Headspace Design

3 Things clients fear about design companies

Posted On April 2nd, 2010 Author Kyle Racki  Filed Under Business   1

In many ways, I don’t envy client who hire design firms.

Imagine you need to buy a couch. You walk into the furniture store, and the sales rep tells you he has the perfect couch for you. Only, here’s the thing, you can’t see it until you buy it. That’s exactly what clients of design companies face, and rightly so. After all, design is custom to the client, so unless the client has a crystal ball, it’s impossible to see what the design the company will produce. Because of this natural fear of the unknown, we often see requests outlined in RFP’s that are a little bit outrageous.

Let’s break down what the fears are, and what can be done to alleviate them. Also keep in mind I am not speaking strictly about design companies but development and marketing companies as well.

We will take their money and leave them with a broken monorail

Many clients fear that a company will come along, swindle the poor business owner, and then take off to Mexico with their money without performing the work, or performing it shoddily. While the tendency might be to wait until all of the deliverables are met to pay the design company, this approach will only turn off a real firm that could do great work for them. Cash-flow is a reality for every business, and good firms cannot afford to work for weeks or months straight before getting a portion of their fees.

A better approach is to ensure that there is a contract in place before the project begins. A professional firm should have some sort of statement of work that outlines what the client will receive, when, and what the terms of payment are. As long as that is signed off and agreed upon upfront before any work is carried out, it is highly unlikely a client will get taken advantage of.

They will not get what they want

Some clients fear that when all is said and done, they will not be happy with the work and still have to pay the agency fees. Much like in the couch example mentioned above, clients don’t like not knowing what they will get before they hire a firm. Some will even request design mock-ups within a proposal, otherwise known as spec work.

While seeming reasonable to those outside the industry, spec work is inherently evil. It is asking a company to perform their work before there is a commitment from the client. It is like asking a carpenter to build you a deck and if you like what you see at the end of it, you may decide to pay him; But if it’s not quite your cup of tea, well, you will tear down and ask another carpenter to give it a try.

A much better approach is to carefully consider the design company’s approach, portfolio, case studies and client references. If the company provides that, a client can get a true sense of their quality of work, and they can rest assured that the firm will deliver designs that meet the objectives of the project. Of course in any project there is some back and forth collaboration, and really there should be. The client-designer relationship is just that, a relationship and there needs to be give and take on both sides. Client should expect to have their likes and dislikes challenged, as they are not necessarily design experts, and are probably not the target audience that they are challenging the design team to influence. Also, design companies expect that their clients may request revisions to their designs that they do not agree with, but are willing to make if they do not sacrifice the professionalism of the work.

Lack of support

Especially in development, clients are often concerned that the company they choose to build their website or application will still be there one month, 6 months or a year from when the product is launched. They want to know that there will be a friendly voice on the other side of the phone in the event they screw something up in their content management system, or when they need a new feature developed. It can be a scary thing for a client to feel all alone when they are dealing with technology outside of their area of expertise. It can also be unsettling to know that the company they chose to build their project is now out of business or simply nowhere to be found.

The best way for clients to alleviate this fear is to, again, check references. Make sure the company is incorporated and insured, that they don’t have an obvious history of financial instability. It may also be worthwhile to ask for a support agreement in the form of a retainer so that it is clear from the beginning that ongoing support and maintenance is covered in the agreement. While this will probably require a financial commitment, it will ensure that the client can always pick up the phone and expect timely help when needed.

While unfortunately there are occasions where bad things happen to good people, in the professional community, it is rare that design firms are looking to do harm to clients. More often than not, they are looking to improve their client’s businesses so they can showcase that success in their portfolio, so client usually do not have anything to fear as long as they communicate and operate in a respectful and professional manner.

Have I left out any other fears that clients may have when hiring an agency? Are there better ways to set aside those fears than what I have mentioned? I welcome your comments below.