Client Checklist

Preparation is key to successful management of any project, and design projects are no different. The more preparation that both client and designer do right at the start, the more smoothly the work will go.

I find checklists can be very useful, so I’ve prepared a checklist of things that clients should provide their designer at the outset. To follow this list will ensure the client and designer are dealing professionally as well as creating an efficient workflow.

A budget

Knowing the client’s budget allows the designer to establish what they will be able to realistically achieve for the money, and to perhaps suggest a range of options.

A complete list of the client’s design requirements

The client must make clear at the beginning just how much design work they will require, e.g. layout for a business card, letterhead and envelopes OR logo design plus web design plus email marketing template. Occasionally unexpected new design needs emerge for the client when a job is well underway, but any “extras” which are requested after work has commenced will involve more time and money, and should be bound by a new contract.

I once had a prospective client say “We don’t know yet how many layouts we want, so can you just give us a rough quote estimate in the meantime?” How can a designer quote on an unknown quantity or scale of work? That would be like asking an architect to quote for designing your house but not telling him how many rooms you want. It’s impossible.

A clear outline of why the design work is necessary and what the client expects to achieve

Whether it’s a print campaign, posters for a conference stall or a multimedia presentation, every design job involves a goal to be fulfilled. It’s good for the client to think through precisely what that goal is when preparing to meet with the designer. Equally, it’s important for the designer to ask questions about the client’s objectives, because the designer’s job is primarily about meeting the client’s needs.

An outline of who the target market or audience is for the design work

This is very important information which will guide a designer in all aspects of the work they do. An advertisement or poster aimed at teenage boys will look vastly different to one designed to catch the attention of their parents. Look at a well-designed promotional campaign and you will easily be able to tell who it has been designed for. A client who has a detailed understanding of their target market will get the design which best suits their needs.

A deadline

Even if the work isn’t urgent, a deadline is important for effective time management. Unless the scale of the design work is small, it may be useful for the client and the designer to negotiate a series of deadlines for stages of work.

High quality images

If the client has an existing logo to be used in the design work, it should be provided in vector format. The most common vector formats are Postscript (.eps) and Illustrator (.ai). A vector format allows the logo to be made bigger or smaller without losing image quality and clarity. A .jpg file is not a vector format and may not represent a client’s logo at its best, depending on its size.

Any photographs provided by the client should have a high resolution. The best resolution for photographs is 300dpi (dots per inch). I always recommend this to my clients even if the photographs will go on the web. Although the final photo will be published on the web at the lower resolution of 72dpi, I prefer a higher resolution to begin with. This enables me to better optimise any photographs (where necessary) and there is greater scope for resizing.

Images and text in their final form

Any text, photographs, illustrations or other material provided by the client should be given to the designer before work commences. It can be a drain on time and resources if a designer is left waiting for these things halfway through a project. All materials provided by the client should be in their final form with no future revisions necessary. Any changes which have to be made after the design work has been done will cost time and money.

Ownership info for third party images and text

When the client is providing images or text sourced from someone else, it’s crucial to also provide information on the legal permissions which have been obtained for the use of the material (if any are required). If attribution is required, the details should be provided to the designer before any work commences. This also applies for any other material (e.g. music or video) obtained from a third party.

Samples of previous design work (where applicable)

If a client has a seasonal marketing campaign, or their corporate identity needs to be revised, it will help to provide past design samples to the current designer. It’s useful to discuss what worked or didn’t work for the client last time, particularly in terms of customer/audience response or the direction which the client and/or their organisation wishes to take in future.

This may seem like an extensive list but all of the above can easily be covered during the first meeting to discuss the design brief.

Research for Designers

Proper research provides the basis for superior presentations and is a necessary part of branding and design process. The research process is made of these stages:

• Planning
• Source identification
• Assessment
• Note taking
• Making sense of the data

Planning. Good research requires planning, otherwise you might end up collecting a lot of irrelevant data. Brainstorm for five minutes, and jot down the questions you need answered. Refer to your list as you research to stay on track.

