Can I have this dance?

As a designer, I have spent many years trying to be all things to all people. tap dancing my way through projects, lots of top hat and cane. This worked for a while, and I thought it worked up until a few months ago. But, it doesn't. And it didn't for a while.

I have given much thought to who I would want my clients to be. For years, "paying" was the operative word. Having my own business has created a stress of money worries, and I went years without saying "no, thanks" for fear that there would never be another job that walked in the door. But, having had bad experience after bad experience, having been talking with someone and swearing that they speak another language and cannot understand me, I think, actually, it may be me and my desire to "make it work" that is the problem.

I believe that the design process is rooted in relationship. Relating between the client and their audience, the designer and his client, the designer and producer (printer, contractor, vendor). So, what is the best way to grow relationships in business? 1. Understand the intent of your client, and show them you get it. 2. Demonstrate your value as a designer in concrete terms. 3. Deliver on time, in budget. 4. Establish ongoing contact with your client. 5. Review and revise, listening to your client.

Understanding. Demonstrating. Delivering. Establishing. Listening. These are all words that take work, investment, and commitment. And, these are words that build strong relationships. They don't have to be long lasting, just strong. So for each project, the interaction with your client should be spot on. You may never work with them again, by choice or by chance, but the energy invested while working together will probably produce a good product.

So, obviously there are times when a client/designer situation is just not a good fit. This is a bummer, but it happens. What is the bigger bummer is when each party doesn't do anything about it and continues waltzing around with a partner that doesn't work for them. It is important to realize if this dance, this relating, is going well, if it's worth the energy and time.

Easier said than done. I am one to hold on, to keep going until the song is over and the band is packed up. And waiting in the van.

That's why I am writing this. I have realized through many years of dancing, who I like to dance with and who "gets" dancing with me. I like dancing with people who are open to exploration. Who aren't afraid of possibility. Who understand flow, art, "lasting", thought-provoking. I like dancing with people who have a different point of view. People who are interested in my point of view... and open dialogue. The tunes I dance to are inspiring, uplifting, good for you, good for the environment. It's important to have a partner who understands the music. You can make up the steps, you can pick a standard pattern, but the important thing is that you move well together. When this happens, you are communicating with each other, and when that happens, you start to communicate with the audience around you. And the cool thing is that they are intrigued.

So, if I'm designing a living room, redesigning a house facade, or creating a company identity, I'm happiest, the client is happiest, and the product seems to be the best, when the relationship is in step. No amount of money will make the pain of a bad design process worth it. I'm finally getting in step with what many designers probably already know...

finding the right word

I have been asked to define my self, to define what it is that I do. Exactly. Succinctly. This description should set me apart from other designers. Sounds easy. I do this for others, why shouldn't I be doing this for myself?

Problem. I don't do just one thing. Media in general is interesting to me, be it the printed word, a scrolled page, furniture and fabric, or paint and wood. Television, theatre, song or radio, these are all interesting ways to communicate, to solve the problem of communicating effectively... of designing.

So I find it hard to claim one media for my own. Too limiting for me. Some may look at me and say, "there goes a guy who is mediocre at many things". Maybe that's just my inside voice. But I have long learned in this life that for ME, as a perfectionist, I will NEVER get one thing, one vocation, just perfect. Mastered. It's not my "way".

I enjoy alternatives, I look for change. The new excites me.

There is an important caveat here, though. I love things, and cannot part with them. So, I must try, out of necessity, to repurpose, reuse, redefine things that no longer work as they are. If there is truly nothing left, if the life has been lived, then it's time to move on. The environmentalist in me?

So, branding for instance.

A successful logo should tell an accurate story of it's namesake. But, as things change, as businesses evolve, their representation should reflect what they are becoming. Redefining a design is usually needed at some point, as the old logo does not do it's job any more, the job of telling it's audience who the company is. Redesign will redefine.

To me, "design" is just a word that means communicate.

Design a logo. Communicate who my company is.
Design a living room. Communicate how I live privately.
Redesign a house facade. Communicate how I feel part of my community.
Redesign a bathroom. Recommunicate how a bathroom should function.

This need for effective communication can apply to many aspects of life: business, home, family, goal setting, environment, etc...

So, I would say I help people communicate or redefine their communication to fit them or their endeavor. I help realize a correct audience, help define what the messages are. Help someone come to a better understanding about themselves and who they want to be. I help find voices lost or muffled, and hopefully, I help make those voices beautiful... and heard.