a shared vision
how important is it to have a vision? to visualize the end result...the result of all your hard work...all the time you put into something?
I had a vision when I started exit design. I had a vision that designers and 'design' in general would be professionally run...needed to be professionally run. Needed to be accountable. Needed to be accessible...easily available. I'm talking about good design here...there's enough and more ease of availabilty when it comes to bad design...bad servicing...bad experiences with unprofessional designers.
Which makes wonder, what is professionalism and more importantly - what is a professional designer? I ask 'what' because 'who' is open to personal opinion...
This is my take on a professional designer:
1) Is accessible - always.
This is a common grouse clients hold against freelance designers - 'they're accessible when they want to be'. a simple thing like answering your phone when a client calls, or returning a call if you've missed it. If a client is calling you because he wants to know the status of the job, and you aren't answering the phone because there's a delay...you haven't done it...or can't finish it...or the printer has disappeared - pick up the phone and keep your client informed. But for a little anxiety and stress - ur ok. but yiur client is dying cuz he just doesn't know. Also, it's polite to answer the phone.
2) Delivers on time.
You might be doing a 60pg brochure as well as a greeting card - in theory one might be more important than the other, but in delivery it isn't. Being on time for a meeting, replying to emails promptly and delivering the end result - on time - will win you more brownie points than being 5mins late, replying the next day and delivering a fabulous job 2 hours later than you were originally meant to. Most times, a client just wants a job delivered on time with minimum fuss - fabtastic creative or not.
3) Goes beyond - ''My job ends with the .ai file''
Keeping clients happy is very very important. You needn't do the one legged hula dance to keep him happy, but just stick to your end of the deal and he'll be happy enough. Contrary to popular, and sometimes na�ve, belief - it also means that you will get a crappy client who will make ur life a living hell and the project will get delayed and you will sit at the printers who will screw your happiness and the prints will get fucked and you will have to sit and manually put in 600 plastic binds into the brochures cu nobody else will do it and when you deliver it all your client will express his dissappointment in no uncertain terms and delay your cheque by 3 weeks. Now, I paint this picture cuz its happened to me and iv also said, ''this is not my job'' - that didn't make me right. When you're starting out in your career its very important to accept that A LOT of the time you'll have to suck it up and get on with the job. It's business. If the client gets 'personal' in expressing his disappointment, you don't have to take it. At the same time, don't get down to his level - it's part of being a professional.
4) Understands the value of PR.
Gone are the days you'd be forgiven for being anti-social cuz you're the 'creative' sort. In the same vein, there's nothing wrong with long hair or torn jeans - as long as you look presentable. Good PR goes a long way nowadays. And good PR isn't much more than smiling a bit and making polite conversation...if you remember people's names and keep in touch, that also helps. Afterall, you do want to make a little money in your profession right? No point in calling yourself a 'design professional' when your bank balance begs to differ. So ditch the attitude, smile and just make conversation. Talking never hurt anyone.
5) Believe in a ''vision'' for yourself.
At the start of this piece I spoke about my vision for Exit Design. The ''vision'' has since evolved - and that's the beauty of it. As you grow. so does your vision...of life, of your company, of everything...but the vision shouldn't change. If you want to be the best known designer in your field within 5years - stick to that - that is your vision. How you get there will evolve as you make progress...if you don't progress much initially, don't change ur vision to becoming a fruit vendor. Everyone will just call you, 'frooty' and eventually name a drink after you. Sticking to a vision is really tough, I kid you not - but it's woth it if you're willing to go the distance. That's another thing, 'vision' is about the future...in most cases a very distant future. So choose carefully - and wisely - before enbarking on the journey.
That was my take on what a professional designer should/could be. I know if I met someone who matched this profile - i'd hire him/her in a flash! But then, the reality of it is - though i'm the author of this piece, i'm still working at imbibing all these qualities into myself. :) And it's really ok to say so - that's the only way you know you haven't reached your destination and that you're still on the journey to realiIng your vision.
