Clients

When projects go wrong, designers tend to blame their clients. But its usually designers who are to blame. Yes, there are bad clients, but they are often turned into bad clients by designers treating them badly. Designers get the clients they deserve - the good, the bad and the indifferent.

The only way to build these great designer-client relationships is to create them ourselves. We cant rely on our clients to do it. The onus is on us to make these equal partnerships happen. But how do we do this? In a word: empathy. Empathy is a great attribute for a designer: it provides understanding and objectivity.

And just when we think we've learnt how to deal with clients, we find one who doesn't fit our game plan. In truth, all we ever learn to do is handle a particular client. When another comes along, we have to start all over again. Clients can be capricious. They can be fickle and indecisive. This is a hard thing to contend with. But no one ever escapes it.

Doing all the dull stuff like written quotes, establishing payment terms and agreeing schedules is essential. Even when clients are casual and relaxed it is vital to maintain professional standards. When we complain that clients don't treat us like 'professionals' it is usually because we haven't behaved professionally.

Graphic Design: A User's Manual by Adrian Shaughnessy