The Business Side

It’s something I’ve had to get better at. And I have. But it’s also made me more of a jerk. And has, at times, caused me to lose sight of why I’m doing this in the first place. Administration. Project Management. Account Service. Jargon. Selling it. All that shit can be a drag. Sure, it does satisfy my organizational side, which I like. But too much of it, and too little of actually designing, can be a bummer. It’s a tug of war I suppose. Some sort of epic back and forth where you try to make sure the state of the business is solid and the creativity of the business continues to expand. Because at the end of the day, you put a stake in the ground on your thinking, your design, and your problem-solving. Not how efficient and organized you can be. Those are nice, but they aren’t why clients come to you to help them inspire people.

YOU are my favorite client

I’ve had many of these, which is one reason this whole Independent Design thing still seems worth it. The client who respects what I do. They expect me to do what I do at a very high level. They push me, they challenge me. They want something beautiful, delightful, and inspiring. And they know I’ve been doing this for a long time. They know I’m an expert in this field. They let me make the decisions, expand the idea of what’s possible, and most importantly, they let me  think and design, design and think. They don’t want cheap, fast, or mediocre. And they are always sensitive to over stepping the generous nature of some of the scopes I work within. 

Needless to say, when all this really great stuff isn’t happening on a project, it can really be a drag. When a client brings with them a lot of opposites to the above benefits, you just have to keep plugging away. Keep getting after it, keep grinding out mockups and ideas, keep trying to be open minded, keep trying to empathize. 

In the end, hopefully both sides arrive at the end of the process satisfied with mutual respect in tact. And hopefully you’ve grown as a designer and as a person.

Speaking to Students

It’s always a good time. Whenever I’m asked I usually accept. To visit a class, to speak at a conference, or to offer an invite to Round and Round. In preparation for the upcoming Meet the Pros, over the next couple of weeks I’ll be posting some thoughts relating to my specific presentation regarding Independent Design. Why it’s tough, why it’s awesome, and why you need principles so you keep yourself on track. If you’re a student, or teach some students, and want to get together to talk design, independence, activism, collaboration, etc., feel free to hit me up.

Can we have it cheaper? Can we have it faster?

Oh, and more of it too? These and other questions you will need to know how to answer in this independent life. I’ve found it’s never easy enough to always have the same answer. Yes or no or something in between. It always varies. And it just comes with this territory of being out there all by yourself.

I need to get better at...

 ...asking for help, asking for more time, and asking deeper questions about the why. Being less nose to the grindstone and more face into the wind. Standing firm on what all this costs. Traveling more. Creating more. Thinking about work less. Embracing uncertainty. Blocking out time to make something for no reason in particular. Being even more selective about the projects I take on.* Understanding the divide between talk and action. Experimenting. Getting all philosophical. Acting intentionally. Having conversations at a deeper, more profound level. Not feeling bad for being pissed. Not just going with the flow. Not accepting of the way things are. Letting things go. Showing more of the love. Enjoying more of this life as it continues, at an increasing clip, to move on by.

* As of now, I feel like this will be a big theme for this year.