Recently, W Hotels launched an iPhone app to bring signature sounds and insider access to guests at their properties around the world. The W Scottsdale, a swanky property nestled in the heart of old town, came to us to help create a few pieces to help them market the app to visitors.

Splinter designed and produced collateral to announce the app, as well as strategically placed QR promotional decals that scan to “Get the App!” We were also commissioned to create iPhone replicas, which were used to train their staff on how the app works. After some creative brainstorming, we came up with a solution that resembled the actual size, shape and look of an iPhone. They were a hit! Another W property saw images of the replicas and actually thought the W Scottsdale had used real phones for training. Needless to say, the replicas were pretty spot on.

The new app is way rad, allowing guests to book their stay, order in-room service, or even request fresh towels. My personal favorite feature of the app streams music curated by Michaelangelo L’Acqua, the W’s global music director. The app gives you an option to listen to it at that moment or to purchase it on iTunes. It also detects your location to display any hotels near you and offers the ability to post on Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare.

This effort by W Hotels will surely add value to your stay and provides the progressive type of service their brand has come to be known for. Now, if I could just replicate their poolside experience, sitting at my desk today might not be so bad.

Last Friday, the Splinter crew attended the tenth happening of Ignite Phoenix at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Coined IPX by its ingenious all-volunteer team, the event lived up to every expectation with the perfect assortment of stimulating presentations (hand-picked from almost a hundred entries) and a fantastic selection of local music, beer, wine and grub.

Here at Splinter, we look forward to every Ignite because we are the lucky ones who get to design the ever-evolving Ignite Phoenix programs! This time around, we did our best to take things to the next level by transforming a once static piece of paper into an interactive conversation starter.

The back of the Ignite Phoenix Program, with instructions for folding and playing the conversation starter.

Based on the grade school game commonly referred to as a fortune teller (aka cootie catcher, chatterbox, salt cellar, or whirlybird), we created a new diversion aimed at sparking conversation among attendees. Once folded, the person initiating the conversation would ask their new acquaintance to choose a category, pick and number and then answer one unique question. While not everyone seemed to have encountered the game during their childhood, it definitely made for an intriguing display of amusement shared by all.

The front of the program and matching CD face design inspired by old school mix tapes.

For the past three Ignite Phoenix events, the team has included with admission an amazing collection of local music on CD. We did our best to entice with a design inspired by old school mix cassette tapes. Matching the modernist style of the program design, the CD was imagined to look like a tape reel using very basic geometric shapes and colors.

Were you one of the lucky attendees of the last Ignite Phoenix? If so, did you engage others with your program?

A sizable chunk of my time is spent managing projects between the client and creatives. As much as I enjoy my responsibility of bridging the gap between the two, I sometimes feel like burying my head in the bull’s… No, wait, I mean the butcher’s… Yeah, you know what I mean.

Every designer dreams of working with clients who value design, provide constructive feedback, collaborate in a productive fashion, and yet at the same time, know when to step aside and let the experts do their thing. While this is ideal, it’s not the most typical behavior, especially within small design firms. Dealing with a customer that feels they are the “authority” on design can be problematic, especially if their opinion rivals the principles of good design.

The knowledge a client can provide on their business and industry can be invaluable, so I’m not trying to argue with their authority. Everyone is, or strives to be an expert in their own disciplines – But what weight should their opinion carry as it relates to design? At what expense of the final product? These are often the same customers that self diagnose problems. They know their problem, they know exactly how to solve it… So why are they hiring a design firm?

“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.” Red Adair

Contrary to popular belief, I don’t believe the customer is always right. So how does one handle a customer who wants you to design a pile of garbage? If you can flush that out in the beginning, the answer is obvious – don’t take the work. But what happens when you find yourself thinking, “Please go away, I just want this project off my plate”? You’ve already lost interest in the success of the project and now relinquish creative expertise to become a “revision robot” — which can ruin creativity, morale, client relationships, and the overall quality of work.

Now, let’s take a look at the underlying problem; there comes a point when any designer or creative team becomes disconnected with a project like I’ve mentioned above. As a project manager, I get to see the frustrations and elations from both sides. If a business owner is adamant about his or her opinions, it’s likely that no amount of research or expertise can persuade them, and it typically goes something like this: “I’ve started oodles of successful businesses, I know what I want, and I want to pay you to execute what I need.” Seems pretty cut & dry, right? Try approaching your creative team with this (and make sure to bring a helmet). All kidding aside, it can be a very tough position for a project manager, especially if the design team has already lost interest. And as a PM in this situation, you’ll definitely earn your paycheck.

Ever had feedback like this from a client?

Client: “It doesn’t do it for me.”

Project Manager: “Can you tell my why? Or describe what you’re envisioning and why?”

Client: “Not really, I just don’t like it.”

Project Manager: “But we feel that the design follows the objectives outlined in the brief and represents a solid visual solution for you.

Client: “Do you have any other designs for me to look at?”

