4 - Establishing a Mature Relationship for your Rep'

Clients, a word I have often thrown around in these postings. In the design word, clients are everything and everywhere. In order to work a designer must interact with clients, whether the client is “good” or “bad”. While many perceive all clients as bad, author and designer Adrian Shaughnessy teaches us otherwise. In his book, How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul, Shaughnessy states that even the “ bad” clients are desirable to work with. While it is nice to have a client that agrees with every suggestion the designer offers and is willing to let the designer have free range while designing, it is often the challenging client which produces the best work from the designer. A difficult client will present the designer with a challenge, which can often bring new and creative designs out of the artist. The true test in determining the quality of the client is the ability to establish a relationship with that client.

According to Shaughnessy the ideal client situation involves you, the designer listening and absorbing the client’s point of view, and then conducting yourself in such a way that your client is inclined to allow you to have a point of view. This mature type of relationship will lead to a positive work environment, which will allow for input from both the client as well as the designer. With this type of relationship the clients thoughts and desires are appreciated and included while the creative voice of the designer remains strong. A successful relationship between the artist and client will lead to a positive work environment and the potential for future employment.

Hold on to these clients that you are able to establish a good relationship with. It is more common than not that a client who seeks a designer once will often seek more work soon after. By establishing a mature relationship with your client you can ensure that when looking for a designer on future project, the client will return to you. Retaining a client will often be easier than looking for a new one, however it is important to remember, Shaughnessy writes, to not let your returning client be your only client. As stated in the earlier chapters of his book it is vital to a designer’s success to continually be looking for new work.

While maintaining clients is helpful a designer must also know when to sack a client. Difficult clients can challenge a designer to achieve something great however, “There are some clients who are frankly exploitative and can cause damage to you and your company.” Before you decide to part ways with this client ask yourself these questions: Have you delivered everything you are obliged to give them? Do they owe you any money? Are there any other links that can’t be easily severed? As Shaughnessy writes, “If you are satisfied on all these points…then sack them.

As I stated earlier a designer should always be looking for new clients and new work. The proper dissolution of previous client relationships is critical and can affect your reputation in the design world. Ensuring that you have fulfilled the three questions listed above will make sure that you, the designer, will exit the relationship with a positive reputation. The reputation of a designer is imperative to the success of that artist in the design community. Just like in high school a reputation is key and can change at the drop of a hat. Even the designer with a small reputation can soon be trust upward in popularity with one successful project and can equal be forgotten with one unsuccessful design.