Source identification. With your questions in hand, consider what your sources may be. The internet should not be your only source. Consider primary research (data you collect) and secondary research (data other people have collected).

Assessment. As you research, assess the credibility of your sources. Does the newspaper or book have an agenda that would influence their point of view? Commercials promoting milk as a healthy product may be less persuasive when you consider the Dairy Farmers Association paid for the ads. Be critical of the research you review.

Note taking. Record information about your sources, so that you have the research and can find it again if necessary. Take notes of when and where you found the information (include all publication dates and information), relavant statistics, names, ideas, etcetra. Quotations, with the person’s name, title, and affiliations, where the person quoted is famous or would add credibility/validity to the research.

Make sense of the data. It’s nice that you’ve got all this research, but it’s of no use unless you must make meaningful sense of it. Compare the information to your original questions. Ask yourself:

• Have my original questions been answered?
• What new questions have cropped up in my research?
• What surprising information have I found?
• What significant themes and points run through my findings?
• How can I present my findings most effectively?

Research Sources

Libraries. Public libraries contain reference sections, with catalogs, indexes, and other references that anyone can access, and reference librarians can help you find what you’re looking for. If your local library doesn’t have the magazine, journal, or book you want, they may be able to transfer it from another branch, or access it online. College libraries also have reference sections, and keep trade journals and other references on hand. If you’re not a student, you should still be able to access them in person.

Bookstores and publishers. You may was to check web-based bookstores like Amazon, or college bookstores for industry-specific books and journals, if you are specializing in those industries. Check the publishing houses – they may have other relevant publications specific to that industry.

The internet. Of course, you know this. Here are a few resources you might not know about: www.adage.com; www.bigbook.com; www.marketingpower.com; www.allonesearch.com; www.inform.com

Got any more research sources? Let me know in the comments.

The Creative Brief – Essential to a Good Campaign

Behind every successful design is a good creative brief. With a creative brief, both client and designer (or photographer, or creative director, etc.) should understand the company’s background and the purpose of the project, and share expectations about the creative direction.

Although it may seem tedious, writing a clear brief ensures that the client has a united clear sense of purpose, and helps the designer achieve desired results sooner. Writing a good brief helps a marketing team agree on what they want from a project, and may help them realize that a different approach is required; a creative brief can reflect any weaknesses in a marketing strategy.

I have provided our brief template for download. Please use it for any projects you may be considering. (more…)

PhotoSpin ‘08 Spinner Award

(repost) Our “solutions” campaign has won us staff pick in PhotoSpin’s 2008 Spinner Awards. PhotoSpin is a stock photography, illustration and font site and has been running the annual Spinner awards since 2002.

We've got solutions.

Essential documents for a design start-up

You may not need all the marketing materials from the previous post when starting up your design business, but you should prepare the following documents in a standard format.

