Designer client relationship

Let’s chat about designer / client relationship:

Before working with a designer you, the client, should check out their credentials. Check out their education and experience. The higher the experience and education, usually means your quality will be better and therefore the price will be higher. You have heard the saying you get what you paid for right? Cheap is cheap.

PLEASE don’t ask for someone to work for free. You wouldn’t ask your plumber to do spec work. “If you fix it, I will pay you.” No, you’ll still pay him for his time. Or perhaps you go to the doctor and they can’t tell you what’s wrong. You’re going to pay to go to another one and get a second opinion or you are going to keep going back to the original doctor so that you can get a solution. Design is just like that. It’s a professional service that you pay for. You either pay a package price or an hourly fee for the service that you are receiving. Hopefully at the end you will have everything you wanted.

Before getting started and signing a contract both parties (designer and client) need to understand what the project is about and what the expectations are. Make sure you, the client, are understanding what you are getting from the designer by reading the contract provided. If things go outside of that contract, you should expect additional fees.

Communication matters

You should make sure that you understand how the designer communicates. Phone, email, Skype? Does this match your communication style? Will it work for you? This is huge in the designer client relationship.

You’ll need to provide the designer with any and all thoughts you have on the project. What’s the problem to be solved? Do you have any preconceived ideas about the solution? If so, tell them to the designer. Neither of you wants to be a mind reader. Chances are things won’t go well if one of you is holding on to information that the other should have.

Provide all documentation you have for the project including all the text that is needed for the project. Unless the designer is working on the copy for you or a copywriter is also part of the project. It’s best to hand over finished content before the designer starts. It will save you time and money.

What’s the fee?

Most designers will ask for an upfront deposit or portion of the full fee before any work begins. Your last payments will most likely be due before you get final files.