AIGA Charlotte: Debbie Millman, A Struggling Designer

What can you add to Debbie Millman that others haven't already said? She's the quintessential designer, full of passion, energy and wit. Type in her name and you'll immediately find her website, blog plus numerous articles and write ups about her. She's everywhere and anywhere. So what can I say that hasn't been said before?

Let me reflect on the meeting for a moment. AIGA Charlotte invited Debbie back to Charlotte to discuss her latest book, How To Think Like A Great Graphic Designer. It's a series of conversations between Debbie and other famous designers that explore how they became who they are and what got them to this point. So last Thursday Debbie spoke her in Charlotte and she began to explain why she made the book. The genesis all came down to an interview some years ago where the journalist asked her what it feels like to be an overnight success. This really ticked her off since she had been doing the same thing for the last 25 years! She went on to explain all of her trials and tribulations of being a designer and how AIGA has been both friend and foe at different times in her life. Through it all it was the relationship she had between her fellow designers that got her though the tough times.

Now after listening to her speak I felt as though I had a connection to her. At the time I didn't know what it was. But after reflecting on it for awhile now I think I understand. The best way I can describe the core of what she spoke about was this. To love something so much and have to struggle each and every day to do it. The struggle she talked about comes from all sorts of different places. For some it's the clients; for others it's the budget or the lack of enthusiasm; maybe the inexperience; the lack of confidence; the misguided focus; the lack of communicating; and perhaps the feeling of being disregarded by our peers. All of these things can be overcome by having a dream and sticking to it. But a long the way we struggle to achieve it because of our own insecurities.

In Debbie's career she's reached a point and a volume of work that others can't deny and so she finally has what she wanted. But I've been doing this for 10 years now, 15 years less than Debbie Millman. I've some awards, though I've never been published and my peers think I'm a somewhat decent designer. But that's not good enough. I want to do inspiring work just like Debbie. Maybe I have to do this for 15 more years and go through a ton more crap before I get there. Perhaps I have to work with creatives like Debbie who will teach me how to live and breath creative better? Perhaps I'll never get there or maybe I will. That feeling of the unknown scares the crap out of me. And perhaps that's why Debbie and others like Stephan Sagmeister are talking to us all to provide a little inspiration to make it all worth it.

Or perhaps, just perhaps it's the struggle that makes the designer?

I wish I could find an example of what she talked about but it's not online. So the next best thing I could find is a video the AIGA just released. It's only hosted through their website so check it out here. It's a little something to get inspired.

HOW Conference: How Good Clients Become Bad Prospects

One of the most interesting and informative sessions I went to during the HOW Conference was by Shel Perkins. Here's a little background I found on his website, www.shelperkins.com.

"Shel Perkins is a designer and design manager who is active on the business side of professional practice. He has served as director of operations for Meta Design in San Francisco and as vice president of operations for Clement Mok."

Shel is a designer and a business manager. He's had extensive experience in both fields and along the way he recognized that we designers have a way of screwing up the relationship by not being business savvy. He wrote a book titled, "Talent Is Not Enough: Business Secrets for Designers", you can find it on Amazon here. His session with us spoke a lot to his book so I'd highly suggest that you get it, mine is on order.

This is what he told us:

1. Design is problem solving. We as problem solvers should be able to handle problems with our clients very simply so we don't have any.
2. We as designers have been suffering by our clients or the company we work for, for a long time. We are in fear that we'll become rejected, which pushes us to make our clients happy so they'll like us. Bizarre isn't it!
3. Clients don't perceive us as the experts. When this happens we become sweat shop designers which bend to the will of the client. Whereas if their perception of us up front was of an expert and professional, then there would be a mutual respect between each other and open to each other thoughts and opinions.
   
4. Shel explained that we have to set the ground rules up front. By managing expectations this way we won't have misunderstandings and problems down the road. I, by the way, have made this mistake a hundred times, you'd think it would be obvious by this point.

This is how you do it:

1. What is the Perfect Client for Me?
2. Set Ground Rules
3. Communicate and Manage Expectations
4. People Skills
5. Resources

1. What is the Perfect Client for Me?

• Match credentials: Make sure it's a good fit for both you. It's good to step into different industries, but when your not familiar with it, it shows and the client won't trust your professionalism.
  
• Creative challenge: If you're not being pushed to do something new then the client won't grow either.
  
• Meet the right prospects for a long term relationship: There have been so many times when I thought I was in alignment with the client, only for the real person in charge to step in and kill the project because we were so off base. So make sure you recognize who the trigger puller is.
  
• Realistic Schedule: Be honest and don't over promise. I've done this more times than I remember. After a while the schedule becomes a joke and the client can quickly loose confidence.

2. Set Ground Rules

• Create a legal terms and conditions proposal that is fully detailed: By incorporating everything in the document you cover yourself down the road. Examples of this can be found in Shel Perkins book, listed above. These examples cover everything from penalty fees, payment, to ending the relationship with the client. This must be done in the beginning so that you don't run into future problems.
  
• Signed contract: It's necessary to have it signed, again to cover yourself.

3. Communicate and Manage Expectations

• Create a tracking system that communicates to the client: This keeps track of all the changes and helps push back.

4. People Skills

• Improve your communications skills
• Active listening: a system of repeating back what the client says to you which confirms what they've said.
• Thank them for sharing: a simple act that can go a long way.
• Talk through the process of working: this helps them understand what it takes to get it done and they can then relay that back to their people.
  

5. Resources

• AIGA Center for Practice Management: go to this link.

The session was over in an hour and it flew by. You could tell that he was a kind man and as silly as it sounds, his goal in life is to make the world a better place. After he spoke he did a Q&A and people got up and talked about issues they've had with clients. Shel would very simply explain what they should have done and all you heard was oohs and aahs from the audience. He's like a Dr. Phil for designers. He's been doing it so long and dealt with every kind of situation.