Power Polarities In The Design Business
Friday, March 31st, 2006 by Mike Rundle
It is a fantastic time to be a designer.
I have never seen the design-for-hire industry so saturated with work in my entire life. Almost every single of one of my designer friends (who either are partnered with a few other people, or do all freelance work) are completely and hopelessly booked up with client work. I’m extraordinarily busy, they’re all extraordinarily busy, and this means that who holds the power in the design consulting world has shifted. The shoe’s on the other foot now.
In The Past
Even though the consulting business is based on the idea of peer-business, where a company is paying a person for a service with both parties on the same respect plane, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve emailed or spoken with clients who assumed they were “above me” for whatever reason. For some reason, some companies feel as though “giving designers a project” is like charity work, where if they didn’t give us money to work then we’d starve or live out on the street or something. It is this attitude that causes so many friends of mine to hate clients and hate client work, simply because they had terrible experiences with the wrong types of clients and companies.
But Now…
It feels completely different. I’m totally booked, all my friends are totally booked, and now when I get emails for new projects I can’t take them on. Many companies want to give me money and I turn down their money which probably catches them totally off-guard. I feel bad because they ask for people I can refer them to, and all my friends are booked as well, so what is a company to do? Here are some tips about reaching out to designers for new work:
- Don’t act as though you’re doing them any favors. I’m fickle. If I get the slightest inkling that the project is lame or that the client might not be cool, I’ll turn it down in a heartbeat because I don’t need that type of drama. So many times I’ve received emails from companies saying “We’re in need of a designer for a project ASAP please give us a call” and they just don’t get it. If you don’t tell me off the bat what the project is about, or what your timeline is, or what your budget is, then why should I be interested? Contacting a designer is about selling your project to them so that they get excited and want to jump aboard. Also, I’m not going to call you without knowing what the hell your company does, because that’s a waste of my time.
- Don’t send out massive RFPs to freelancers or small design firms. I might get some flack for this one, but this is truly what I believe. When hearing Jim Coudal speak at SXSW, I think he said that his company automatically turns down all work if the RFP is longer than 3 pages, and I’m behind him 100%. If a company sends me an RFP that has a 1) totally locked-down timeline, 2) so many guidelines that the guidelines have guidelines, 3) or no budget, then I’m not going to respond no matter who it is. I was recently contacted by PBS to redesign I, Cringely and the RFP they sent me was a 10-page scrawl of ridiculous timelines (plus, they emailed it to me without even saying “Hi, Mike!” it was a totally anonymous email) so I just emailed everyone back (including Robert Cringely) and declined it off the bat. I’m not going to waste my time on a politics- and drama-filled project no matter how popular the site is.
- Have a budget? Tell me. Some companies still don’t trust their contractors, and the quickest way to find out if they trust you is to ask them what their budget is for that project. If they say they don’t have a budget, that’s fine, but if they say they have one but then mince words and don’t exactly give you a dollar amount then they don’t trust you. They’re playing that game where they have a number in their head and they want you to hit it or be below it, just so they can save some dough. One time I got an email from a prospective client who told me 1) the project details, 2) their timeline, and 3) their budget, all before I ever emailed them back. That’s the type of stuff designers (or other consultants) love to see because it means you respect our work enough to trust us with your internal project details.
- Shopping around? Tell me. If I’m not the only person you’re talking to for the project, let me know early on so I know what to expect.
- Be friendly. The very first time a company emails a designer, that is their job interview. If you sound like an arrogant jackass in your email, then the designer can assume you’ll be an arrogant jackass all through the project which means the designer will have to put up with your arrogant jackassery for months at a time which means that the designer will probably delete your email off the bat. So be nice, because the first communication you have with a designer is how the designer will think you act, and that’s important.
