Clients. They’re your bread and butter, the conduit for doing the work you love. They can also be the thorns in your side, inducing digital dread of email and fear of phones.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll offer five tips for jump-starting dialogue with clients—before, during, or after things get messy. These five tips will help you keep your balance when you have to confront a client-related problem, transform conflict into joint problem solving, or create a foundation that will keep your client relationships strong and healthy.

Unlike most conflict resolution tips, these five won’t be techniques to memorize and deliver. Here’s why, by way of a story told me in class by one of my mediation students:

“I got into an argument with my husband this morning. It wasn’t about anything dire, just daily little stuff. I thought to myself, I’ll put my good mediator skills to use and make this conversation go better! So I did all the right things: I reflected back, I asked good questions, I uncovered interests, I reframed. I was so proud of myself!

“But there was one little problem. It was making things worse. (more…)

Part Two of a Two-Part Series.

Earlier this year, I received an email from a woman who was impressed by specific samples she had seen on my website, and wanted to hire me for an illustration project. Her company was developing proprietary technologies and needed a drawing of a prototype village that showed how these technologies could be used to operate a self-sustaining community. I called her and she said my drawing style was perfect, but as she described the project to me, I got a sick feeling in my stomach because it reminded me so much of the Aspen job. It sounded very interesting, however, so I agreed to meet with her and discuss the details. I needed money to get my house painted and this job would just about cover the cost. (more…)

Certain teachers, professors, and mentors stick with you. It’s a familiar theme. In fact, there are motion pictures dedicated to this notion—To Sir, with Love, Dead Poets Society, and Mr. Holland’s Opus come to mind—as well as books, songs, and probably dozens of other forms of communication and entertainment. One of my inspirations, Fred Rubeck, a professor in the Department of Performing Art at Elon University, North Carolina, drew my attention to an important principle over a decade ago. This was in one of the many acting and directing classes I took with him, but the principle encompasses much more than the stage. I’ve been guided by this notion in Web and multimedia design, video production, and even Flash programming. It’s summed up by Hamlet in Act III, Scene 2 of his namesake play (yes, I’m about to quote Shakespeare).

Hamlet is talking to a beloved troupe of visiting actors. He’s pleased with them, but stern in his wishes. At first, he cautions them not to overdo their craft (this is the notion of “less is more”), but at the same time … (more…)

Lessons Learned from Jobs that Got Completely Out of Control:
Part One of a Two-Part Series.

I ran a full-page color ad of my illustration work in the Graphic Artists Guild’s Directory of Illustration #11. It set me back $3500, but I was convinced it would open all kinds of doors for me. Within two months I received a call from the owner of a puzzle company who saw my ad and wanted me to create a 30”x48” full-color map/illustration of Aspen Colorado for use on puzzles and postcards. The client happened to be only three hours away, so I arranged a personal meeting. We discussed the job and I worked up a quote for $4000. They also said the job requires me to fly to Aspen for three days to sample the bars and restaurants, take pictures and go shopping. Oh…and they would pay for everything on top of my illustration fee.

This all sounded great to me… could it get any better? The directory ad paid for itself and I was off to an all expenses paid trip to Hollywood’s Winter Playground (it was February). I finally hit the big-time. (more…)

I’m an artist, not an economist, but my interest in the economy was sparked after 9/11 as I watched all of my friends loose their jobs and my 401k balance shrink for the first time ever. It appeared to me that we were heading into another dark age of world war and economic depression. The Tech boom crashed and the nation entered a recession that was beginning to hit home for many in the design community. Some NYC shops had folded because their clients relocated or just disappeared in the aftermath of the WTC collapse. Elsewhere in the design world, waves of refugees from the dotcom bust eventually hit the shores of our company. The following are some “notes from the inside”: the design job market from recession through recovery over the last six years. (more…)

Every designer knows about the importance of branding. We see branding in action every day at our desks, at lunch, in the car, and often when we don’t even realize it. Many branding messages are extremely subtle, meant to give the consumer a subconscious feeling about the company, and to provide a consistent consumer experience. Good designers know how to seek these messages out and understand their meaning, as well as apply what they’ve learned to their own branding projects. (more…)

In this time of market saturation, what do you look for in the things that you buy? If you are like me, the latest and greatest stuff just isn’t enough. I want to buy from brands that I like and people I enjoy working with—companies and people who are accountable for their actions. These accountable companies ultimately make my life easier. I can turn projects over to them and trust that my needs are going to be met, and that when we run into problems they will fix them. So when it comes to my own company, I strive to offer clients the same things I’d expect if I was in their shoes. (more…)

Lots of you, like me, freelance. Being a freelancer comes with all sorts of special perks, like working in your pajamas (don’t do this), having the freedom to pick up your dry cleaning during the work day (don’t do this either), and not paying taxes (if I have to say it, you don’t deserve the warning). Another totally not awesome thing about freelancing is the endless time logged alone at your desk without the daily motivating support of others in your field (unless you’ve done a very smart thing and invested in a shared office space, in which case you don’t need my tips about wearing pajamas).

Luckily, the Freelancer’s Union—responsible for other near Herculean feats, such as health care provision—has come up with a brilliant solution to the lonely freelancer’s dilemma. (more…)

Don’t let criticism fall-out hold you back.

It’s hard enough to take negative feedback, but as a designer you have the even more difficult task of making sure a client’s criticism comes in a form you can use to produce a revision that hits the mark. We’ve all heard clients use hazy negative statements like “I hate it,” “It’s not working,” “That color is all wrong.” Amid the pain and letdown of not hearing words of praise, we actually have to try to elicit some useful information. It would be great if every client could be a great communicator, able to articulate why the design isn’t working, offer insights pegged to the target audience, and give suggestions on specific areas for change. But you can do a lot to steer the conversation towards the most intelligent, useful critique possible, so that you get to turn in a winning design. (more…)

My hard drive (from LaCie) looks like a bright, shiny LEGO brick. I can’t miss it, so I can never say I forgot to back up.

How many times have you heard or said, “My hard drive crashed at the worst possible time!” There’s never really a good time for a hard drive to crash, but it doesn’t have to be as painful if you backup on a regular basis. We all know the value of saving often and backing up regularly, but really, how often do you actually do it? (Be honest.)

If you’re a designer or other work-at-home type, backing up is especially important since lost data can cost you big bucks or big clients. So here are a few tips to help you get on track with backing up your work: (more…)