I’ve said it before and I’ll say it time and again: design can be expensive. Ignoring design, however, can be even more costly to your business in the long run. Design can more than double turnover, and some have even seen far more dramatic increases. (Case studies illustrating this point to come soon.) If you’re just starting out or on a small budget in general, here are some tips that can help minimize the bill from your designer.
Pull Your Weight
Designers often sit, thumbs twiddling, waiting on a client for a decision or content. Though you shouldn’t be charged by the designer for waiting (unless it is excessive and there is a “penalty fee”), it will cost you time and money. It will also cause frustration for the designer, possibly to the extent of either throwing them off the top of their game or damaging what could have been a great long-term relationship. Or both. So be decisive, and most of all be prepared.
Speed Up the Design Process
Give Examples
Give your designer as many examples of things you like and dislike. And again, be decisive. Effective communication is a must to make the design process as efficient as possible. Sitting down with your designer for an hour or two to go through seemingly endless examples of design can save up to 20 hours in design revisions.
Put Your User First
Stay away from personal preferences as much as you can. There is a huge difference between a theme not representing your company well and you just not liking it. Ignore the urge to say “I don’t like it”, and instead determine if your potential clients will be attracted to it. If you don’t think they will, list as many reasons as possible. Give the designer as much information as you can about what you think is “bad” or “wrong” with the design. Chances are, if you gave the designer enough information to begin with, the design shouldn’t be too far off-base with what your users will be attracted to.
Minimize Changes
Once you have decided on a design, don’t change anything unless you think it is absolutely necessary. Don’t hassle over the color of the links (which should be in the original mock-up anyway), don’t get caught up on the small details. Each and every change will require a change order, cost you money, and cost you both time. If there is a change in the content you want to display or another information architecture change, tell the designer as soon as possible.
“Settling” Doesn’t Have to Be a Bad Thing
If you are on the smallest budget imaginable (or smaller), you can’t be picky. Trust your designer to make the right decision for your company. One way to truly cut all costs possible is to let the designer do all the decision making and simply provide the content. Effective communication during the Design Brief process is crucial if you need to go this route, and this should only be a last resort for those who recognize their need for professional design help but can’t afford to spend every penny on an elaborate, expensive process.
Another option would be to see if the designer has any unused designs from previous clients that would meet your needs. Design by definition is solving a problem, and this could be a borderline comparison with using a template. However, the designer should have enough intuition to recognize whether or not a design is appropriate for your project.
Speed Up The Testing Process
This is primarily for web projects, but some parts can apply to any project. Ask the designer to keep you in the loop throughout the project process. They should anyway, giving you regular updates of progress as well as allowing you to see the progress. Staying in the loop can save time by getting the testing out of the way before the project is actually finished. Definitely refer to the next tip before doing so, however.
Bite That Tongue!
If your designer is allowing you to openly see the progress of a website during the development stage, wait for them to tell you it’s ready for a certain approval stage before saying anything. If your issues have not yet been addressed at this certain “cornerstone” of an approval stage, bring them up. But, much like asking a speaker a question before he even begins his speech, your issue may very well be in the process of being addressed.
Explore Discounts
Many designers might be open to offering you a discount for numerous reasons. One good reason is if you successfully refer another client to them. This might end up in a “rebate” if the client signs a contract after the completion date of your project, but it is money in your pocket either way.
Promise of Repeat Business
If you know that you are in need of many different design projects but can’t afford to do them all at once, there may be a discount given if you sign all contracts at once. The timeline would be completely up to you, though there may be a deposit required. All designers may not be agreeable to this sort of thing, but it never hurts to ask.
Explore Payment Options
It cannot be denied, these economic times are some of the hardest our country has ever seen. Freelancers especially very well may openly welcome a steady monthly income versus one large check. This would be a beneficial situation for everyone involved. You would be able to afford it, and the designer would be able to find even a temporary security in a steady income. Some designers might even be open to bartering options. If you are both in need of each others services/products, it could greatly reduce (or eliminate) both of your bills for such things.
The key to both of these things is to be polite, of course. Don’t be pushy, and don’t make ultimatums. The designer should be kind enough to work with you in whatever way they can afford to, but they are of course not required to agree to any such payment option. It doesn’t hurt to ask, but you could possibly damage a great long-term relationship if you ask in the wrong way.
This is an outstanding summary! Very well done! Some great points in there!