The Tenuous Relationship

We designers love our work. A lot. We're like mama bears cuddling our precious cubs. Cute right? But, alas, there are other creatures in the forest. Take for example, the wayward hiker (our client). Sometimes a hiker (client) will inadvertently wander into the mama bear's (designer's) territory and separate them from their beloved cubs (work) by suggesting changes or offering disapproval. This is when the urge to kill (to kill) rises in the mama bear (designer). But if the mama bear attacks the hiker--who happens to be armed to the teeth--the mama bear will be sadly offed (fired) and the cubs (work) will starve and die (become a waste of time).

So how can the mama bears (us, you, me) keep their heads about them? Well, here's how I think you do it:

A client (hiker) is never wrong. If there is a weak link in your presentation, the clients are usually spot on in detecting the errant piece. but they may not have the vocabulary to truly express what's wrong with it. They may just say "I don't like this so and so, try something else altogether," or maybe they'll give you a specific direction: "We don't think this element should have this so and so, do this instead."

That kind of relationship is like a hiker poking an already angry bear with a stick. Speaking for all the legless wonders out there (they're the lucky ones) this is not something you want to do.

As a designer it's our job, surprisingly, to ask for something more from our clients. Yes, they're paying for our services and if they want something they should get it, but they're also paying for our expertise, for our eyes, for our vision. It's our job to listen, to help them explore a vocabulary for their concerns, to help them feel around the problem until both we and they have a true sense for what's ailing the work, at which point--if we've done our jobs--the solution should be clear to both parties.

By keeping an open dialog you disarm your client. Demanding legitimate communication keeps your client from treating you a bit like a trained monkey and allows you to create real solutions for your client, instead of just taking orders.

Why do I preach so much?

Before I Forget

I just wanted to remind myself that staying loose (psychologically that is) is so important to turning on my imagination (which is really the best little designer inside us all).

If I've got some preconceived notion of how something should look before I actually get into it, I've lost the battle already.

I'd prefer to squoosh a bad design whose details I've been fiddling with for four weeks (and send out a better design idea that I spent 5 minutes on) than put something immaculately ugly out there with my name on it.

In summary: Don't be afraid of the "delete" key. Use it freely. If you use it too freely...there always "Apple+Z."

Okay...Here's Something

So, right now, I'm sooooo predictable. My work is about as corporate and bland as it can be. I think I've come to the point where I need a major shake down.

You know what did it? It was a really simple thing. It was the Lifelong Friendship Society's webpage. the background image takes FOREVER to load. You know why I don't care? Because It's awesome. That background image is worth every second. They ignored a major caveat of web design: Don't keep your public waiting. But, like I said, who gives a shit how long I waited? That background image leaves that rule in the dust and pisses on its mother's grave.

How can I implement that kind of rule breaking into my current work? I don't know yet. But I feel a post on how to break rules coming on.

Article 1 in my manifesto states:

Design should be surprising; sucker punch, hand-buzzer, frogs from the sky, finger-in-the-gun-barrel surprising.

I think more rule breaking might be a key element in creating surprising design. It seems so obvious now that I said it out loud.

Christmas: A Time for Lurning

So I got what I wanted for Christmas. I got a sorely needed occupational education. For anyone seeking information on starting a creative enterprise of any sort I would recommend this book: The Business Side of Creativity. It covers any question you might have. Any question at all. This book answered all the questions I didn't even know enough to ask. It covers everything from how to find an accountant (who knew you needed an actual accountant) to billing questions to potential employee issues (should the event arise).

On top of that I got a boatload of Phaidon books, which I'm keen on perusing. I'm excited to peruse the Paperwork volumes as well as the thick tome that is The Art of Looking Sideways.

As far as truly educational books go I also got The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst and Talent Is Not Enough by Shel Perkins. Now I suppose I should really look for a textbook style guide to designing for print (i.e. standard practices, tips for using Pantone color matching system, etc.). Any recommendations?

WoW (Words of Wisdom)

Some Great words of wisdom from the man at Noisy Decent Graphics

Present passion not perfection.
20 years of Mac means we've lost a lot of energy from graphic design, so let's try and get it back. Turn the computer off, get up from the desk, draw, sketch, make roughs, present your roughs. Always remember a sketch sells an idea better than a finished visual, because the client uses their imagination to buy into the idea. We recently did a whole presentation on post it notes. Present passion not perfection.

Words I'll certainly give a "Here! Here!" to.

Darwinian Design.

There's the Darwinian phrase "Survival of the fittest". I think in design one could make the qualification: "Survival of the ingeniousest." It seems pretty obvious, but it makes for a good motto for the plaque on your mizzenmast.

The Art of the Pitch

I really need to learn how to sell. My ideas. Myself. My work. I wasn't really born with what anyone would call a "business sense."

I'm a -- yeah, I'll say it -- I'm a smart guy. I'm intrigued by many, many things and have rarely met a challenge that I didn't tackle in one way or another. The one thing I haven't yet wrapped my head around is business. The financing, the networking, the selling selling selling. It just wasn't hard wired into me.

All I've ever wanted to do is to build things. I've neglected the part where I'm supposed to sell the things I build. But that's not what sold me on learning how to sell. What sold me was that I realized that without being able to convince the client that the work I've done is right for them, I'll forever be in the pocket of the client, churning out safe and boring work that they'll be proud of, but I'll be kicking myself for. I'm not worried about selling my services. I'm worried about selling my ideas.

If I can't learn to sell my ideas, all is lost (insert melodramatic epiphany music).

Thus, I have resolved to learn the art of the pitch.