We Care As Much As You Care
As a basic principle of good business, we care about our clients’ success and take pride in the creative work they choose to share with us. However, we must emphasize the importance of collaboration between both parties in seeing a successful project through to completion.
You may think that once we have agreed upon a contract, your work as the client is done. But, staying in-tune throughout the entire process is important to your project’s success. Often times we find that clients may become unresponsive to or unaware of a project’s progression. This causes the project to be delayed, giving us no other option but to redirect our time and energy towards other things.
We’d like to put it this way: We care about your project as much as you care.
We want to create work that is thoughtful, efficient in time and cost, and that satisfies your goals. But, we need your help to make it happen. Below is a list of ten ways that you can stay alert and engaged in the process with us:
10 Ways to Show You Care:
1. Always give ample time when submitting projects.
Quality work takes time. We want to give your project our utmost attention, but we can only do this if you provide us with enough time to evaluate, create, refine and produce.
2. Know what your goals are.
The more you know about what you are looking to accomplish, the better opportunity we have to design something that fits your needs. We want to hear about your vision, understand your target audience, and benefit from any prior research you have done before we begin working on your project.
3. Provide as much information as possible.
The best way to avoid wasting time and money is to provide us with all the information you have about a project up front. Come to us with a solid idea of your budget, technical specifications and time constraints so that we can make sure our process moves forward smoothly.
4. Never expect something for nothing.
We love coming up with creative solutions – and we’re good at it. But, it’s also how we pay our bills. Expecting us to show you our visual concepts or brainstorm strategy with you before you decide to pay for these services is asking us to work for free. Unfortunately, this compromises the quality of our work, as we cannot spend an appropriate amount of time to thoughtfully develop a project that is out of contract. Not to mention, working for free diminishes the value of our work and the contributions we make toward your business objectives.
5. Separate your personal preferences from that which is best for your business.
We all have different ideas about what we think looks best. But, when it comes to designing visual content for your business, we believe it is best to leave creative decisions to an experienced designer. Our designers make decisions about how something should look based on the qualities of your brand identity and the intended function of the material being created.
6. Communicate effectively.
In order for your project to move forward in a timely manner, you must respond quickly and constructively to all types of communication. Never assume that we know what you are thinking. You must keep us in the loop every step of the way. Ask questions if you are unsure of something.
7. Realize that nothing we do is “cut and paste”.
We know that it may seem like a “quick fix”, but most of the time, even small changes require a significant amount of our time and attention. We don’t believe in slapping things together around here. If you ask us to do something, we’re going to take the time to do it right. We ask that you acknowledge this practice and plan accordingly.
8. Proof-read and provide valuable feedback.
We do our best to deliver a product that is detailed, accurate and fits the needs outlined in your project goals. If we have missed something, we depend on you to let us know. When you are presented with a proof for creative work, take the time to look it over thoroughly and get back to us with well-directed feedback.
9. Understand the rights you have to our work.
When you engage in a contract with us, we will explain what types of files and permissions you are entitled to with regard to that specific project. Be aware of what entitlements are included with your project so that there is no confusion later about what we are willing to provide.
10. Pay your invoices on time.
Nothing shows your mutual respect more than paying on time for a project delivered on time. We know that there are times when you may not be able to meet this expectation. Letting us know ahead of time if you are unable to make a payment on time shows us that you care about our relationship.
Did you find these tips useful? Or have you experienced similar situations and would like to add to the conversation? We would love to hear your thoughts!
