graphic design consultants - the freedom of detachment
Creative freedom of detachment
Q: How is a graphic design consultant different to your in house graphic designer?
A: In my opinion the crucial difference is the terms of engagement.
The permanent employee's initial enthusiasm and ideas get dulled by management or company policy; in time the creative designer conforms into a haze of dreary working life. The inspirational juices dry and they learn to produce work which will get them through the day with minimal conflict. On the contrary a consultant makes the decision but does not have to live with the long term political backlash, they can work free of the burdens and pressures of full time employment.
Graphic design consultant advice 101: "Talk to the organ grinder, not the monkey"
Breaking a graphic design project with revisions is the biggest factor blowing out the cost of the job. A designer will have contact with one or many clients to determine the outline and deliverables of the project. In larger organizations there will be a chain of command. It is the structure of this communication that can determine how much effort is required. The more people in the chain the more work there is reaching consensus, getting approval at each link can be a costly exercise.
My advice is to find where the buck stops and get your decisions made from there; this way the process is less likely to drive you nuts.
Graphic design consultant advice 101: "90% of the gig is being present"
If you are a freelance graphic designer or a graphic designer running your own shop there are many factors influencing the success of your business. The most highly paid consultants make successful careers telling clients the grass is green. When a potential customer is sourcing graphic design services their decisions are not made on the strength of the graphic design folio alone. No, it could be something we did not think of. Even in the world of web communication, some people still trust human contact more than a machine. A person, answering the phone in a businesslike and polite manner can be enough to bridge the gap and win business from your competitors.
