In Honor of KISS

If you haven’t heard of the K.I.S.S. principle, know that it typically translates to Keep It Simple, Stupid.  In honor of that principle, I’d like to share an idea with you about how clients and creatives can work better together: trust and be trustworthy.  That’s it, plain and simple. We need people in our lives that we can trust–with our ideas, passions, reputations, livelihoods, and more.

Clients want to hire creatives that can be trusted with a corporate or personal image (someone to manage a print project so the corporate logo is the right color, for example).  Clients need creatives that can be trusted to meet deadlines when they say they will–no excuses (because they have someone relying on them as well).

Creatives need clients that will trust them enough (to provide creative freedom) that leads to stellar work, and not just another cookie-cutter design project.  Creatives need communities they can trust to provide honest and worthwhile constructive criticism.

The bottom line?  Working better together boils down to trusted relationships, plain and simple. So trust and be trustworthy.

Pulling Swipes

When I was a kid, I habitually made collages on my wall.  It was probably an exploration of who I was at the time, and a who I wanted to become.  I’m sure behavioral scientists have the answers to why I did this, but at the time I could have cared less.  It was merely fun.

I would spend time gloriously ripping apart magazines, pulling out the images and words that I liked.  Then I would combine my original photographs with sketches I had drawn.  Together, the visuals made a collage that represented my thoughts and feelings at the time.  It was, I suppose, my first taste of graphic design based on what I had at the time (no Adobe Creative Suite, no super-charged Mac, no digital SLR–just scissors and printed images).

How does this relate to creatives and clients?  The practice of collecting things that you like–what I will call pulling swipes–can help clients and creatives communicate more effectively.  Have you attended or lead a meeting where two people think they are talking about the same thing, only to find out later that they completely misunderstood one another?  That unfortunate misunderstanding at the very beginning of a relationship can end in an ugly way.

This is, in fact, why we have a Pantone system, right?  It was developed so designers and printers could speak the same language. From www.pantone.com:

“In 1963, Lawrence Herbert, Pantone’s founder, created an innovative system for identifying, matching and communicating colors to solve the problems associated with producing accurate color matches in the graphic arts community. His insight that the spectrum is seen and interpreted differently by each individual led to the innovation of the PANTONE® MATCHING SYSTEM®, a book of standardized color in fan format.”

Herbert had the idea to create a way to minimize confusion, so that everyone could identify that they were on the same page.  We now, thankfully, have PMS numbers so that we all speak the same language and talk about the same color.

Similarly, a book of swipes can help clients and creatives identify the path they want to take together. A photographer may use his portfolio (either in print or online) as a book of swipes to show a model the types of lighting he wants to use.  A corporate manager may create a book of swipes to take to his creative to show what his competitors are doing.  A graphic designer may pull together favorite design inspiration to help communicate ideas to his client.

This idea of pulling swipes can take any shape or form you need in order to help communicate more effectively.  You can create on in print or online, with a three-ring binder or a dynamic PDF.  How you pull these swipes is not as important as having something to show and tell.  Swipes provide clients and creatives a way to better guage what new piece gets created and how it should look or feel–together.

Lessons for Creatives and Clients
Clients might have an idea of what they want, but may lack the means to tell their creative exactly what they want.  This is where the swipes can help clients and creatives communicate more effectively. Swipes, like PMS swatchbooks, help clients and creatives look at something and use it as a  tool to navigate towards the final goal.  Whether you are a creative or a client, pull together samples (or swipes) so that you move forward together with the same understanding.

Time Is Money

There are many reasons why I advocate the use of trustworthy, professional creative support.  One of the biggest reasons is the “time is money” factor.  It’s a cliche because it’s true–where we spend our time is usually where we spend our money.  (Think of an outdoor enthusiast, for example. He loves to be outdoors and will likely spend money on equipment that makes being outdoors even more fun: tents for camping, boots for hiking, and boat shoes for sailing, etc.)

Today, more than ever, our time equals our money (or our boss’s money).

This is why I advocate the use of trusthworthy, professional creative support.  While hiring professional support may feel contrary to pinching pennies, you may actually see your own productivity improve.  If you are not a creative, spending your time trying to be creative can become very stressful very quickly.