1. Business cards and stationery. You don’t actually have to print your letterhead on its own, but you should design these together so they match.
2. You don’t actually have to print out your letterhead, but you should create a PDF to use as a template to place behind other documents. Then you will have a consistent look on all your correspondence, which you can print as needed.
3. Letter of introduction. Draft one up. You shouldn’t send a form letter to each client, but you’ll probably repeat a lot of information, so there’s no need to type it out each time.
4. Press Release. Be sure to include the following information:
   1. Who is the subject
   2. What has happened that is newsworthy
   3. When did the event occur
   4. Where did the event occur
   5. Why is it newsworthy
   6. Your name and contact information for more information
5. The Proposal. Begin your proposal with a letter that gives a brief overview of the project. Prepare a statement explaining why your company is the best firm for the job, and what experience you have managing similar projects. Give a thorough project overview that includes the project background (your interpretation of the project history), and the work requirement. Be as specific as possible, including size, page count, colors, presentations, type of proofs, the distribution, and anything else you can think of. Then make any technical recommendations for the project, which is basically making suggestions to make the project better or cheaper. This demonstrates your understanding of the project and that the client is getting a custom job. Your cost proposal should address only the known work and expenses that the client has requested. Specify how you will charge for other expenses — anything that falls under the scope of the job but has not been defined. Spell out what you are providing for your rates. Other things to include in your proposal: time-line for the project; and design trade customs, also called the terms and conditions, that your company uses to conduct business. That last item is what makes a proposal template essential!
6. The Contract. If your proposal was thorough, your contract repeat much of it. Include all the details about what you will provide, costs, billing terms and methods, and reiterate your terms and conditions. It is very important for the contract to be as specific as possible, in case there are any misunderstandings between you and the client. Leave space for signatures and dates.
7. Printing Request for Quotation (RFQ). Not all printers are equal, so you should create an official RFQ to send to prospective printers. The printer needs this information they need to give you an accurate price. Include the following:
   • Printer Name
   • Your name
   • Project name
   • Date of request
   • Statement requesting a quotation of the print job and who to contact with the quote
   • Print size
   • Page number
   • Binds
   • Stock
   • Quantity
   • Delivery method and format
   • Printing due date
   • Delivery location and method
   • Any other job details
   • Disclaimer: “ABC Company will not pay for over runs and will not accept under runs unless authorized by an officer of the company.”
8. Purchase Order for printers. Basically the same as the RFQ but includes a PO number and acceptance of the job. Include the quoted price and your job number (and any quote reference number provided by the printer). You should include a line for your signature and date (you may sign electronically if emailing the PO).

That takes care of the essentials. I’m not including invoicing or collection forms since that’s a whole other topic. Let me know if I missed anything else and I’ll update this post.

11 Ways to Market Your Design Company Offline

There are plenty of ways to advertise and market yourself over the internet. It’s easy to forget that for print designers, real-world offline advertising is still vital to your business.

1. Business Cards

The most obvious marketing tool should be your first printed material. The business card is essential for passing along your contact information to potential clients, peers, and vendors. Unlike other businesses, a design firm represents the work they do by their card design. Make it great – but also make it practical. An impressive looking card might not do its job if it’s too hard to read, over-sized, or too thick for a business card holder.

2. Company Brochures / Capabilities Brochure

Brochures can be designed any way you like, and can fit any budget, but they will all serve the same purpose: to represent the quality, skills and capabilities of your business. Brochures can give company background, give testimonials from past clients, show off past work, and describe services you provide. Brochures can be leave-behinds or mail-tos, or something to give visitors to your studio. They can be two panels or 16 pages. Once you’ve figured out your marketing message, you can determine what kind of brochure to make.

3. Mini-Portfolios

You wouldn’t leave your full portfolio with a client, but you might leave a mini-portfolio designed with that in mind. It’s something small enough to send through the mail, and cheap enough that you can leave it with a potential client. A versatile mini-port is a simple custom folder with separate printed inserts (chosen with the clients in mind) showcasing your work. Leave a mini-port when you are under consideration for work.

4. Designer Biographies

If you have a staff, write interesting and personable biographies about them so that clients can relate to your company. Hire a writer if necessary. Bios can be included on your web site, but there’s no reason you can’t print a “Get to know us” staff sheet to show off the breadth and depth of your company’s employees.

5. Press Releases

The best thing about press releases is that they can get you free advertising. If your release is interesting enough, you might even get an article. Use the third-person, present tense on your company letterhead. Follow the inverse-pyramid structure with the most important information at the top, so that it can be shortened without losing anything crucial. Include photos wherever possible to include the likelihood of bring printed.

First, determine in which publications you wish to appear. Visit their websites to determine where to send the press release, and follow any protocol given.

6. Traditional Advertising

Advertising is planning and buying an ad space that conveys your marketing message and includes a call to action. What publications do your ideal clients review? Those publications may be the place to advertise. However, traditional advertising can be expensive and there’s no way to measure results. Go for repetition.

I’ll expand on how to create the idea campaign in a future article.

7. Specialty Advertising

In essence, this means getting your name on something that your client has or wants. You’ve seen branded mugs, pens, and calendars, but you can come up with something more original. Make something that will sit on your client’s desks or dashboards and remind them what a great designer you are. Since specialty items are more expensive, they tend to go to existing clients or those clients you want to woo.