At this point, half of me does not want to fight a horse that won’t drink, while the other half of me wants to dunk my head under water and scream. If it gets to this point, I know I probably did something wrong. To avoid this happening again, it’s important to go back and try to pinpoint when it might have slithered away from my grips. Sometimes this situation may seem unavoidable, but there’s always something(s) you could have changed or approached in a different way. Luckily,  there are oodles of resources out there to combat this, including the AIGA. It’s a great resource for designers and project managers to reference when working through tough situations. Check it out. The AIGA offers helpful insight for everything from contracts to ethics to client management. You might be surprised what you learn.

In all reality, no process is bulletproof. Although we strive for a perfect process, there will always be hurdles. That’s just life as a project manager. But at what point does one feel a professional responsibility to steer the customer from the perils of a really bad idea and/or execution? We all have a boiling point – so when is it okay to pull your rip chord in the middle of a project? Is that an acceptable way to get out? How much time is reasonable to spend educating customers about what good design is, your process, or how it can help them? For me at least, it seems dependent on our workload, the size of the project, and the relationship with the client. How much “good” work do you have already? Can you afford to turn them away?

We’ve all dealt with customers that flat out don’t care about the design process, but still expect award-winning work to somehow be miraculously conceived. The obvious thought would be to not work with such clients. But let’s be realistic. Bills need paying, you’re contractually committed, and this problem may not have been obvious during the proposal or discovery phases.

Here are few of my thoughts on how to prevent being “butchered”:

1. Explain your process up front and make sure they understand what you do and don’t expect from them.
2. Keep them involved as much as they desire or as much as the project requires them to be.
3. Get approvals in small, incremental phases. This will prevent any surprises. If they are approving each baby step, it’s much more difficult for them to change directions on you. It’s also much easier to bill more when they do.
4. Provide an explanation of how the proposed solution fits the problem. This should already be outlined in the brief or in a Scope of Work document.
5. Don’t work yourself to death trying to educate or explain to someone that believes they know everything. Do what they ask and move on. Even if you’ve provided this type of client the best solution in the galaxy, they wouldn’t know it.
6. Take deeper breathes. Keep it professional and stay poised. Complete the project per their instructions. Then, once all the deliverables are completed, refer them to another firm. Make sure to explain why you may not be a good fit and thank them for their past business.
7. Go back through your process and change something to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Learn from it!

I recently received feedback on a logo proof we spent a considerable amount of time on before presenting initial concepts to the client. The response from the client was, “It doesn’t look like you spent any time at all on the logo concepts.” Given that the client requested a clean and simple logo, I took that as a compliment. This was the same client that didn’t complete the creative brief – because he was “too busy.”

“Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication”
- Leonardo Da Vinci -

Your first inclination might be to start explaining how design works. Go ahead and stop yourself right there! Your time would be better spent putting your shoestrings into a French braid.

I can’t imagine any project manager or creative professional achieving very much fulfillment from being a “key stroking slave”. Continue seeking customers that are engaged in the process, value good design, and have a genuine interest in the success of the project. This type of client provides a critical perspective needed to arrive at the best solution. And to be honest, I just don’t want to live any other way.

So how do you deal with a project when the client doesn’t know what they want? Or when you’re expected to keep designing until they “see something that resonates?” Feel free to weigh-in with some of your own experiences. I know I can’t be the only one that has trouble getting the client to “take the butcher’s word for it”.

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!

While there is an infinite amount of greatness happening across the valley, here’s a few events taking place that Splinter will be attending and/or helping out with…

Phoenix Design Week – It’s the inaugural event and it’s happening October 21^st – 25^th. The week will be filled with exhibits and galleries featuring the work of local graphic artists, interactive and motion designers. Phoenix Design Week kicks off on Friday with the Typophile Film Fest at MadCap Theatres and then moves to the weekend conference at the downtown convention center. The lineup of guest speakers looks amazing and it is sure to be the start of something great. Visit the PhxDW website to purchase tickets and get all the details. The folks here at Splinter are looking forward to checking out the exhibits and taking in some knowledge from the speakers. Should be a great one!

Ignite Phoenix #5 – This pile of awesome was brought to life by a group of folks passionate about lighting a fire under the Phoenix creative community. Gearing up for the 5^th installment of Ignite, Splinter is eager to jump in and help out again by providing killer design services along with a few other juicy items. In fact, we’ll be donating enough goods and services that we’ve been offered the opportunity to put together a 30 second spot showcasing who we are and what we do. Hopefully it turns out as awesome as this video by @bwilley and @krysvs from Ignite Phoenix #4.

PodCamp AZ 2009 – Originating in Boston, Massachusetts and heading into its 3^rd year, this event takes the original concept of PodCamp and changes it up a bit to meet the needs of Phoenix. Contrary to its name, this event isn’t just about podcasting, it’s about the creation and delivery of new media and how people use the information. Taking place November 14^th and 15^th at the University of Advancing Technology, this unconference has been coming together over the past several months and is sure to be the different event you’re looking for. And hey, it’s FREE. If you’re interested in sponsoring or attending this new-media focused event, make sure to check out the website for more info. While the event is new media based, we’ll be assisting the crew with some printing and graphic needs as the date nears.

The only question I have… Who’s coming with me?