This list might come off as common sense to some, but I’m sure a lack of preparedness has affected us all at some point. Think of a recent situation where you were faced with a challenge and you weren’t as prepared as you could have been. At what point did you recognize that you were unprepared? Did it make you nervous or were you convinced you could just ‘wing it’?
Here’s a short list of 5 items that every designer should have in their arsenal in order to be better prepared no matter if it’s dealing with potential clients or working on already existing projects.
1) Be prepared to answer questions about pricing and how much you charge per hour/project.
How much do you charge to design business cards? What about a full website? These are typical questions that you’ll receive on a frequent basis. The problem is these are loaded questions even if they seem quite innocent at first glance. Don’t be fooled!
DON’T respond with the first number that pops in your head. You’ll get burned every single time. Think about it. Prepare for this scenario by using followup questions: Do you have a logo? Does the card you want designed include bleeds? How many pages will your website feature? Professional or personal? Ecommerce or blog or both? Things can get tricky really quickly and before you know you’re in over your head and suffering from scope creep.
2) Research the heck out of a potential client or company before you have a meeting or call.
Be prepared when you’re meeting with a potential client, even if it’s on a conference call. Would you go unprepared to a job interview? Every company should have a website or at the very least social media representation where you can glean a good deal of information.
Familiarize yourself with the products, services, mission and a couple small tidbits from the company that you identify with and try to work them into the conversation. That will go a long way in demonstrating your interest and seriousness in the other party. Not knowing anything is a cardinal sin. Just. Don’t. Do. It.
3) Be prepared to give a timely and professional quote/resume/cover letter.
Always have an updated resume on file. Save it in Dropbox and if someone wants you to email it to them on the spot you can do just that. Quotes and cover letters work the same way. Be prepared by drafting general templates for each that look professional and demonstrate your knowledge and expertise. Adjust the templates to be quickly and easily tailored to suit the client or potential employer. Bidsketch is a great place to create professional client proposals in minutes. You can do a 14-day free trial if you need an emergency quote generated.
4) Understand that designer’s block is a thing and it will happen to you.
Writers suffer from ‘writer’s block’. Designers can experience ‘designer’s block’. Be prepared. Then work through it. Like my previous post stated you can’t let the blank page win. Tweak an old design or throw elements on a page and arrange them until you’re satisfied.
[Tweet “Deadlines wait for no one.”]5) Be prepared for constructive criticism (even if you don’t ask).
Make every effort to take constructive criticism in stride. Be prepared for it to come from all angles and grow some thick skin. This is a sore subject for most people, but don’t let the detractors get you down. If it’s truly constructive then take two steps back and see if the judgement is accurate. If it is then you can improve and grow in the process. If it’s not constructive just toss the comments aside and focus on making yourself happy first and foremost.
What could you be better prepared for in your career? Were you unprepared for something today? This week? Last month? I’m always interested in finding out more ways to help you guys out.
