All posts tagged design company

A Client’s Guide to Design: PT5 Business expectations for a professional designer

By On September 8, 2008 In Internet Marketing, Print Graphic Design, Website Design With No Comments Permanent Link to A Client’s Guide to Design: PT5 Business expectations for a professional designerPermalink

In today’s information-saturated world, where an organization’s success is determined by the power of its brand, professional designers become even more important in ensuring that companies communicate effectively—an imperative with bottom-line impact. Furthermore, a professional designer’s ability to execute communications projects efficiently and economically is more critical than ever.

When a client invests in the services of a professional designer, he or she hires an individual who aspires to the highest level of strategic design, ensuring a higher return on investment. If a designer meets the following criteria, he or she will demonstrate the integrity and honor of the professional designer.

Experience and knowledge
A professional designer is qualified by education, experience and practice to assist organizations with strategic communication design. A professional designer has mastered a broad range of conceptual, formal and technological skills.
A professional designer applies his or her knowledge about physical, cognitive, social and cultural human factors to communication planning and the creation of an appropriate form that interprets, informs, instructs or persuades.
Strategic process
A professional designer combines creative criteria with sound problem-solving strategy to create and implement effective communication design. A professional designer solves communication problems with effective and impactful information architecture.
A professional designer becomes acquainted with the necessary elements of a client’s business and design standards. A professional designer conducts the necessary research and analysis to create sound communication design with clearly stated goals and objectives.
A professional designer will submit an initial communication strategy to an organization’s management for approval and meet with a client as often as necessary to define ongoing processes and strategy.
Compensation and
financial practices
A professional designer provides the client with a working agreement or estimate for all projects. A professional designer will not incur any expenses in excess of the budget without the client’s advance approval.
A professional designer may apply reasonable handling and administrative charges to reimbursable items that pass through the designer’s account with the knowledge and understanding of the client.
A professional designer does not undertake speculative work or proposals (spec work) in which a
client requests work without providing compensation and without developing a professional relationship that permits the designer sufficient access to the client to provide a responsible recommendation.

Copyright: © AIGA 2007

A Client’s Guide to Design: PT2 Finding the right designer

By On August 29, 2008 In Internet Marketing, Print Graphic Design, Website Design With No Comments Permanent Link to A Client’s Guide to Design: PT2 Finding the right designerPermalink

People with a great deal of experience—both as
designers and as clients—will tell you that if you really
do your homework in the selection process, the
chances are excellent that what follows will bring
about the hoped–for results

Where to look
There are more than 19,000 members of AIGA, and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of other businesses providing graphic design that aren’t members. There are also other graphic design associations with their own memberships. And this is just the United States It’s a big community and, as with all businesses, design is increasingly global.
Where do you start?
The membership lists of AIGA and other design organizations are available to the public. They are a good place to begin, especially if you’re starting from ground zero. You will find the lists arranged by city and state, so that if location is an issue for you, you can define your search geographically. Start with AIGA’s online membership directory at www.aiga.org/membership. Design industry publications are another source. They are both numerous and accessible. Not only do they publish the work of designers on a regular basis, many also publish design annuals that display what the publications judge to be the best design in a variety of categories. These publications will not only show you what designers are capable of producing, but also how companies of all sizes and from every sector of industry are using design to communicate effectively. Reviewing them is a fairly easy way to see a lot of work quickly. Doing so may also tell you something about where your own design comfort zone lies. And while your personal comfort zone isn’t necessarily the right yardstick for making a selection, knowing it will help you in the “briefing” process (more on this shortly). Still another way to find designers is to look around at what other companies are doing; call the companies whose efforts you admire and ask for their recommendations.
Companies that are doing a good job of communicating are companies who care about it, and they’re typically willing to discuss the subject. Furthermore, if they’re doing good work, it usually means they are good clients. Find out from them what makes a design client a good client. Designers themselves are also good sources. Ask them whom they respect within their field. There’s nothing wrong with getting them to name their competition. While it might make choosing tougher, when you make the final selection from among designers who are peers, you usually come out better than when you don’t. (And if the relationship doesn’t work, well, you have some future contenders you already know something about.)

Copyright: © AIGA 2007