- Email me, don’t call me. I’m a computer person, and during the day I’m in front of my computer checking my email, so please send me an email instead of calling. If your project is so damn urgent that you need to call me before you email me to save that minute and a half, then I don’t want to take on your project anyway cause it’ll probably be a hassle. And this leads me to…
- If your project sucks, then do it in-house. Is it fun? Will I be able to do good work? Are you a good client? Will you let me design, or will you micromanage? Answer all of these questions in your head before emailing me or any other designer, because if the answer to any of these is “no” then getting a designer or design firm on-board will be a struggle. Designers are cool people, we love to work on cool projects, so if your project really isn’t cool then we won’t be excited about it nor will we won’t put all our energy into it.
The Switch
That first email that a company sends a design firm is like their job interview. We read that email and pluck out everything that’s not there and then draw inferences about 1) the client, and 2) the project just from that little bit of text. Like I said in the first part of this entry, the tides are turning because all the good designers are fully booked so you need to sell yourself and your company if you want our attention. Merely contacting us and saying you’ll pay us to do something isn’t enough anymore, you need to actively get our attention and make us want to work on the project.
Designers In Need Of Work, Listen:
I realize this entry doesn’t apply to people who are just starting out, trying to build a portfolio, or are just trying to make some extra bucks by taking on any project that comes in. However, just because you’d like to build a portfolio or get some work under your built, don’t take on shitty work. Yes, it’s a paycheck, but shitty work will make your life more miserable than if you simply had not taken the job and had less money. I know a lot of people who are just getting started, and many of them ask me to pass on these client emails I just talked about to them, but it’s like passing a disease, I just can’t do it no matter what the circumstances. If you desperately need work to pay for food or housing, then by all means take it on, but if you can do without the extra dough a shitty project brings on then please weigh both sides and think about what a shitty project/client will do for your psyche or morale.
To all companies looking for designers: I hope this helps you out in your search. To all my current and future clients: don’t worry, I love each and every one of you :)
Reader Comments
16 Responses to “Power Polarities In The Design Business”
True true. I also notice that customers tend to think web design should be free. The amount of times we’ve given a superb deal, finished the site then get an email saying ‘oh yeah, can you rearrange that left menu, update this content etc etc’. I send back a polite email saying ‘We’re very happy to, but could you please make your payment for the first project before we open a new one’. Normally, they decide they don’t actually need the work done if they have to pay for it.
We are just starting out but quickly getting to the stage where some customers are released with a smile and no backward glance. I understand why you don’t pass some people on! :)
April 1st, 2006 at 12:55 am
Your point of view here is dead on!
I just hope the right people see it.
April 1st, 2006 at 1:05 am
I agree, Mike — by being selective of your clients, you attract the ones who make your work a delight. There are very few of my clients whom I don’t also count as my friends.
I do wonder, though, whether your entry reflects the state of the industry as a whole, or simply the level to which you and your friends have risen. We each see whatever is around us, and sometimes it’s hard to know whether that is a universal or a personal truth.
I suspect that at almost any time, there is a reasonably constant spectrum of clients — and designers — out there; the key is to reach a level where both respect and finances flow in abundance.
Once each of us reaches that point, I would call that success.
April 1st, 2006 at 2:20 am
I just wanted to chime in and say that what Mike has covered here is true, and very sound advice. When I was at grad school, I needed all the work I could get. Ironically, now that I work for a Fortune 50 company, I get all sorts of freelance offers I end up turning down because I don’t have the time.
I can attest to taking on some projects that I later regretted, because inevitably something else comes along that sounds cool, but your time is already devoted to the less interesting project with a difficult client.
Don’t cater to people that send emails like the one Lea, Jon Hicks, and myself recieved:
http://www.hicksdesign.co.uk/journal/dream-commission
Anyway, I don’t want to just re-hash what Mike said here. My point is, respect yourself and your client, and expect the same from them.
April 1st, 2006 at 3:11 am
Excelent writeup. The thought of the visual design market being so (excuse the term) “hot” right now has crossed my mind lately too. Glad to see my observations confirm on different levels.
April 1st, 2006 at 4:00 am
Great advice and a very good read, I really enjoyed it. Thanks!
April 1st, 2006 at 6:31 am
Mike.
Thank you.
I couldn’t have written it better. I work as the Creative Head of an Indian prepress company.