I know, because I have tried to do things like this before, and found myself wishing I had asked for help hours or months earlier.  I once decided to sit down and compose a song in an afternoon using my new software–oh, how wrong I was to assume!  I’m a writer, not a composer.  At the end of the day, I recognized–once again–that I should have left this to the professionals.

Similarly, if your boss has asked you to become a creative, and you are not prepared or willing to do so, then work hard to propose an alternative that accommodates for everyone.  You may want to explore outsourcing to talented, trustworthy professionals.  Know that creative work takes years of training, experience and expertise.  In the same way a surfer jumps on a board and catches a wave with ease where you may try the same and wipe out, a creative makes his job look like it’s a piece of cake.  They make it look easy because they are professionals, which is exactly why they can save you and your company lots of time and money.

No matter the state of our economy, using one’s time wisely leads to reduced frustration and improved productivity.  If you are not creative by nature, and have not been trained in the rules of the industry (writing, design, media relations, video editing, composing, etc.) then leave it to the professionals.  You will save yourself an incredible amount of time, and therefore money.

Lessons for Clients
Save yourself some time (and money) by hiring professionals who can handle your requests with ease.

Why You Shouldn’t Fire Your Creatives

The economy is tough, we all know it.  It’s on the news repeatedly. We get it.

A concept that companies may not grasp easily, however, is the value their creative department / agency can provide in a down economy. Today, in what I like to call a ripe economy, a lot of companies are looking for ways to spend wisely.  Quite often, managers conclude the creative positions would be easy to cut because someone else (often an untrained eye) could do it instead.  After all, they have Microsoft Publisher, right?  I know too well that some companies think a do-it-yourself creative option is a great way to save and increase profits.

Trust me, this is not entirely true.

You, the client, may not want to spend money on creative support right now because the economic outlook is not great.  You feel like holding on to those funds, or spending them elsewhere, is best for your business right now.  This is understandable, but quite contrary to what can really launch your business to the next level of greatness.

You see, in a ripe economy like this one, businesses must find a way to stand out among the others.  Trustworthy creative professionals can help you do that by understanding your business goals, target audience and products / services–and then communicate those messages effectively to help you get more business.  Having a strategic plan and professional support (in all creative forms: written word, video, design, etc.), will help you and your business flourish in an economy that is challenging your competitors.

Lessons for Clients
The time is now to learn the value of trusted creative support.  While your competitors are struggling in challenging times, you can flourish.  Learn to stand out from the crowd with top-notch creative support.

The Ripe Economy

I genuinely believe a down economy is a beautiful thing.  A lot of friends have been laid off recently, and I see how it is hurting them.  So, I don’t take it lightly and I don’t feel insulated from it.  This is one of the worst recessions, and everyone has recognized that.  Maybe I am an eternal optimist, but with every fiber of my being I think that a down turn is actually good for us because it leads to so many positives.

When we are forced to save and cut back, we become innovative.  When we don’t have the cushion of savings, we actually reuse what is available.  Believe me, I have trouble leaving Target without spending lots on beautifully-packaged pretty things–just like everyone else–but because of the times I am more reluctant to spend on things I don’t need.  I am now spending more time trying to find value where it is available, and at every turn I want services that are less costly.  Those products or services that provide me the most value, I keep.  The others, I don’t.  (I just downgraded my home internet service to save $10/month and haven’t noticed a difference in service.)

This practice is a very important thing for creatives to recognize in a ripe economy.  Your clients want to see more value from you: better customer service, more proof of the value you provide, maybe even a little added benefit for what they’re already spending.  It’s important to know how they move, think, and act so that you can keep them as a client (provided you want to keep them, of course).

This ripe economy offers you a perfect opportunity to be more innovative, creative and valuable!  While companies are “tightening their belts” and “cutting the waste”, creatives can spend the time reinventing themselves.  It’s a great time to learn a new skill to become more valuable to your clients.  It’s a great time to redesign your website, post more of your portfolio, or take a class on something that keeps you inspired.

Are you a designer that only works in print?  If you find your clients less willing to spend on print, use the time to learn how to design for the web.  You don’t have to become a programmer (leave that to the pros), but you can learn more about being a responsible web designer so you can expand your network (of smart, reliable people) and services you can provide.  It will make you more valuable to the people you serve, so they can rely on you for other services.  This is a ripe economy because it keeps you sharp and helps you grow as a creative.

