The Designer Becomes the Client
Photo by Benjamin Combs @b3njamin
What does it mean to be a client? Learn how to tap into your clients’ needs by becoming one yourself.
“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
As designers we're all trained to do our own design work, naturally, to showcase our skills. We design our own portfolios, business cards, and websites to show off what we can do for our clients. But we never actually get trained on what it may feel like to be the client hiring a designer, since we’re always on the other side of things.
Like a photographer on the other side of the camera. We know what that may feel like but as soon as we step in front of the camera, it’s a different feeling all together.
Understanding clients
When you purchase clothes, shoes, or a car...you know what you're getting because you can see it, feel it, and get a general sense for it. There's no secret and probably not a lot of questions. You either like it and buy it. Or you don't, and move on.
It's a much different things when you're purchasing something you can't see like a logo, a brand, or a tattoo. Anxiety, stress, and a lot of questions can happen before pencil even hits paper.
By stepping into the clients’ shoes, you can gain a better understanding of what you can do to ease customer worries right at the start.
Becoming the client
When I was 18, I got a silly little tattoo of a butterfly on my chest which I didn't put much thought into. After getting it, I felt so rebellious and proud. But a few years passed and I started to resent it. Everyone asked me about it and I hated showing it off because it was ugly and it didn't represent anything. It was just there. I thought about lasering it off but I came to realize that I genuinely really enjoyed having a tattoo; Just not that one. So over the last year I put more thought into what I might want on my body forever. I looked at themes I was generally attracted to and then researched the kind of tattoo styles I liked. That guided me to the appropriate artists and shops that employed them which led me to Craig Moston at Gastown Tattoo.
Going in I definitely had a few beads of sweat. This was my first major piece over $100 that would have some kind of story behind it and was one I had put more thought into. Plus, it would be much bigger than my last. I wouldn't be able to cover it up so easily so I had to make sure I loved it.
What made me most nervous was that I had no idea how it would all come together or what it was going to look like. I put a deposit down for something I couldn't imagine which is not something I'm used to. As a designer, when a project presents itself I have an idea of the direction I may take and loosely get an idea of how it might look. Whether or not it turns out that way is another story but I have a vision and can imagine some kind of outcome.
I couldn't read my tattoo artists’ mind and he didn’t offer much in the way of what he was thinking so I had to make a conscious effort to not only trust the fact I did my research but to also trust my artist and his skill. So after I put my deposit down, I left it in his capable hands to conceptualize and stylize.
Coverup tattoo by Craig Moston @ Gastown Tattoo Parlour
The morning of my tattoo appointment was the first time I saw the concept and when I saw it, I smiled with delight. I really loved it. We made a few minor tweaks and then got setup to do the tattoo. But even at this stage my nerves weren't settled as it was still just an outline so I didn't actually know how it would end up after it was on my body. All the "what if's" swirled but I, again, fell back on trusting my artist, trusting in his skill, and also trusting myself in the fact that I chose wisely.
5 hours later...my tattoo was complete. I was sore and tired but I loved how it turned out.
I now have a new found respect for clients hiring me for design work and have learned to trust my decisions/instincts more.
If you're a designer:
I would encourage you to hire someone for a service you're not familiar with; Writing, coding, art, a tattoo. It will definitely open your eyes to what you client may go through when hiring you to do work for them. Of course there are many that are comfortable with the unknown but a lot of clients aren't when they're throwing thousands of dollars at you for something they may or may not like so if anything, be aware of that.
If you're a client:
Remember you're hiring who you’re hiring because you can't do the job yourself. They are skilled professionals so trust them to deliver. Trust in their skill, experience, and capabilities.
To get a better feel for who you’re hiring, look at their portfolio. Inquire and ask specific questions about portfolio details, their process, and pricing structure. Maybe ask to meet with them if that makes you more comfortable. Tell them what you need to feel comfortable and happy. And always be weary of designers that don't follow a code of ethics. Ex. work for free or cheap. You always get what you pay for.