21 Designing to prove a point

I have done this a few times (years ago), and ultimately all I ended up with was work I do not want in my portfolio. Sometimes it’s hard though when the client is adamant they want that image in the background behind the text and the titles on the side fading in and out…

posted at 05:12 pm on August 1, 2006 by Richard Parker

23 Designing to Prove a Point

Boy I wish I had read this article before starting a design project with my client. I am a rookie designer (although I have been designing for 8+ years for personal/volunteer projects) and dealing with my first ever client. She was very adamant on the specifics of the design and micromanaged everything from font face to graphics. Although I appreciate that she was going for a specific look, I still feel that the original designs I came up with were light years more attractive. In the end she was happy with the design that we decided on, however I’m feeling less than happy with the project (not something I would be proud to display in my portfolio).

Any advice on how I can avoid this in the future?
While we were meeting, I worked on making modifications to the design right before her eyes so she could see how things looked like right away. Was this a bad thing to do, or it is better practice just to take notes and work on the design independently? What should I do about age politics? I am still very young with little professional experience, so I felt that the client’s older age gave her an advantage.

posted at 10:30 pm on August 1, 2006 by Stephanie Liboiron

24 Pride in your portfolio

I had a client who micromanaged me as well. I am including that site in my portfolio, but now I’m wondering if it’s appropriate, when describing the project, to say something like “this site was built to the exact specifications of the client” or “this client allowed me a great deal of creative license.”

Any thoughts?

Also, I’m another one who works best up against a deadline. Unfortunately, it’s my own portfolio site that’s suffering from my current creative block.

posted at 10:51 pm on August 1, 2006 by Julie Olson

25 exactly what the client wanted

I like Julie’s suggestion (“this site was built to the exact specifications of the clientâ€?). Would it be appropriate to include something like this in my portfolio write-up? At least then I would feel a lot better about displaying it in my portfolio.

posted at 10:53 pm on August 1, 2006 by Stephanie Liboiron

26 Portfolio

I find its wise in some cases to keep original designs for your folio before they were changed by the client, likewise any work which was cancelled for whatever reason. I admit this is easier when presenting a printed folio as opposed to a site but static page mocks can also work.

posted at 11:35 am on August 2, 2006 by Tony Goff

28 Breadth & Depth of the portfolio

I’ve found it beneficial, especially in dealing with freelance clients, to sometimes demostrate the entire entire creative process on a particular project. There have been a few times where a potential client enjoyed one particular solution or treatment of a particular something & wondered how I arrived where I did. Since I essentially keep all of the particulars of a project in one bundle, I can go back & trace the steps it took to arrive at that point.

So while the finished project might not be that thrilling & something that you don’t feel acsentuates your strength as a designer, maybe there is another angle to that project that you can emphasize over the design like managing the overall project? Sometimes, and there are those times where selling your elite concepts might be a little a too much for certain clients to wrap their heads around, which is why I think it’s important to demonstrate range from the simple to the extraordinary.

I also think it’s important to not shy away from the micromanaged projects but rather use the parameters your fed to help fuel your creativity. Don’t get caught up in the my ideas are far better than the clients’, but they can’t see it… the true test of your ability will be to produce the best possible work under scrutinty & within sometimes heavy boundaries…

Just my couple of pennies…

Also I find that when the creative lightbulb fades out, I try to lend some energy to doing something that either I’ve never done to get the excitement built up again or trying to look at something mundane through the eyes of someone else & try to figure out how they see it, might lead to something interesting?

posted at 10:28 pm on August 3, 2006 by Justice Guyberg

29 A change of venue... on the train

I find some of my best times to really get creatives things done is on the train on the way to and from work. I live in Tokyo and the trains have tons of ads, funny passengers and other points of inspiration. I’ve found it works for design, copywriting, even IA work. My lesson learned here was that often the least obvious places to work can really help get those juices flowing; away from coworkers, deadlines and other reminders that this is a job that has to get done. It’s ironic that sometimes the work place itself is the worst place to get work done.

posted at 06:44 pm on August 5, 2006 by Lance Shields

30 Generation Y Habits

I’m a student of design and I have observed that my peers and I are constantly mobile when we are working. Personally, I jump between coffee shops and campus lounges, using them as hot-spots for creativity.

It’s probable that laptops and Wi-Fi have made the next wave of designers dependent mobility. As artists, we seek a current of inspiration – an idyllic environment for exploration and expression. What could be more freeing than changing your location on a whim in the middle of a work day?

I enjoyed reading this article because it shows that there are many other habits and practices that can recharge and refresh one’s creativity. Soon I’ll have to leave behind some of the luxuries a college lifestyle offers the design process – but now I can replace them with tips from experienced professionals.

posted at 08:50 am on August 6, 2006 by Antonio Castillo