Clients

Clients can often be the most frustrating part of a design project. Seasoned experts share advice for setting expectations with your clients, dealing with difficult situations, balancing creative control with client needs, and creating an experience that will make them recommend you for future jobs.

Tools for finding and managing clients

6 Tips for Generating Business Through LinkedIn

You may have established a LinkedIn profile, but you’re likely not taking full advantage of it. Learn how designers can maximize this social networking tool’s potential to find new client prospects. More

Categories: Articles, Business Issues, Clients, Design + Business, Freelancing, HOW Magazine, March 2012 HOW Magazine, Self-Promotion | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Mastering the Power of “No” in Client Relationships

Caring is good, but it also can be dangerous when you don’t know where to draw a line in a client relationship. Business expert David C. Baker divulges tips for when to say “no” in order to maximize profit, impact and fun when running your design business. More

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Do Clients Want Design Work Soft, Gooey, Fast?

If your clients don’t understand the value of good design, and would rather pine for something soft, gooey and fast, you owe it to yourself (and the potential client) to help change their perspective and value of design. Follow these three approaches. More

Categories: Clients, Creative Exercises, Design + Business, Design + Creativity, Featured, How-To | Tags: , , | 1 Comment

2 Keys for Successful Brand Extensions

A creative brief hits your desk: Your client or executive team wants to launch a brand extension. But before you start designing, there are two key things to consider that can make or break any brand extension. More

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Collaboration: It’s What Separates Smart Designers from the Apes

For designers, collaboration provides a creative boost through the shared brain power and experiences of clients and audiences. Check out these 3 tips. More

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Build Your Client Base

Are you poised to pounce on any new-business opportunities? A business expert outlines 9 approaches to position your firm to build a client base now, even if you’re swamped, so that business can benefit better when things slow. More

Categories: Business Issues, Clients, Design + Business, Featured | Tags: , , | 3 Comments

Do You Suck at Selling Your Ideas?

Phenomenal ideas, like that for the Dyson vacuum cleaner, are sometimes the hardest ideas to sell. Take tips from James Dyson on selling your next big idea to decision makers. More

Categories: Business Issues, Clients, Creative Exercises, Design + Creativity, Featured, Get Inspired, On the Job | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

The Empathic Designer: 5 Tips for Better Collaborative Relationships

Design success is as often as much the result of the quality of the relationships formed with clients, as it is the quality of the design. David Holston, author of “The Strategic Designer,” offers 5 tips for better collaborative design relationships with clients. More

Categories: Business Issues, Clients, Design + Business, Featured, On the Job | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

5 Questions Every Designer Should Ask Their Clients

Boost a design project’s success rate from the start by determining solutions to problems. To do so, read these 5 questions every designer should ask their clients. More

Categories: Business Issues, Clients, Design + Business, HOW Books | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments

Risk-Taking Projects

Two firms convinced their clients to take calculated risks. See how those risks payed off in these innovative projects.
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