I’m thinking of forwarding your post onto my CEO - internationally, more and more clients “get it”. In India, graphic design is still a job where clients don’t see any value.
April 1st, 2006 at 6:35 am
Hi Mike!
This is all great information and 100% on target. I am a designer that has newly gone freelance and just received my 1st gig. I appreciate everything you said in this piece. In my day job I work with vendors on RFPs, Statements of Work, License Agreements, etc and have found that short, clear and to the point is critical. However these rules change when it is two major companies working with each other.
April 1st, 2006 at 9:53 am
Very good write up. I am a designer just starting out and these are things that I like to read about so I don’t make some costly miskates in the future.
April 1st, 2006 at 4:33 pm
Great post Mike.
I totally agree that a bad client’s costs far outweigh their benefits (monetary or portfolio wise).
April 2nd, 2006 at 1:37 pm
Hi Mike,
My experience completely resonates with yours. I’ve never felt so overwhelmed by job offers - far more than I can handle - and it’s a good (but often tricky) situation to be in. I am also suprised at the informality of “job offers” where people think they’re doing me a favour but their line of “Hey I need a Web 2.0 website design for next week, can you do it?” doesn’t usually interest me.
Have you considered what is a reasonable time-frame for clients to provide designers with? Lately it seems that people are becoming very last minute with their requests for design work.
Thanks again for the post, glad I’m not the only one who feels like this :)
April 2nd, 2006 at 6:20 pm
Well said, Mike, and so true. Respect and proper business communication goes both ways. Everything just works better when businesses approach you like a business partner, instead of just a service worker.
I also want to say that if you do have to turn down an offer, PLEASE reply to them; don’t just ignore them. Sometimes they may still want to keep you in mind for a better, later project — and yes, I am speaking from experience. Don’t cut off communication from the get-go.
Meanwhile, the MAJOR mistake many small businesses make is they get too complacent or stop marketing themselves merely because they are currently successful. So, even when you’re fielding offers left, right and centre, don’t stop marketing yourself and trying to build more client relationships. You don’t want to land that giant client, ignore everyone else, and realize you have nothing left when that giant project is done.
April 2nd, 2006 at 10:34 pm
I’m going to print this out and put it on my wall. If I have moments of paranoia about the work running out, and thus consider low balling a project, I will read this and repeat the mantra, “THE WORK WILL NOT GO AWAY.” I’ve employed many of the “filtering” techniques you describe here, and they’ve made for a more fulfilling work life.
In that vein, I have to echo Lea’s comments about complacency. No matter how successful you are, the momentum must be continued by solidifying client relationships, turning them into valuable networks that feed you more business, and including other marketing efforts as well.
April 3rd, 2006 at 12:40 pm
Wow, Web 2.0 has the egos larger than ever. ;)
April 3rd, 2006 at 6:15 pm
This is one of the most refreshing things I’ve read in awhile. It’s great to hear that I’m not alone in my views. Working in a relationship where you are incompatible with either the client, their working methods, or feeling under appreciated will leave you bitter, tired, and burnt out very quickly. Why go through that when you can work on projects that you feel proud of with clients that appreciate your work?
April 3rd, 2006 at 6:25 pm
Please, someone help Robert Cringely ;)
Seriously though - sometimes it *is* worth a small pile of paperwork to establish a relationship with a marquis client. PBS is bound to require you to jump through hoops to become a vendor and then conform to very specific and rigid guidelines and specs for deliverables and everything a designer loathes. (I’ve sold them services). But - and this is important - once you deliver work that rocks their world, you’re name is on their lips. PBS has their own line-item in the federal budget. Is that a client to say no to b/c you don’t want the hassle?
My point is six months from now PBS may be looking to totally revamp the way they promote independent documentaries online, or the webmaster for This American Life may IM his ex-girlfriend who works for Robert Cringely’s producer looking for a web developer. These are the sort of just-beyond-the-horizon opportunities that no amount of talent will secure all by itself.
(Note: my gf and I recently rented Cringely’s Triumph of the Nerds. Thumbs up, but definitely NOT a date movie.)
April 3rd, 2006 at 10:00 pm
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