So many people are focusing on the negative right now.  It’s really easy to get down and depressed.  Like I previously mentioned, I am not insulated from what’s happening–I see my friends loosing their jobs, hunting for a position that may not even exist.  Or when one does exist, they have to jockey for the same position against tons of others.  It’s a tough market right now, no doubt.

But there is opportunity all around us.  Take what others see as a negative, and turn it into your own positive–not tomorrow, not next week, but RIGHT NOW.  Busy yourself with what brings you joy (like volunteering or offering your new-found skills for free in order to learn how to perfect them), and look for opportunities you might have missed previously.

If no one is saving you from drowning, you must learn to swim.  I know because I have done it.

Lessons for Creatives
Take a moment.  Count your joys.  List your talents and areas for growth.  Find things to do that bring you joy, and spend your time becoming a better creative.  In a down economy, opportunity surrounds us.  What opportunity are you ignoring?  Go forth, grow, and open doors you thought could never be unlocked.

Trusting Relationships

As a photographer, I want my subjects to trust me.  When they trust me with their image, they open up a bit.  And because of the trust, the photographic results are much more impressive (or from my viewpoint, more rewarding).

Lee, one of the models I really enjoy working with, is creative and open to trying almost anything.

Some of my favorite work was born out of a trusting relationship with my subject.  Building relationships like that takes time, for the creative and for the client (or photo subject).  It is born from responsible behavior (ie: not putting anything but the best out there for the world to see), loyalty (ie: working together repeatedly to learn one another’s traits and preferences), and a little competition (ie: knowing each other so well that you feel safe enough to push one another a little more and take bigger risks.

There are photos of celebrities that I find just breathtaking, and I wonder what their relationship is like with the photographer.  Do they only trust a select group of photographers because they know them, work with them and honor their talent?  I would love to peek into that relationship to know more.

The creative process is a mystery to most clients, but I find that when I trust the people with whom I am working it shows in the results.  The inspiration for this post comes from my observation of a local photographer that has absolutely impressed me, and while I haven’t gotten to know her well I imagine that she would be a shutterbug worth trusting.

Lesson for Clients and Creatives
Trust the people with whom you work.  Both of you will benefit from a trusted relationship, and the results of working together will show that you were open to it.

Don’t Give Them What They Want

“A designer…has the true responsibility to give his audiences not what they think they want, for this is almost invariably the usual, the accustomed, the obvious, and hence, the unspontaneous.  Rather, he should provide that quality of thought and intuition which rejects the ineffectual commonplace for effectual originality.”

–Lester Beall
from “The Creative Process of Lester Beall,” by Roger Remington,
Step-By-Step Graphics, July/August 1990, p. 120-129.

Remember: you are the creative. The client hired you for a reason. When they say, “All I want is BLANK,” resist the urge to give them what they ordered, thereby setting aside your own intuition. Take the time to wow them, and walk them through your decisions after they soak it all in. Sometimes the best ideas are the risky ones, the ones that you think will probably get shot down, the ones no one asked you do create.

Five Things: Suggestions for Clients

Yesterday I wrote about five things that I wish creatives would do or know, and it’s only fair to do the same for clients. Why? Because what clients don’t know is really hurting project results, return on your investment (ROI), and relationships with creative teams.  So, here are a few things I wish all clients would do or know.

1. Do your homework.
Before buying services from someone, do your homework.  We all typically make better decisions based on lots of feedback we get from our community–whether it’s a dentist recommendation from a brother-in-law or the Food and Drug Administration’s stamp of approval on medicines.  I’m a huge fan of feedback and reviews (probably because of my background in the arts and getting constructive criticism to make the final product or service better).

You should aggressively seek feedback from your vendors’ active clients.  Don’t call just three people that they offer as recommendations, but do more hunting for information about the quality of their work and their work ethics.  It may be challenging for them to provide this for you because it involves work, and sometimes they’re more focused on the creative than getting recommendations. If they harness the power of the internet, though, they can start building a network of folks to vouch for them.

After all, if you find someone (a freelancer or agency) who understands and appreciates a client who does their homework, they are more likely to work harder to keep you happy because they know you looked around first.  That builds trust between the two of you, and will help you both work better together.

2. Make sure the shoe fits.
OK, you’ve found a creative that can meet your needs and is well recommended.  You’ve done your homework and all seems to fit, or so you thought.  You start working together and quickly find out that it’s not going to be a healthy relationship because you are terribly at odds with one another.  How could you have prevented this before starting the project?

