The 7 most important factors
Through my learnings as a freelance designer and business owner, I have devised a list of seven most important factors that are essential to keep in mind in order to run a successful design business. This post actually comes from a report I wrote in 2009 about “The business of design and how it works”.
01 // CREATIVITY
When a business person comes to a design firm they are usually looking for help in visually communicating a product, service or concept. Ideas are precious, not everyone can have a stream of them and “being creative” is highly regarded by “left-brained” people who are usually NOT in the business of design.
The client: They come to us because they believe we are “creative”. They expect us to come up many ideas and innovations that will set them apart from their competitors.
Tip: Firstly, I like to think of “our” creativity as “visual creativity”. Some clients may be conceptually creative, but not necessarily visually creative. Watch out for this! Because a lot of “left brained” people may have good ideas that you can nurture and further develop into visual solutions.
Secondly, BE ON THE ROLL!!! We all know this doesn’t always happen. Many high profile designers will argue this point. But in my experience, after speaking with various industry connoisseurs, everyone has their “off” day.
As author William Polmer once said “Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected”. Sometimes, creativity doesn’t spark when you are right in-front of that sketchbook or screen. Be patient, let your brain rest, take a walk, do something crazy, weird or fun! Something will always come up.
02 // INVOLVEMENT
Following on the topic of creativity, involving the client could be a double edge sword. This could all depend on their level of involvement and how the designer manages the process. As a design professional, keeping tight and covert control over the client is key to keeping the project on track. However, if this control turns into individualism and excluding collaboration then the relationship may suffer. This may result in an unmotivated, disapproving and unhappy client.
The client: Usually people want to be part of the creation process, this is mainly because they want to have some ownership or feeling of “I helped create that”. When clients are involved they may feel happier and more motivated resulting in them developing trust for you.
Tip: Coming from a family background of psychology, sociology and human behavioural studies, I find that every designer must delve into this topic so they can better understand, manage situations and different types of clients.
03 // VALUE
Businesses are always looking for good value. In tough economies designers must be aware and sensitive to the pricing of their services. However, value must be accurately quoted so that all costs, overheads and reasonable earning are covered.
The client: Clients will always seek lower prices for quality goods or services. It is extremely important that as a design business, the value in kind in fully reflected in the services provided so that there is healthy competition and standards for pricing are kept for the industry as a whole.
Tip: It is the responsibility of the designer as a business person to accurately price themselves according to current economic times. Research trends, pricing models, talk to people, analyze your competitors and most of all be aware of the current economies. Off course, this would not apply to designers who work as employees. This would mostly apply to freelancers as well as design firms.
04 // QUALITY
All solutions must be created and produced with a set standard in mind. Off course, everyone has different expectations of what quality is, however there are certain industry standards that dictate rules about this important part in the business of design.
The client: Whatever you do, if you agree and offer “quality” this must be adhered to. Don’t let your client think cheaply of you and be disappointed with the final outcome. This may happen anyway, as they may not like your idea, but if the actual deliverable does not work (i.e. a website’s shopping cart or a magazine falling apart) then you are in deep trouble.
Tip: Testing, Testing, Testing! Any design needs to be tested and adjusted to achieve quality standards. In this way, we all avoid having to explain why “the box is not closing” to the furious client who just spend $10,000 for you to package their product.
05 // FOCUS
Being focused and clear in your communication is key in delivering a salable message or product. However discussing and disseminating the clients vision may sometimes be a challenge.
The client: Some clients have a strong and focused messages for you to work with… but unfortunately many expect us to sort out their minds. What they don’t realize is that we are not mind readers. That is why knowing how to deal with people and managing these type of processes comes in handy. Helping and talking through their vision and strategy is essential for them to keep focus and for us to stick to a plan.
Tip: Strategy is very important, there are many books that talk about this subject, from design to business strategy. Client sometimes expect for you to solve their business problems! Don’t. However, having some idea of these type of topics will give you a competitive advantage as a design business. You will not just create pretty pictures, but give them strategic wholesome solutions.
06 // RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Both for the design business and the client ROI is important to ensure financial success. Most businesses fail within the first 3 - 5 years. So a good business person is always keeping the numbers in their mind.
The client: In many instances the client will doubt, hesitate and cringe at the fact that they are spending money on what may seem to be just a “pretty picture”. They want to make sure that they are investing with the right firm, at the right time for the right cause.
Tip: In order for you as a designer to validate your services, ideas and deliverables, putting in place researched benchmarks is essential in persuading and backing up your proposed design solution.
07 // TIME
Lastly, time… time is of essence. Everyone has a different perception of time. It is extremely important that all parties are on the same page at the start of a job to avoid confusion and missed deadlines.
The client: Clients will always want stuff done yesterday!! They will usually delay on their approvals and deliverables and will most likely spring up unexpected deadlines. The usual consensus is that they don’t really understand how much time is involved and they totally underestimate production times for designers.
Tip: When engaging on new projects, it is best to be upfront with availability and to be totally realistic with the time it takes to complete a project. Depending on the designers’ or studios’ availability, clients may jump around to get quotes and time schedules that suit them best. So be prepared to loose a job if the client doesn’t want to wait 3 months for you to get back from Africa!
When starting a job, a project timeline or Gantt Chart is a good visual way to get all deliverables, designer and client tasks, production dates, dependencies and risks signed off and approved by all parties before starting a project.
”Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.” Walt Disney
