There would be no need for graphic designers if clients did not exist. No client you deal with will be the same. Some clients are easy to work with while others are difficult. Positives and negatives exist to having both extremes of clients. “It feels like cheating to have a client who approves all your ideas and never questions what you are doing” (Page 104). When clients don’t challenge a designer they aren’t forced to work beyond their original work. The push or dissatisfaction of a client can inspire award winning designer. Additionally, a fine line exists where clients can become overbearing. Adrian Shaughnessy shares “…I’ve encountered my share of arrogant know-it-alls who don’t want to listen to any advice whatsoever, and who want to control the designer process from start to finish” (Page 104). Though a difficult client can help you push through a spectacular design, an overly difficult client can cripple the design process. As a designer you were hired to do your job, which is to design. If the difficult client was able to do this themselves then they would have. It is important to remember that the client needs you as much as you need the client.
Treating your clients like you treat your friends is crucial to success. This is not to say that you need to make your clients your friends but they needed to be treated as you would someone you respect. It is acceptable to have clients that are friends. At the same time you need to make sure there is a detachment. Your work as a designer for a friend should not effect your friendship with that person. Once you know your clients you will be better able to predict what they need and want. Each client is going to be different. “Designers have to be hyper-attentive to the individual needs of clients” (Page 105). Make sure that you know the needs of your client. Figure out what they want from you and from the design. Never assume anything when working with a client.
It is important to challenge clients. “Clients need to be challenged when they are wrong, and by not challenging them we are doing them a professional disservice” (Page 105). If you are an established designer this is absolutely necessary. Your career should never be compromised because you didn’t speak up when a client was wrong. You need to know how to tell a client they are wrong. Don’t immediately dismiss them. Make sure you explain your perspective and how they’re idea might not be a viable option. Also, you could agree to give their idea a shot but explain to them how the idea might not be the best execution. The client designer relationship should be one of equality. Both the designer and client should feel comfortable offering suggestions and alternative strategies.
Relevant to challenging clients is to not tell clients what to think about your work. “We know what we’d like our clients to think about our work. But we must resist the temptation to tell them what to think, or how they should be responding to our work” (Page 107). Never tell a client that they should think about your work! They are a free-thinking individual and let them exercise that. How would you like a client to tell you how to design? Allow clients to decide how they feel. Give them time if they need time. In all cases of design it isn’t merely being judged from your perspective. It is the audience and clients perspective that matters.
Personality is very important when discussing clients and the relationships designers have with clients. “Designers tend to be either heroes or doormats. If you are a doormat, then I’m afraid you will, on occasion, be stepped on” (Page 107). However, if you are a hero you will not be walked over. The reason for this is that you will have the interests of your clients at mind. If you are a designer not of hero status it can be acquired. It will take some work but it is doable.
Working for clients multiple times is great for business. But don’t let this client be the only one you work for. Make sure that you’re allowing your studio or self to explore other options for work. Once you begin to work with a client multiple times you will begin to get a sense of what they are looking for and the work should become easier. To get to this point you most develop a relationship with the client. Allow them to see that you value their work contribution. Some suggestions include inviting a client to a dinner in-house to show them around the studio. Giving a tour of the studio and introducing them to employees will give the client a better of sense of all that work that goes into your design work.
In “How to be a graphic designer, without losing your soul” Adrian Shaughnessy writes of one great law in all design presentations. The law is “…tell your audience what you are going to show them and then show it to them” (Page 111). Obviously, no designer wants to disappoint clients. Tell them what you’re showing them and follow through! By explaining what you are about to show, showing it and then being quiet you are allowing the clients to absorb everything you’ve showed them. This should aide you as a designer looking to get work.
When your reputation of a designer grows the same happens to your fame. “There is even a theory, currently gaining widespread credence in design circles, that predicts that if you have too much fame it boils over and scalds your feet” (Page 121). The more fame you have as a designer the more it can hurt you. This might seem slightly ridiculous but in some senses it is true. Many people strive to work with people up and comers, hoping that both the designer and company can advance. However, if the designer is already famous can you truly increase your notoriety through design. As a designer you need to stay focused and humble.
Adrian Shaughnessy writes about this topic, “The lesson is simple: we must not confuse admiration and respect with fame or celebrity. A number of groups have sought to acquire fame and celebrity by hyping themselves and behaving more like boy bands than design groups” (Page 121). As stated before staying humble is extremely important. If a design firm’s head gets too big there might not be any room for it eventually. This will cause it to implode and all the fame and success will be for nothing. The reason for this is because your reputation will speak for itself. Don’t lose sight of who you are as a designer. Once that happens it is all over.
Self-promotion can get designers work. One way to go about self-promotion is to do work not simply for your bank balance. Work should constantly be happening as a designer. In between jobs or in your free time you should do work for your portfolio that didn’t earn you a check. This shows a commitment to your craft. This work for self will not always impress clients. Clients are typically looking for work done based off of a brief but work for yourself can be rewarding and inspiring.
Competition is a big part of a design. As a designer you’re competing with other designers for work. There are also opportunities for designers to take part in self-promotion by entering design competition. Opinions on design competitions are 50/50. Some don’t see the value of design competitions because winning a design award doesn’t mean that you are “the best” (Page 125). Other designers see the value in design competitions and enter as many as they can. The reason for entering is that they win it is a great promotional item. This success can be and should be exploited. Winning a design competition can put you on the map.
In any career professional organization can be excellent networking tools. When you join a professional organization you enter into a pool of contacts. Professional organizations offer support, advice and education for designers (Page 125). These tools offered by professional organizations are extremely important as designers grow. Also, membership in an organization allows you the opportunity to see socialize with other designers and stay up to date on the latest happenings in the design world. What goes hand and hand with this is attending conferences. Attending conferences allows designers to network with others and present the work you’ve completed to colleagues.
Design is a dual world. It is about you and about the client. Neither should ever be compromised. You need to use self-promotion to advance. At the same time you need to hold true to clients while not losing sight of who you are as a designer.
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