Defining Your Process

What is your process when designing? If you're like most designers, you ask some random questions, grab a logo, and jump straight into PhotoShop. Then you act shocked when the client hates what you've done and demands you add bold Arial and about 20 starbursts. If you want your client to trust you when it comes to design, you need to have a more formal process. Doing things in a logical, step by step manner will not only show your clients you are someone they can count on, it will improve your work as well.

The first thing you must understand is that clients are usually not designers. They are businesspeople. They work in logical, predictable patterns, with solid processes and procedures. To gain their trust, you need to work in ways that make sense to them. That means using formal processes, just like they do.

Take a minute to write down everything you do in the course of a project. You probably already have a loose process, but it's never been nailed down. The result is that you don't always do things in the same order, and sometimes you skip steps. Take this list, and boil it down into a formal sequence of events. It might look something like:

1. Receive request for proposal.
2. Discuss project with client
3. Write proposal/scope document
4. Sign contract
5. Loose sketches/wireframes [client review]
6. Tight sketches (3-5)
7. Finished comps (3) [client review]
8. First round final concept [client review]
9. Revise final concept [client review]
10. Send to production/programming
11. Send invoice
12. Post mortem
13. Follow up with client in 30 days.

Once you've figured out what your ideal process would be, stick to it. Even if you never mention your process to your clients, they'll immediately notice that you're doing things in a step-by-step manner. You'll always know what you need to do next, and what you need from the client. When they ask questions, you'll have an answer ready. You will begin to project an image of someone that is reliable, steady, and in control.

You'll also find your design work is improved by adhering to a solid process. A lot of time is wasted in design by trying to figure out what to do next, backtracking to compensate for skipping something, and reworking things because you discover something late in a project you should have known at the beginning. Even though it takes a little extra time to do things in an orderly fashion, you'll save far more time by avoiding wasted effort.

If your client trusts you, then you won't have to put up with arbitrary changes and crazy requests. Use a formal process to show your clients that you're a businessperson just like them, not some loose cannon. Include them in each step, and make them feel like they are part of that process. In the end, you'll have happier clients, better designs, and less stress.