Design taught me...
Design has taught me a lot of things but the biggest lesson by far has been the good o'l fashion lesson in relationships.
Here is what I've learned:
1. Love At First Sight - If the client is just in it for your body (of work)... BIG red flags. And this goes both ways. Genuine, mutual, interest is key to getting things going.
2. First Impressions Are Huge - That first date is always going to be awkward. It's hard to avoid this but the key is confidence. You need to show the client you can take care of her. There are a lot of jerk designers out there who are only in this thing for a one night stand and the client knows this so you need to show the client that you're a stand up guy.
3. Seek Feedback From Friends - No matter how good the first date went, it's always a good idea to do some research. Love is blind and while you have your head in the clouds, you may be overlooking key details that give away incompatibility. Never disregard the word on the street either.
4. The Follow Up Call - Don't be too eager! Give it a day or two before you follow up. You don't want to look needy! Confidence, my friends. It's all about confidence.
5. Communication - Once you've asked the client to be your girlfriend, it's important to keep the communication up. You're only dating! They are free to leave at any moment if they feel neglected and, trust me, there are a lot of other really great designers out there who are single and very ready to mingle.
6. Marriage - Not many designers are committing these days but I very much encourage binding your relationship with a contract before kids are involved. It can get messy real quick otherwise.
7. Conception - This is a very important phase of the relationship. You can't do the client's job and the client can't do yours. It's always best to have the "birds and the bees" talk before conception of the design baby and not during this phase... please have it before. Phew, glad that one's over...
6. Labor Pains - While the baby is growing, there is a good chance that the client may acquire bazaar tastes for styles and colors that you've never dreamt of. There is a good chance that their emotional state may be very unstable, sending them into tantrums over very small issues. Keep your cool in these moments. It may not seem like you're doing much good at the time but later, when the client is in their right mind again, they'll remember the patience you showed them when they were being impractical. Be sure the client is getting what they need in this phase, it's crucial for the health of the design baby.
7. Delivery - Every client is different when it comes to delivery. A natural delivery is always recommended seeing as someone barging into your workspace can be very traumatic for both you and the design baby. Upon delivery, make sure that you properly swaddle the design baby. It may be a bit fussy at first but a few swats on the dropbox should move things along. Dress it in something cute, heck, put it in a pdf for all I care, just don't throw it out into the world bare bottomed. Take some nice photos of the design baby that both the client and yourself will be excited to share with family and friends.
8. Parenthood - If you signed up for the long haul, read some parenting books and always be there for your design baby but, more importantly, always be their for your client. You wouldn't have that design baby without the client so make sure you're keeping that flame alive. Both the design baby and yourself will benefit from a strong client relationship. If your client decides they want to wash their hands of you, make sure you give them everything the design baby needs to stay healthy. This could include notes for what colors it enjoys best, the fonts it likes to eat, and a safe proximity that it should keep between itself and other design babies.
And there you have it! This is what design has taught me.
This is my submission for Shopify's "Design Taught Me" playoff competition.