Opinion: Who’s the boss?
Following is my inaugural ‘Talk’ posted on Australian Infront,
for which I have become a regular columnist.
Have you ever wondered what the MOST important decision in any design process is? I can hear the print designers yelling out “it’s the format, saddle stitched or perfect bound!” and I can hear some web guys saying “flash or html”. Well in my opinion, the most important decision made in any design process isn’t made by the designer at all.
A little while back, I worked for one of those super duper mega famous designers - let’s call him Mr X. The studio he runs is one of the most desirable studios to work in Australia, and most amazing of all, he was basically handed the keys to this studio by the agency group that owned it at the time. The studio had a 20 year history and had been built up to over 50 staff, but it’s recent years hadn’t been stellar, creatively speaking. His arrival in the studio was transformative - suddenly there was much better clients walking in the door, and much better work being produced for those clients.
His reputation and folio got him this plum gig - and deservedly so. What was his secret, I wondered? He was an average guy - not particularly bright, charismatic or good looking. He was a very, very good designer - but not as amazing as I was expecting. Looking back, my expectations may have been unrealistic - I was expecting some sort of magic wand that makes everything instantly amazing. Surprisingly, I saw him struggle with briefs just like we mere mortals do.
As time passed, I noticed a pattern - the new clients, who had come on board in the post Mr X era - were much easier to get good work past. The legacy clients, who’d been with the studio for years, were ending up with the same standard as always, despite a big leap in the standard of work being presented because of Mr X’s influence - and some actually left the studio (in one case, swearing their heads off as they went, literally, out the door).”But we’re better than ever! We have Mr X! The closest graphic design has to a super hero!” I wondered aloud at the pub with some colleagues. Why would they leave?
The answer to this question is also the answer to my question at the start of this piece - it all starts with the client. As frustrating, infuriating and difficult as they can sometimes be - clients are what makes this whole crazy game of graphic design go round and round. Not all clients are difficult, mind - I’ve had the pleasure of dealing with many smart, funny and in some cases, caring, clients. Every client is different, just as every designer is - and that’s what keeps it interesting for all concerned.
By selecting their designer, 80% of the outcome of a design project has been decided, right then and there, by the client. Sound fatalistic? Au contraire, mon frère! Understanding this, and embracing it, is one of the most liberating realizations I had in my career, and I’ll hazard a guess it could be for you too. To take us back to Mr X - the new clients came to the studio for him, and him alone. They knew what they were buying into, and when he came back at first presentation with another signature Mr X style piece of work - well they couldn’t fall over themselves fast enough in approving it. In contrast - the legacy clients, who’d gotten used to a different flavor of work - couldn’t stand the new approach and just wanted it like it used to be. Mr X was also very, very particular about the clients he worked with. Many great clients came in the door, only to be walked back out and never heard from again, because it didn’t ‘feel right’. The combination of these 2 factors meant any clients who did make the cut, were keen, smart and at the top of their industry - thus creating great work for them was much more likely - albeit not easier - but once a great idea was produced, it was more likely to make it through the process unscathed.
Underneath this is a fairly basic premise of selling products and services, best captured by the quote “does what it says on the tin”. Clients choose their designer because of many different criteria. Sometimes it’s as simple as being in the right place, at the right time, having mutual friends or business contacts, or it may be they have seen your work somewhere else and liked the look of it. At the pointy end of the business, the procurement process is long and drawn out, with Expressions of Interest, Tenders and Competitive Pitches - but the previous output of each studio, case studies, previous clients and the all important portfolio - still play a very big part. Whatever the method they use to select their designer, the client will start forming an expectation of the work they will be getting. If the work is different to this expectation - whether it be much, much better, or worse - it can be rather unsettling. In the case of Mr. X - we could be doing incredibly indulgent work, but if it was ‘on Mr X. brand’ - 9 times out of 10 we could sneak it past the client.
So am I recommending designers pick a style or type of work, and stick to it? Well kind of. There’s a fairly big piece of established wisdom this thinking goes against: every solution should be different, because every client is different. Well frankly I think that’s bollocks and underestimates the importance and influence a designer can exert on a project, and a client. Indeed, there’s a bigger piece of established wisdom we all tell our clients every day, but rarely live up to; Do your own thing, and do it brilliantly - be unique and stand out from your competitors.
With every studio trying to cover every client industry and being ‘aesthetically neutral’, we eventually end up with an undifferentiated, commoditized marketplace - and any marketer would tell you that’s a tough operating environment - and thus we get nightmare clients. If designers embrace what they love doing - whether it’s exquisite type, illustration, fashion, corporate or retail - and promote themselves as such, they differentiate themselves in the market. By focusing on doing something they love, maybe they’ll become very good at it, and perhaps they’d be able to command a premium for that expertise.
This approach may sound simplistic; choose a niche, specialise, and the dream clients will walk through the door. Of course, this approach is not easy, and does have it’s risks - but imagine working with good clients, producing work you are proud of, and getting payed well for the privilege. It’s not some of fantasy utopia - I’ve worked in studios where this strategy is at work, and indeed got the cycle going myself. The only catch is, in order to get it going, you’ll need to get hired by a studio which already has this figured out, or start your own studio. But starting your own studio is definitely a talk for another day…