In the same way you hire an employee that fits the corporate culture, think about hiring a creative/agency that will work with your systems and not against them.  Will the customer service representative from the agency offend or upset your coworkers when he interacts with them?  Will you constantly have to worry about keeping them separated because they won’t work well together?  Will they give presentations where they come in with guns blazing, and you simply needed a calming voice to lead you in the right direction?

Make sure the shoe fits.  Spend some time together, and don’t be afraid of taking your time before moving forward together.  Be careful that you don’t take too long, though, because they may start to feel you’re wasting their time, and that eventually leads to feelings of resentment.  (And, of course, that’s no way to move forward together.)  Tell the agency or creative you want to be sure that the situation will benefit both of you, instead of dancing around the issue so that you both approach it responsibly.  We all succeed in situations where everyone benefits, so make sure you’re both a fit for one another.

3. Know your corporate hierarchy.
Missing a deadline in the world of communications is a big, finger-wagging No-No, right?  Clients often blame creatives when deadlines are missed, but they also fail to recognize their role in the process.  Be sure you recognize the hierarchical process for each new project that comes your way, before you start the project.  Knowing how long an approval will take is incredibly important in helping the creative provide you with a time line and estimated completion date.  You have just as must responsibility as the creative does when it comes to meeting a deadline, and knowing who has the authority to provide the final green light will help the process run smoothly.

4. Educate yourself.
When I freelanced as a graphic/web designer and photographer, I found myself doing a lot of hand holding. I found that I spent more time educating my clients than I did on the actual creative process.  And, after I did share a bit about what I know (so that we were all on the same page), it strengthened the relationship and made the entire process healthier for all of us.  In fact, I wrote a post about it earlier this year: http://creativecurtain.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/by-the-hand/.

Just imagine how much healthier the relationship with your creatives will be once you are on the same page! You don’t have to know all that they know (that’s why you hired them to help you, right?), but you do need to spend a bit about what they know.  That way, you won’t make the big mistake of questioning the use of white space (to make room for more sales text), or making the logo larger because no one can see it.  Those two examples are big clues that they should question your suggestions for improvements later on down the road.

Spend time learning the basics, some of the lingo, and the rules they follow so you can speak the same language.  I can almost guarantee that this will improve your relationship, and help you get better results.  Plus, they’ll be really excited that they don’t have to pause to explain to you the difference between CMYK and RGB.

5. Be open minded.
Remember one of the reasons our high school teachers said we won the Revolutionary War?  One of them was because we were on our home ground, right?  Well, on a daily basis, you probably feel very comfortable on your home ground.  You wake up each morning knowing what to expect, to a certain extent.  (Like the colonists knew the territory because they lived there.)  And you are probably very comfortable with how to handle an unexpected challenge because you are on your home ground.  You know this territory well; it’s the creative territory that makes you a little uncomfortable.

Keep this in mind when you’re meeting with creatives.  It’s OK to feel like you’re in uncharted territory.  And if you have great creatives on your team, they’ll work with you to ease the process so you won’t have a knee-jerk reaction to a draft they share with you.  (Remember, they’re showing you their kids.  Don’t have a knee-jerk reaction and tell them that their kids are ugly.)  Take your time, take a deep breath, explore what they’re showing you.  Then, if you feel that it’s not a good fit, take the time to explain why it does not meet your expectations.

When you sit down with your creative team, take a moment to find your zen.  Shake off the rest of the world, drop all of the demands on you, and let go of all of the preconceived notions you’ve built up along the way.  Open your mind to the possibilities they are preparing to show you.  (Their “kids” may be ugly, but there’s a better way to tell them that. Perhaps I’ll write more on this later.)

Conclusions
Remember, working with anyone in business means that you have a relationship with the person or company.  I honestly believe that we all work better when we’re in situations that create benefits for everyone.

Creatives and clients aren’t all that different, when you get down to it.  Once we find common ground, a point of reference, rules for engagement, and our true motivations, we can do great things together!  So take the time to ponder these thoughts, challenge me on them if you wish, and let’s keep chatting about it.

