Everything a designer does has impact – our work has financial, social, environmental and value-based impacts on society. It’s up to individuals whether than impact is positive, or negative.
I have long been a believer in the need to have designers in the C suite. However some recent research has made me wonder if we need to work differently to reach that level.
It is part of a designer’s role to give clients a framework in which to give their feedback. A framework helps moves the feedback from the subjective ‘I don’t like orange’ to a more appropriate, and useful objective responses.
Gaining client approval can be the most frustrating part of any project for both the designer and client. We’ve found introducing a RASCI – identifying roles and responsibilities at planning stage – solves many of the issues.
Value pricing will only work with some clients. As an industry we have spent far to long selling our services by the hour. We need to accept that our legacy clients …
Jobs to be done is a process designers can use to understand why customers/clients choose to purchase a product/service. Understanding leads to knowledge.
What exactly is a for-purpose studio? And working with for-purpose businesses the only way to build a for-purpose studio?
If that’s the case, I’ve think we have a problem.
Many accountants suggest studio owners shouldn’t be paid a wage. Instead, they suggest owners get paid whatever money is ‘left’ in the business at the end of the month.
We disagree…
Most designers are not in any doubt they add value for clients.
The problem – for both designers and clients – is they can’t quantify that value.
Creative studios must cost on hours and sell on value. Selling a service by hours means the only way to increase profitability is to employ more staff and that’s just not sustainable.
It is possible for designers to work a shorter week and increase profits. It’s directly related to salaries and increasing productivity. What it’s not about is increasing stress.
It still happens – design studio owners treating designers as slaves and promising the long hours will worth it on their CV. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can build a sustainable studio on good working practice.