TwoCents | How to not frustrate your Content Managers

(A Graphics Designer Edition) The client is King. That’s what they all say and as much as I disagree, I’ll let it be known that is not what this post is about. No, I am not going to dethrone the client or give reasons why they shouldn’t be king. However, what this post will do is kick down the fence so clients can see things from the world of their content managers. To be honest, content managers have been silent for far too long, only because the clients hold the purse and you just don’t want to offend that source of income. However, this is not a sustainable plan. So here are a few things, just a few amongst many that you can do as clients or people who work with creative professionals in order to not frustrate them and to foster a mutually beneficial relationship. I am sure we all want that…don’t we? <ol> <li>They are experts: Now, this may be a tough pill to swallow and one of the hardest to admit but you can do it. Stand in the mirror every morning and say ‘I’ll leave them to do their work, they are the experts. I know as a client, you know what you want or you think you know what you want or you just even want what you want but here’s the thing, you hired them. Out of all the other options in the world, you decided to hire them to attend to that need…so let them handle it as the professionals they are. Listen to them when they make suggestions and trust their judgement. You are already paying for the advice, you might as well take it. Don’t hire a person after 5,000 checks to ensure they are experts and then start fighting their suggestions at every point because it is 'your brand' and 'you know better'. It is like going to a restaurant and then bursting into their kitchen to start instructing the chef how to cook. Sounds ridiculous right? Yes, that’s how it feels and looks every time you do it. You’re the CEO, not a graphics designer…let them work their work</li><li>Slimfit your expectations:  I am so sure you read that wrong and you are already fuming slowly as you try to interpret it. Let me put you out of your misery. Here’s exactly what I mean: Don’t pay for a 10,000 naira budget and expect one million naira service. That is robbery! There is nothing as frustrating as undervaluing the ability of a person you personally hired to do something you can’t even do. ‘is it not just one flyer’ ‘is it not just one small logo’ What is even more painful is that after undervaluing the work and dragging the pay to the least possible price, your demands won’t change. Instead they will become bigger and bigger. From one logo, the designer might end up creating your entire’s company brand asset and from there even go one to do for all your born and unborn branches. Isn’t that cruelty. Please cut your cloth according to your size and wear it like that. Thanks!</li><li>‘I am not feeling it’ is not constructive criticism:  Did that surprise you? Don’t be too surprised yet…There is even more. “I can’t really explain what I’m looking for, but I’ll know it when I see it…” “I Would Like Something Really Different, Unique. It Should Be Complex And…” “Make it pop..” “I don’t like it” “Can’t you try all these ideas”  Do these sound familiar? Please stop saying them. They are not helpful feedback or criticisms and they neither going to make the design better or help the designer so please stop. Instead look closely at the piece and try to be very specific in what you find wrong. If you want your designer to even love you more, don’t send your feedback one by one. Look through the piece carefully and make a list of very clear feedback…I can assure you, your designer will remain ever loyal to you. Instead of ‘Something is missing’…how about you go ‘Can you please change the colour, I don’t think this colour speaks to the brand. How about you use only colours picked out of the logo’ or ‘Can you change the human. The person’s emotions doesn’t interpret what we want the message to say'</li></ol> Now they are a hundred and one more things that I could possibly point out but we’ll stop here for now. If you doubt me, try it…this week or next time you have to work with a creative professional, do these three things…If work is not more productive and your designer doesn’t love you, then feel free to come back and comment whatever your heart so pleases on this post. Until next time!

Other insights from Esther Omemu