An occasional misconception among clients is that when they hire a graphic designer they are hiring an indentured servant. While this is in some cases accurate, it is not the case here. I consider the relationship a partnership, where each party has responsibilities. In order to help reduce frustrations, keep down the end cost for the client and produce results that make everyone happy, I have developed a groundbreaking method for managing projects. I generally go over this information as a service to my new clients, but now I am providing it for the world at large for free. That's right, FREE! Even if you never hire H2 Studios for a job, this information may be a valuable insight when dealing with other designers.
Because of my tendency to be overwhelmingly verbose, I have summarized my process into a list of helpful tips. Reading them is mandatory. Reading the expanded version below is optional.
Summarized Version
- I will never charge more than I quoted without approval from the client. If, however, the client changes the scope of the project once it has begun, I will re-quote.
- The client should have all content prepared ahead of time. Work will not begin until all content is recieved or plans are made for when it will be available.
- Make all changes during the development phase. That is what the development phase is for. Changes made during production are time-consuming, and that cost will be passed on to the client.
- If the client is late with requested information, it will significantly impact the timeline of the project.
Overwhelmingly Verbose Version
Quoting
When I quote a new job, I am estimating the number of hours I think it will take to get the job done. This includes time for layout and development (the "development" phase) and time to build and test (the "production" phase). In my quote, I detail exactly what services I provide. If, in the course of development, the client decides to change what they are requesting, I may provide a re-quote. Re-quoting is on a case-by-case basis. If the change is either minor or early in the process, I may not charge anything additional. If the change is major (increasing the size of a website, adding pages to a brochure, changing the functionality of a website) or falls during the production phase of the project, I will automatically re-quote. I will never charge more than I quote without the client's consent. The quote also assumes the following process is followed by the client, more or less.
Process
- Content: If all the stars are in alignment, this phase begins before the client ever contacts me. I can't stress enough the importance of this phase of the project. My task is to visually communicate the client's message. The client needs to give some consideration to what it is they are trying to communicate. It is their job to gather all of the text that will appear in the publication. In some cases the client should provide images if desired, in other cases they may request that I photograph their products or purchase stock photography on their behalf.
It is a disservice to both client and designer to ask the designer to come up with a design with no content to base it on. The actual content when it is produced may not fit in the hypothetical design, adding unnecessary time and labor to the project. Even if the content is not completely finalized when the I am contacted, the client should have some idea of what they want to communicate.
In addition, the more detailed the client is about their message, the more accurate quote they will get. If the client dosen't know how many pages their website will have, it is hard to provide a quote. - Development: This phase begins when I have received the content from the client. I take the content and organize it to make it both visually appealing and an effective communication tool. Depending on the project budget, I may produce 1-3 initial layouts for the client to look at. From there, it is a back-and-forth process between the client and myself to hone the visual message. Colors are changed, layouts are refined. Content may also be refined. Once the content is in the design, the client may decide it isn't communicating what they want it to say and take it back for a re-write or offer additional information. FANTASTIC! That is what this development phase if for. The layouts and content are refined until the client is happy.
- Production: Once the client is happy with the layouts, they give me approval to begin to build. I wave my magic wand and work my unique brand of magic. Just kidding. I work hard to turn static images into websites, flash animations and press-ready masterpieces. At this point, any changes are billed hourly.
Deadlines
The time it takes to complete a project depends heavily on the responsiveness of the client. If the client slow to get back with approvals, changes or other requested information, it will make the project take longer.
If the client has a deadline they need the project accomplished by, they should let me know at the beginning of the project and together we can set up a timeline. This timeline will include deadlines for both myself and for the client. If the client misses their deadline, it will affect the timeline of the whole project.
When fate is good to me, I am often working on projects for several people. If I don't hear from a client for weeks, their project will have to get re-scheduled when they are ready to resume the process. If I were indepently wealthy, I could afford to sit around and twiddle my thumbs until a client decided to proceed, but tragically, I have to work for a living.
This is the real world. Things happen. People get sick, phone numbers change. I am super flexible and hard working. If there is an urgent problem, I'll work nights and weekends to make sure a client's project gets the attention it needs. If it isn't urgent, I'll work just as hard during normal business hours and the project will get done in a timely fashion. My free time is valuable to my family and to myself. Treat me with respect and consideration and I'll produce fantastic results.