8. Hold an Open House

If you’ve got a decent office to work out of, come up with an excuse to get potential or existing clients to visit you. Prepare a seminar on file-preparation, introduction to FTP, lecture on investing, or just throw a seasonal party. Whatever the excuse, it’s a chance to show off your talent and build relationships.

9. Get Viral

On the internet, viral videos get people talking. Whether hilarious, outrageous, or crowd-pleasing, a successful video will get people talking, and word-of-mouth is almost always the best advertising. Viral videos don’t follow the same rules as they would in traditional media.

In the offline world, you can apply the same concept by doing something hilarious or outrageous. Doing something that doesn’t follow the rules. Be ambitious: get on the 6 o’clock news.

Think about Richard Branson.

10. Guerilla Style

Guerilla marketing is using unconventional or outrageous techniques to generate exposure for a company, product or service. The potential for upside can be tremendous, but a poorly executed guerrilla marketing campaign can alienate or offend your target market, so be careful. Also, check local laws.

Examples: poster pasting, windshield flyering, handbills, adding your flyer or sticker to newspaper boxes

11. The Phone Book

If you don’t have a business phone line, you’re missing out on some included advertising: the phone book listings! Usually the line listings are free, while the panel ads can be pricey. Check your local listings to see how you’ll fit in.

Finding New Design Clients

New Business Development

Developing your marketing message will make new client development simpler. Targeting the right client will also minimize rejection. When deciding what clients to go after, don’t ask, “what do I do?” but ask “what do I want to do more of?” The answer is your marketing message.

Resources for Targeting New Clients

Trade Directories list the name and contact info of many firms. Contact library reference departments for referrals to the publishers. You can ask “Where can I find the names of health care companies in the Chicago area?” and they will refer you to the correct directory. Many such directories are available on CD or DVDs, or may exist online, so you don’t have to key them.

Industry Trade Shows and Conventions are great places to gather leads and view a firm’s existing collateral. This has a major advantage: you can see who needs your design work.

Trade Associations are found in The Encyclopedia of Associations which lists thousands of industry groups. Companies that join Trade Associations are aggressively pursuing new business, so you can safely assume they need design services. They are solid leads.

Other Places to Look for Leads

The daily newspaper business section reports new business developments, products, and expansions, which may require design services. More importantly, these news reports give you a “foot in the door” – a relevant topic by which you may approach the firm.

Office or industrial park directories where your studio is located. Present yourself as their “local” design firm. Approach them as neighbors and they may be more receptive.

Old awards annuals usually showcase clients who were open to creativity, and willing to take a risk. They would probably do it again.

What Kind of Client Do You Really Want To Talk To?

Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersma, in their book The Discipline of Market Leaders: Choose Your Customers, Narrow Your Focus, Dominate Your Market, teach that successful businesses often target their efforts into a narrow philosophy based on how their customers demand value.

When your client’s customers make a decision to buy something, their decision is driven by their demand for value. The authors found that the lowest possible cost was not always the best way to compete for consumers’ money. People were willing to pay for: something that lasts longer, something unique, something that represented a long-term solution by way of a continued relationship with the seller. If you determine in which of these factors your client’s market is most interested (price, uniqueness, relationship, quality), you can determine how to approach and sell to them. When you know who you are talking to, you can make yourself irresistible.

Client Analysis

One case study business found a lack of new business and performed an analysis of clients they had, using an eight-point list:

• The firm’s design strengths
• Its weaknesses
• Existing client types
• Their locations and billings
• Different types of projects these clients had
• Average profitability
• Percentage of new clients from referrals and ads
• Direction to establish for new client developments

Using this information, the business identified its target market, wrote a positioning statement, started a massive research effort to identify potential clients, and launched a marketing campaign. The result? Twelve new clients and a new marketing assistant to handle calls and mailings.

– Summary of The Graphic Designer’s and Illustrator’s Guide to Marketing and Promotion, Chapter Two.