Designer, Client, Relationship

As a Designer and creative services giver I see the work process from different angle. Usually when a Graphic Designer (from any category: web, artist, 3D, animator, illustrator, matter, photographer etc.) works at some agency the Client contact is obtained from other person, this is Client Service person, or Project Manager. The first brief/quest from the Client is given to this Client Service (CS) person and after that filtration the Designer gets the work brief that he needs in order to get the job done. But usually the CS person do not get the real idea or the real need that the Client is asking for. So the Designer will receive wrong brief and the job is not done as it should be and continues in send and receive preview, fix this, not that, maybe this font, another color etc. This leads to conflict with the Client - Designer and should be prevented in first place. Also the Client doesn't want to be bombarded with the way of his request is created. The Client should be focused 70% on his business and 30% on his presentation/marketing, not opposite. Usually the Client tells what he wants with the first brief and after that he should receive his product (creative work) done with the real story from the medium or the communication from that design work. My opinion is that the first brief should get the Designer along with the CS person. Or if is written (by e-mail) than the Designer should receive the original e-mail from the Client. The Designer knows what to do after that. Also the Designer can educate the Client how to carry out his service in order to get the most of it. The Designer also knows what colors to use, font, photo, logo and corporate materials, nor the CS or the Client knows this better. I don't want to attack the CS person, just the opposite, if this is done the stress will be reduced to a minimal level and the time needed for the project will be at least 50% shorter.

Some Designers does not want to communicate with Clients but they should consider finding a quality/qualified Client Service person.

Why to start a blog?

This question is usually floating around in our heads in random form and time. I've asked my self the same question. After reading bunch of blogs from the most popular bloggers on the Internet I'll separate the reasons to start a blog in 5 categories:

• Personal (for the people that know me and some relatives)
• Fun (do some blogging from time to time and have fun doing it)
• Profit (passionate blogger will do post for any reason - every day)
• Self promotion (I do blog and have services to sell)
• Competent (professional advice in the specilized area)

This categories are usually recognized on the Internet. There are other reasons too but this are the main in my opinion.

Personal, this sort of blogging use people who will blog for documentation purposes, holiday pictures, bad day at work, birthday party at my friend, etc. This sort of blog is good and comfy and is read by small group of people as it meant to.

Fun way of having a blog is also personal and interesting cos this writers usually do not care what kind of people read the blog, they just want to get it out in the open. Let's have fun!

Profit is one of the hardest ways for starting a blog, but many people succeeded, so can you. More for this you can find at www.problogger.net great advices and much, much more.

Self promotion is very simple. I'm a freelance designer (programer, writter, photographer etc.) and my portfolio and services are great, but my web site is not popular. So to atract some action and readers (and clients also) I better start a blog that will be implement in my web site and use it for self promtion. Freelanceswitch published this post about: 6 Reasons Why Freelancers Should Have a Niche Blog, by the way I like blogging too, just not often, from time to time.

Competent advice is pro blog usualy supported by some Corporation or News portal where people who have proven there knowladge in the specilized area give advices, useful stuff and tips for readers. Can be personal powered or under some corporation. This guys are usually the moving power in the digital world.

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