Inside The Design Koop

The Main Reasons to Hire a Freelancer

• They provide a specialized skill for a particular job.
• They can provide fresh ideas, especially when the current staff is low on ideas or tired of a particular project.
• They can help with overflow work during especially busy times and be available on an “as need” basis with no need for long-term commitment (although some of us like feeling needed)
• They can be less expensive for the short-term than a salaried employee
• They are a great way to “try out” a potential future emlployee

(This excerpt was taken from The Designer’s Guide to Business and Careers by Peg Faimon. I highly recommend it!)

Why you typically shouldn’t send rough drafts to clients

The longer I work as a freelance graphic designer, the more I realize that clients who come to me for help can’t actually read my mind (Heck, if they could then probably none of them would bother to hire me!). Never has this become more apparent then on occasions when I decide to send a “work in progress” or a “rough draft” to try and gauge their reaction and make sure that the work I’ve done so far is favorable and that I’m on the “right path”.

More often than not, this can lead to confusion, distress, discouragement, miscommunication or misunderstanding on the client’s part, which can create an annoying little obstacle on the path to creating a finished piece which both client and myself can be proud of.

Now there is a difference between a rough draft and a set of wireframes, or initial sketches for ideas. The difference being that while wireframes or sketches are used in the initial stages of the design process in order to show a multitude of ideas, concepts or layouts, a rough draft usually means you have already chosen a particular creative path or settled on an idea/concept and you are in the progress of executing it. A rough draft is something that looks like it’s really close to being finished, but it was executed poorly and lacks the right amount of attention or detail that your client expects. If you send this to your client, bad things can happen.

Here are a few reasons why it’s typically not the best idea to send your client a rough draft:

1. Client’s can’t read your mind.
   Clients usually have the mindset of “what you see is what you get”, so when you show them something that looks even remotely like it could be finished, they’ll usually think it is. Even if you stress that it’s just a “work in progress” and you have much more to do, more often than not they’ll still feel like what they’re seeing right at that moment is close to the finished product.
2. They may get worried/upset.
   Certain clients may begin to doubt you really have the capability to complete this project with the skill and detail that they’re looking for. This can lead to #3…
3. It may put them in a negative or controlling mood.
   If clients start to feel like you can’t handle their needs they may either begin art directing your work down to the last detail, or they may simply drop you altogether. Either way, you don’t want this to happen. You’re the designer, they came to you for your creative expertise, and it’s your job to work with the client, reassure them that you are a professional in your field and what you are doing for them is in their best interest (and in the end, yours as well because happy clients usually equal repeat business or referrals).

How can you avoid this altogether?

Make sure you’re 100% clear on what your client is asking for from the beginning of the project. Thoroughly discuss details, ideas and concepts so when you do start designing with intent you have no doubt that this is the direction the client wants and you aren’t second guessing yourself. Sometimes clients will have a very clear idea on the EXACT details of what they want, and other times they will give you a few haphazard examples and say “Well, you’re the designer so just do what looks best!” In the former case, I would recommend really delving in to the project details, find out what they are hoping to achieve, and go over a few options with them to see if there exists a better solution than the one they have. In the latter case, I would really stress that you try to get more information or direction from the client so your not fumbling around in the dark with your ideas.

When would it be OK to send a rough draft?

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, it’s wise to try and avoid sending rough drafts to clients. However there are two situations I’m aware of in which I think it would be okay.

1. The project has a small budget.
   Meaning you don’t have a lot of time to do a bunch of wireframes, sketches, comps, etc. You send small iterations of the design process, making sure it’s going in the right direction before you spend hours on a single comp and are informed it’s “not the right look”.
2. The client is a fellow designer or creative type.
   Fellow designers will understand that your rough draft is exactly that. They can even help you mold your design to perfection by bouncing ideas back and forth and getting their feedback.