
On learning business…
Jesse spoke of his start as a designer and being forced through increasing responsibility to the studio of having to learn to deal with clients. This is not just talking to people but knowing the nuances of negotiations, trouble-shooting, explanations, and everything else involved in running projects as the client contact. Jesse adds: “My role was moving from that of designer to account executive, strategist, new business developer, manager and HR. While I felt more creative than ever, I was forced to learn an entirely new set of skills that I’d never been trained on before. It was a terrifyingly formative transition that has left me forever hungry for new ways to continue to grow.”


Explaining the process…
One thing Jesse covered is perhaps the most important thing in dealing with clients and the most misunderstood. It seems obvious to me but then again, I’ve held the role of designer, art director, creative director, studio manager, account manager, and wearer-of-many-hats. Dealing with people is hard enough on a daily basis as you drive, shop, and use a public laundromat, so having to maintain a working relationship, bound by a contract, many thousands of dollars, and a process that few, if any, clients understand, is a unique challenge.


“Enigmatic wizardry?”
Naturally, there are designers who believe that a client should just trust the designer to deliver the best possible product without explaining the process or any interference. As one attendee brought up during the question and answer portion of the evening, he thought that design should be almost kept secret from the client with what he termed, “enigmatic wizardry.” “Dumbledork,” as he will now be known to the rest of the design group for this profound statement, is undoubtedly one of the introverts referred to in the beginning of this article. Probably more so now that he has been made a public laughing stock. It’s another bit of proof that not every creative is able to deal with clients as does Mr. McGowan and Mr. Spakowski. The idea of keeping our “magical” designing secret is ridiculous, if it was really ever a practice. Transparency is naturally the best way to run a project, from both the creative and client sides, as well as raising trust from both parties and assuring future work and recommendations of the studio’s professional abilities.
Commoditization
Jesse spoke on an issue called “commoditization.” He explains the meaning: “Process allows designers and agencies to streamline their internal efforts, and helps clients have a better understanding of what they’re buying. But on a more broad scale, it allows us to fight the commoditization of our industry. Let’s be honest, designers are a dime a dozen in a client’s eyes. The market is so saturated that our clients are losing the ability to distinguish between us (designers), resulting in competition based on price rather than talent. Bottom line: they think that all designers are the same, so they hire the cheapest one possible.”
Final thoughts
“Ours is an industry that most of us are not truly prepared to enter", states Jesse. “We may be schooled as designers. We may be passionate about our craft. But one day we will all wake up and find that we are under-prepared for what our day has in store. We will realize that the business of graphic design is just as much about relationships, people management, financial decisions, networking and selling as it is about designing. Many will spin their wheels and burn out. The smart designers will adapt and in all likelihood forge the next mold for smart, cutting edge agencies.” Check out Atomicdust’s blog and sign up for their monthly newsletter. Follow them on Twitter and FacebookSpeider Schneider
Speider Schneider is a former member of The Usual Gang of Idiots at MAD Magazine and has designed products for Disney/Pixar, Warner Bros., Harley-Davidson, ESPN, Mattel, DC and Marvel Comics, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon among other notable companies. Speider is a former member of the board for the Graphic Artists Guild, co-chair of the GAG Professional Practices Committee and a former board member of the Society of Illustrators. Follow him on Twitter @speider or add him on Google+
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