any discussions you may have had about the project and also email them through to the client.

Finally, an important point for both client and designer to remember is to be PROFESSIONAL with one another. When discussing your project either over the phone, via email or face to face, act professionally and treat one another with the respect you both deserve. With time you may get to know each other on more personal, friendly level – but in the early stages of the relationship remember that everything that you do or say can impact initial perceptions.

A relationship between a designer and a client can be so gratifying and inspiring – and I know this because I am fortunate enough to have amazing clients. Just remember the number one rule – COMMUNICATION – and with any luck you will be as lucky as I am with Icreate Solutions.