Five Things: Suggestions for Freelance Creatives

When I first graduated from college, I freelanced as a designer and photographer for a while.  It was thrilling to learn the business the hard way, by making painful mistakes.  Then the thrill wore off and I grew frustrated at my own lack of knowledge and experience.  So I went to work for someone else again. Since then, I feel I have learned an incredible amount in those few, short years.  I’ve had great mentors, and great relationships to help me learn.

In the spirit of sharing, I hope to help others learn from my own experiences.  So, here’s a list of five things I wish every freelance creative I work with would do or know.  Feel free to add you own to the list if you so desire!

1. Be available.
One of the biggest problems I hear (from the client side) is that their creative disappeared.  I hear it often, and have also experienced it myself.  For whatever reason, the client feels that the creative is absent.

Having been a freelance creative, I understand the process.  Sometimes you need to retreat in order to focus.  But there’s a way to do this while simultaneously making your client comfortable so that they don’t feel abandoned.  In general, make yourself available to your clients–whether by phone, email or any one of the other hundred means of communication.  Respond quickly when the call, and don’t fall into the disappearing act.

But don’t be afraid to find a way to let people know when you’re taking some time to concentrate.  If you need to, assign a time for yourself and let clients to know you’re being creative: put up an away message, change your voice mail for those assigned hours, turn on the auto response for email.  People are creatures of habit, and your clients will start to learn when you are in the creative zone if you help communicate that to them.

2. Be firm.
Know that you’re the expert–if you do, in fact, know what you’re talking about.  (Don’t make up stuff, though.  If you don’t know the answer, say you don’t and then let them know you’ll look into it and get back to them.)  I hear some clients say things like, “Well I said ‘no’ to see what they would say, and they didn’t put up a fight. I wish they’d been more firm–they’re the creative!”

There’s a balance between being a bully and simply being firm about what you believe is in their best interest.  Learn the art of being diplomatically firm about what you believe in, and don’t cower to every demand of your client.  Especially when they ask you to make the logo bigger, or loose some of the “unneeded” white space.  You are the expert, and they hired you for a reason.  That being said, also educate them (see #3) so they feel more comfortable.

3. Be an educator.
You spend your days perfecting your creative skills, and challenging yourself to always become better.  (If you don’t, you should be doing that, too.)  You must remember that your clients are not doing this at all.  They think about other things like paying rent/mortgage, getting the next client, employee benefits, selling widgets.  They don’t spend their time appreciating the fine layout of a beautifully designed menu when they sit down to lunch with a client.  They won’t see things from your perspective unless you help educate them on the ‘why’ of a decision you made.  It’s up to you to help them learn.

By helping them learn the basics about what you do, you position yourself as an expert.  You also help them feel more comfortable responding to your questions, or approving the drafts/ideas you present.  Remember, a lot of your clients feel really comfortable in their own shoes.  It can be scary to them (even if they deny it) to switch gears and focus on that “creative thing” they don’t really understand. Be an educator, but be sneaky/kind enough to let them think they aren’t being taught anything new.

4. Be creative.
Should be obvious, right?  Recycling is good for glass and aluminum, but not for clients.  If you’re winning a new account with that spectacular portfolio of yours, don’t turn in the first draft to your new client using the same thing you just did for someone else.  They can buy a template online if they don’t want a creative solution, so stay sharp.  Stay creative.  It will help build trust between you and your client.  Try to bring them new, fresh ideas as often as you can.  Recognize when they don’t want something new.  And keep in mind, sometimes people just want the simple online template.  I sometimes hear, “They keep bringing me all of these ideas, and all I want is a simple, quick thing.”  Know who you’re talking to, and know who you want to work with.  If you want to be creative, work with clients that appreciate it and then deliver time and time again.

5. Be responsible.
Follow the golden rule of treating others the way you’d want to be treated.  Don’t use pictures without the rights to use them.  Don’t sell the ideas of others as your own.  Don’t do anything that would compromise your client’s name and brand.  Be a responsible designer by learning all you can about your industry, staying sharp with your skills, sharing what you know with your clients, and do what you say you’re going to do.

Conclusions
These things are challenging, but not impossible.  They are things I have learned, and continue to learn again and again.  They are things I wish I understood when I first started freelancing, and things I wish I could do much better.

If you have your own to add, please do!  And if you disagree, or want to elaborate on these five things I always welcome feedback.  I’m writing as a way to explore the releationship, and you guys are the ones that can help make that exploration take off!