I had a vision when I started exit design. I had a vision that designers and 'design' in general would be professionally run...needed to be professionally run. Needed to be accountable. Needed to be accessible...easily available. I'm talking about good design here...there's enough and more ease of availabilty when it comes to bad design...bad servicing...bad experiences with unprofessional designers.
Which makes wonder, what is professionalism and more importantly - what is a professional designer? I ask 'what' because 'who' is open to personal opinion...
This is my take on a professional designer:
1) Is accessible - always.
This is a common grouse clients hold against freelance designers - 'they're accessible when they want to be'. a simple thing like answering your phone when a client calls, or returning a call if you've missed it. If a client is calling you because he wants to know the status of the job, and you aren't answering the phone because there's a delay...you haven't done it...or can't finish it...or the printer has disappeared - pick up the phone and keep your client informed. But for a little anxiety and stress - ur ok. but yiur client is dying cuz he just doesn't know. Also, it's polite to answer the phone.
2) Delivers on time.
You might be doing a 60pg brochure as well as a greeting card - in theory one might be more important than the other, but in delivery it isn't. Being on time for a meeting, replying to emails promptly and delivering the end result - on time - will win you more brownie points than being 5mins late, replying the next day and delivering a fabulous job 2 hours later than you were originally meant to. Most times, a client just wants a job delivered on time with minimum fuss - fabtastic creative or not.
3) Goes beyond - ''My job ends with the .ai file''
Keeping clients happy is very very important. You needn't do the one legged hula dance to keep him happy, but just stick to your end of the deal and he'll be happy enough. Contrary to popular, and sometimes na�ve, belief - it also means that you will get a crappy client who will make ur life a living hell and the project will get delayed and you will sit at the printers who will screw your happiness and the prints will get fucked and you will have to sit and manually put in 600 plastic binds into the brochures cu nobody else will do it and when you deliver it all your client will express his dissappointment in no uncertain terms and delay your cheque by 3 weeks. Now, I paint this picture cuz its happened to me and iv also said, ''this is not my job'' - that didn't make me right. When you're starting out in your career its very important to accept that A LOT of the time you'll have to suck it up and get on with the job. It's business. If the client gets 'personal' in expressing his disappointment, you don't have to take it. At the same time, don't get down to his level - it's part of being a professional.
4) Understands the value of PR.
Gone are the days you'd be forgiven for being anti-social cuz you're the 'creative' sort. In the same vein, there's nothing wrong with long hair or torn jeans - as long as you look presentable. Good PR goes a long way nowadays. And good PR isn't much more than smiling a bit and making polite conversation...if you remember people's names and keep in touch, that also helps. Afterall, you do want to make a little money in your profession right? No point in calling yourself a 'design professional' when your bank balance begs to differ. So ditch the attitude, smile and just make conversation. Talking never hurt anyone.
5) Believe in a ''vision'' for yourself.
At the start of this piece I spoke about my vision for Exit Design. The ''vision'' has since evolved - and that's the beauty of it. As you grow. so does your vision...of life, of your company, of everything...but the vision shouldn't change. If you want to be the best known designer in your field within 5years - stick to that - that is your vision. How you get there will evolve as you make progress...if you don't progress much initially, don't change ur vision to becoming a fruit vendor. Everyone will just call you, 'frooty' and eventually name a drink after you. Sticking to a vision is really tough, I kid you not - but it's woth it if you're willing to go the distance. That's another thing, 'vision' is about the future...in most cases a very distant future. So choose carefully - and wisely - before enbarking on the journey.
That was my take on what a professional designer should/could be. I know if I met someone who matched this profile - i'd hire him/her in a flash! But then, the reality of it is - though i'm the author of this piece, i'm still working at imbibing all these qualities into myself. :) And it's really ok to say so - that's the only way you know you haven't reached your destination and that you're still on the journey to realiIng your vision.
