3 rules to bridge the "Designer/Client" gap...
 

Clients:

Rule #1: Know what you want before you contact the designer. You don't need to know the entire layout or exactly what graphics you want but atleast have a fucking clue on colors and feel.

Rule #2: Don't contact your designer when you needed the job done yesterday and then bitch when your project is behind schedule. Poor planning and project execution is not the designers fault. Look inward before blaming outward.

Rule #3: Good design isn't cheap and cheap design isn't good.

Designers:

Rule #1: Don't promise what you cannot deliver. There are plenty of design jobs in the sea, if you don't have time for one then let the client know asap so they can get another designer on the project.

Rule #2: Please and Thank You go a long way. Treat the client with respect and LISTEN to what they are telling you about the design they want.

Rule #3: When in doubt, contact the client. Ask questions. It is going to save you time in the long run. I prefer to work alongside the clients I work for. It makes it easier on me to show them an example early on in the project before I have spent hours on something. If you are designing a page with a header logo, it is much easier to make the logo and show the client the design right away. This way if there are any color issues or style problems they can be dealt with before tackling the rest of the page.


Finally, the golden rule:

When you owe someone money, pay them. You know who you are and you know what I mean. Pay me my fucking money or take down the design. You have had 3 days and I am over waiting on you. Pay me now or your name goes out. :glugglug

good points nick, lots of people have misconecptions and wrong estimations which results in unhappy clients and designers :)

will be contacting you for some design work soon

Becarful nickpappageorgio, you might make some of the Prima donna designers have to work to keep up with you....:)

good post nick,

We've developed something that's helped tremendously on both sides.

It's a form for them to fill out asking questions about design concepts, and expectations. This has helped us avoid a lot of back and forthing between us and the clients and made things a lot more clear to both parties. It also helps when the client doesn't know exactly what they want

Pearl of a post!

:thumbsup

even the best designers dont know what you really want.

so you have to be a designer to show the better designer what you really want - this is what i have done.

works reall well, just post the designer you ideas even if they suck to look at but the new guy has teh vison to make it better!

so in short it is easyer to revamp a shit design then starting from scratch.

You sound like the designers' dream :)

*Applause*

so true :thumbsup

Possibly the best rule.

Nick, will you marry me? :Graucho

Actually, Mishi probably wouldn't much like sharing the bed with both of us...

I'm not a designer, but the same kind of stuff crops up in the programming world as well. Good post. :thumbsup

I hate designers! Except you, you seem cool. :thumbsup

:thumbsup

Something wrong Nick?

Not that I know of. :)

:thumbsup

Just to make sure the guy will read it.

Great post Lee, always a pleasure doing business with you.

:glugglug

i believe so! thanks for sharing NickPapageorgio :thumbsup