Yes! I agree what you say!…

Fantastic write-up! I’ll subscribe right now wth my feedreader application!…

The issue is not only with these $99 logo factories but with new ‘designers’ believing (and selling) the idea that simply having a defined process equips them with the ability/skills to produce results.

Great topic.

While I don’t see any problem with reassuring a client that there’s a “method to our methods”, it seems that making some “guaranteed process” part of your sales pitch more often leads to one-size-fits-all solutions. That shortchanges our profession and the clients themselves, rather than demonstrating the power of creative problem solving.

So, maybe some of the “mystery” of design should stay behind the Oz-ian curtain, but to sell design services as mechanical, engineered process seems disingenuous to me.

While I agree that process diagrams and discussions of phases can be an indicator of a studio locked in to a mechanical way of working, I still use them.

My clients want to have some idea of what they are about to go through when hiring me. I have found that these tools provide a thread of structure underneath all the chaos that is inherent in creativity. I explain that the process is non-linear, tasks overlap, reverse order, and research in particular, is not a phase that occurs once, but is a constant from beginning to end. Without some indicator of structure, I fear they would not be comfortable moving forward.

I am very interested to hear other designers and clients take on this and hope to see more comments.

This post was mentioned on Twitter by hexanine: Launching your first project with a design firm: http://tinyurl.com/yfs8upg #design #branding #clients…