1
Feb
The Teeter Totter Effect When it comes to working with clients and finding the happy balance between sharing your creative solutions as a designer while working with the ideas of the client. I have found that there are rules of engagement which help the process move forward rather than backward: Creating a solution that is based on collaboration  is KEY Understanding that you are the creative professional and that your client is a professional in their business and understands their product and service much better than you is a must mindset Do not be afraid to share your concerns about proposed ideas and be ready to back up those ideas with concrete reasoning Much of design is not only in creating the killer piece but in deciphering the clients needs and wants. It is important to understand that they (the client) typically do not eat, live and breathe this stuff as we do- therefore it is important to listen and interpret what they are really asking for. Finally, I really look at this process as a Teeter-Totter effect in that at the outset of the project the teeter totter is usually balanced and everybody is excited to play. As time goes on however  the teeter-totter dips from one side to the other. Hopefully nobody gets tossed :) A typical project for me goes through 4-6 revisions before a design is accepted as the blessed final and once again the teeter-totter rests in the happy middle. Working with clients can be and usually is a very rewarding experience that opens the door of opportunity for growth and understanding. The client become a bit more educated as to the design process and the designer begins to hone business skills and refine technique. That’s how I typically roll and it has thus far worked for me :)

The Teeter Totter Effect

When it comes to working with clients and finding the happy balance between sharing your creative solutions as a designer while working with the ideas of the client. I have found that there are rules of engagement which help the process move forward rather than backward:

  1. Creating a solution that is based on collaboration  is KEY
  2. Understanding that you are the creative professional and that your client is a professional in their business and understands their product and service much better than you is a must mindset
  3. Do not be afraid to share your concerns about proposed ideas and be ready to back up those ideas with concrete reasoning
  4. Much of design is not only in creating the killer piece but in deciphering the clients needs and wants. It is important to understand that they (the client) typically do not eat, live and breathe this stuff as we do- therefore it is important to listen and interpret what they are really asking for.

Finally, I really look at this process as a Teeter-Totter effect in that at the outset of the project the teeter totter is usually balanced and everybody is excited to play.

As time goes on however  the teeter-totter dips from one side to the other. Hopefully nobody gets tossed :)

A typical project for me goes through 4-6 revisions before a design is accepted as the blessed final and once again the teeter-totter rests in the happy middle.

Working with clients can be and usually is a very rewarding experience that opens the door of opportunity for growth and understanding. The client become a bit more educated as to the design process and the designer begins to hone business skills and refine technique.

That’s how I typically roll and it has thus far worked for me :)