I just don’t think the two (design and business) are linked. They’re separate talents but you can have either or both.

I’m the CEO of http://www.proworkflow.com, a web based project management solution. My background is 15+ years as a designer, art director and creative yet I’ve made a success of the business.

Also, my brain has a very hard time with numbers – I have had a bookkeeper for years to help me keep track of everything correctly, because when the numbers don’t make sense my brain shuts down and I feel overwhelmed. But tell me we need a visual presentation by the weekend, and I’m your gal!!

I say all developers (especially self-employed ones) should get someone to manage them and their clients. Most of them just sucks at business and keeping clients happy.

BTW, she’s spinning clockwise even if I look at her toes:-) Really thought I was left-brained.

Anti-clockwise. No Hang on, Clockwise. No, its Anti-clockwise.
Can’t consciously flip her though. My Daughter saw both ways too.

Very bizarre.

Anyway, what were we talking about?

I would however consider myself balanced left & right. I am a designer and I know my strengths and weakness and I could lean towards #1 – I’m a big picture thinker so sometimes I get wrapped up in a project and put more into that I’d originally planned. But I have a project manager that handles quotes and those types of details. I think it’s important for people to know where their skillset is and let everyone do what they are good at.

Overall I think the term “designer” is waaaaayyy too broad to try to generalize. A 15 year old with a stolen copy of photoshop may call himself a designer online yet he has no experience. Unfortunately there aren’t requirements to be able to use the term designer. I’d suggest as a client find designers through recommendations from your trusted business associates.

I think the implication that creative people are less likely to be business-minded is an absurd one plucked of thin air with very little evidence or substance behind it.

I’ve been referred to many times in my life as a ‘robot’ or ‘borg’ because of my unnatural levels of organisational skills and efficiency. I’m extremely business minded.

The natural creativity I possess doesn’t prevent this. Anyone can learn to be organised and efficient (and care about good service), it’s nothing to do with which side of your brain you use the most.

The reason why there are so many bad designers out there isn’t because they are ‘creative’, it’s because it costs next to nothing to set up a design service/business – startup costs are very very low.

Hence the industry is littered with loads of people who are just ‘having a go’ – who have poor design skills half the time and even worse customer service.

That’s not because they are creative, it’s because they aren’t serious about their ‘business’.

Amanda

Is this a really a reliable way to assess someone’s character? I hope not.

Am I being too hard by judging someone’s professionalism on what they produce, not why they may be good at it? And if someone isn’t that good at something, hopefully time, circumstance, or a good friend, will tell them to try something else…

BTW, I’m very definitely seeing anti-clockwise spinning. Can’t make it go clockwise no matter how hard I try. Didn’t think I was THAT logical!

Good news given I make videos.

Perhaps not so good news given I also happen to be a chartered accountant. Or is it good news because it means I’m not the stuffed shirt sort of chartered accountant?

And by the way I think that anyone who doesn’t keep their customers informed about what’s happening ought to get the wet sponge treatment.

I feel a blog post coming on.

M

Nope – as someone above said – that would be an artist, not a professional designer : )

“They had a good portfolio and were reasonably priced. But they just couldn’t work within a brief. They had their own ideas and it didn’t matter what the client wanted.”

Shouldn’t that be…

“They had their own ideas because they are designers and know what looks good, they do it for a living and have a good portfolio to prove it” 🙂

I also see her spinning both ways… OOOoooer!

…and if you imagine you were lying on the floor looking upwards then you see her spinning anti-clockwise. perhaps if she was wearing a skirt, it would be the *logical* thing to do

Hi Rachael,

I understand where you’re coming from. What’s the common denominator in the business relationship with the above 4 designers? Me! (or KashFlow, anyway). It’s something I often point out to others too.

In my defence, for 2 of the designers above I knew of other customers that had the same issues.

Possibly. But that doesn’t excuse it!

But if I just relax I see her clockwise.

Re Company 2: I bet that whenever they disappeared they were uncomplainingly working on *someone else’s* unlimited changes. You cannot be available to everyone all the time.

A few people on Twitter and here in the office are like Otis above and can switch at will.

I really *wanted* to see her going anti-clockwise, but my brain was having none of it. Sorry 🙁

Sadly, we all consider ourselves to be great customers, why wouldn’t suppliers throw themselves at our feet, because let’s face it – we’re all just great.

However the almost personal nature of hiring a designer is that if you engage a professional and then find that ‘they just don’t get it’ and you can’t work with them, then why not consider that just for a moment – it might not all be their fault. Was your brief good? did you take the advice they offered? or should you actually have just hired someone who could draw what you’d already designed?

Could it be that you are gently being told that the relationship isn’t working out and it’s time to move on? I don’t know – but I do know that it’s easier to work with clients than for them.

Now I know there are a lot of companies out there who deserve the criticism – the part timers who are in it for the money, the ‘cheap website’ lot, and I’m not suggesting for one minute you are a bad customer – however when you find the designer who enthuses about your brief and ‘gets’ your vision – then you’ve found someone you can work with. Maybe you’re just kissing a lot of frogs at the moment 🙂

PS – I can see the woman rotating both ways

Hmmm

She’s quite hot though. Do you have the non-silhouetted version…?

I do agree with the post though – we don’t have in-house design skills – we outsource to a trusted designer (known for many years) – but would be very cautious if looking for a new supplier for just these reasons.

Is there a middle brained category or am I just weird? 🙂