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 1. Never engage in an argument or oppose the person who holds your cheque; he/she is probably more concerned about the outcome of your design than yourself.

2. Things are not design oriented; your design will first and foremost be used to deliver a message to the market for your client, before it is an item of personal artistic expression.

3. Communicate patiently with your clients. Remember, they are not designers, so use their language to get your idea across.

4. I believe there is meaning and a story behind your designs and works, but if you don’t put effort into telling me, how will I fully understand?

5. Respect the deadline; meeting it improves your credibility and will impact your career development.

6. People prefer to talk to someone who is presentable, meaning clean and tidy. Stylish doesn’t have to mean unclean and untidy, do you catch my drift?

7. Punctuality is important, it is important to anyone who is professional, which includes designers.

8. Never get angry during the price negotiation process, it’s just business and nothing to do with insulting your work. There is no reason for them to do so anyway, if you really think about it.

9. Your reputation can be proved by business references or winning awards. Don’t forget to win more awards, because it is what customers believe in.

10. Never, ever, attempt to copy others’ designs for any reason at all. It is a death sentence to any designer.

Graphic design contracts are important to protect the designer and clearly spell out the terms of an agreement and project. Below is a list of what to include in a graphic design contract. It is important to remember that this list is not exhaustive and parts of a contract may vary from project to project, so always consult a lawyer when completing a new agreement to use in your design business.
Outline of the Work

Part of the purpose of a graphic design contract is to describe, in as much detail as possible, the work to be done. This way both parties are in agreement regarding what is included for the cost of the job. Include any information gathered in preliminary meetings, such as:

    * Type of job
    * Size of the final piece
    * Number of pages
    * Sections and features of a website

Additionally, include how many initial versions of a design you will be presenting, and how many rounds of changes are included.
Source of Materials

List the materials that will be supplied by the client that are needed to complete the job, such as:

    * Photos
    * Final, edited copy
    * Corporate logo

Credit and Promotion

A great way to promote your business is to have your credit line on as much work as possible, so include it in your graphic design contract. You should discuss this with a client first, as sometimes they will be opposed to a credit line or it may not apply (like on a business card). Along with the credit line, state in your contract that you have the right to use the project information for self-promotion after completion, unless it is confidential.
Fees and Schedule

Set up a payment schedule that corresponds to milestones in the design process. This insures you get paid during the design process, and gives the client a project completion date. For example:

    * Start of project – 25% due
    * Concepts presented – 25% due
    * First round designs presented – 25% due
    * Project completion – 25% due

Be sure to also mention any additional costs not included in a rate in your graphic design contract, such as:

    * Stock photography
    * Printing
    * Web hosting
    * Updates (with hourly rates) beyond the scope of the agreement
    * The cancellation fee (also called a “kill fee”)

Copyright Use

If applicable, include in your graphic design contract guidelines for the use of the work, including where it can and cannot be used, how long it can be used for, and in what ways it can be used. This is important because the more a work is used, the more valuable it is. An illustration created for the cover of one issue of a magazine is worth less than one to be used in every issue of the year.
Legal

Legal issues need to be addressed in case a dispute should arise, such as indemnity (protecting you or the client from third-party lawsuits) and the responsibility of legal costs. Consult a lawyer for help in writing these portions of a graphic design contract.
Signatures

Today, people often rely on email for communication. However, a graphic design contract is most effective if actually signed by you and your client. If you cannot see the client in person, fax or mail a signed copy and asked for a signed copy in return. This will insure that you contract will serve its purpose of protecting you and your work.

Graphics are all about adding beauty, attraction and appeal to your website. Just by having a look at a few websites, you would be able to make an idea how website owners are spending huge amounts on their website graphics so as to get that perfect look. Custom graphic design services agencies those assist clients in both standard and personalized graphical works can also be extremely helpful for you in making you enjoy the best of creativity.

Now the question is why graphics are so important? Taking this point into consideration the importance of graphics for websites, it can be said that if a website has to be catchy enough it needs to be designed with the best graphical works in such a manner that it succeeds in winning the attention of its visitors at their very first clicks. In an online world, it is still a fact that the look and feel of your website matters a lot in bringing people to you. Even if you deal in the best services or products, you won’t be able to make it big if you fail to use the most captivating graphical representations. That’s why everyone who is into web business making needs to give proper focus on using the best graphic design services.

A graphic design agency can be contacted for any form of graphic oriented project. The agency will help you get attractive and impressive designs to help you meet your business goals. The service range of such an agency extends from simple logo designing to custom logo creation, banner making to movie and intro making and so on. As per you business requirements, you could ask for any of these graphical works from such an agency very easily now. Graphic designing company also handles website revamping works where the graphics used in the site needs to be modified or completely changed.

Many graphic design firms have now gone offshore to best handle clients’ needs. By setting up offshore units, they area also able to best handle international clients’ demands well. The developing countries’ contribution in the offshore graphic design activity has been the maximum among all today.

At the start of a project, it is important to know what to ask graphic design clients to gather as much information as possible. This will often occur before you have landed the job, as it is necessary to have a meeting to help determine the cost and timeframe of the project. Once you have answered some or all of the research questions below, you can provide an accurate estimate in your proposal, as well as have a solid understanding of what the client is looking for.
Who is the target audience?

Find out who you are designing for. This will have a great impact on the style, content and message of the project. For example, a postcard aimed at new customers will be completely different from one aimed at existing customers. Some variables that can impact design include:

    * Internal (i.e. employees of the company) or external customers
    * Age
    * Geographic location
    * Gender
    * Depending on the project, factors like economic status and religion may also come into play.

What is the message?

Find out what message your client is trying to get across to the target audience. The overall message can be something as simple as thanking customers or announcing a new product. Once that is established, go beyond it to find out the “mood” of the piece. Is it excitement? Sadness? Compassion? Gather some keywords that will help with the overall style of your design. If you are in a meeting with a group of people, consider asking each person to come up with a few words that they think describe the mood of the message, and brainstorm from there.
What are the specs of the project?

The client may already have an idea of specifications for a design, which is helpful for determining the time involved in the project, and therefore the cost. For example, a 12-page brochure will take much longer than a 4-page foldout. If the client doesn’t know exactly what they are looking for, now is the time to make some recommendations and to try to finalize these specs. The amount of content to present, budget, and final use of the design may all affect these decisions. Determine:

    * Dimensions
    * Number of pages
    * Black and white vs. 2-color vs. 4-color printing
    * Paper stock
    * Size of print run (the number of pieces to print)

What is the budget?

In many cases, the client will not know or disclose their budget for a project. They may either have no idea what a design should cost, or they may want you to say a number first. Regardless, it is usually a good idea to ask. If a client has a specific budget in mind and tells you, it can help to determine the scope of the project and your final cost. This is not to say you should do the project for whatever the client says they can pay. Instead, you may alter some parameters (such as timeframe or the amount of design options you provide) to fit within the budget.

Whether they reveal a budget or not, it is ok to say you need to review the project and will get back to them with a quote. You don’t want to throw out a number that will have to change once you’ve had more time to think about it. Sometimes, the client budget will be much lower than you were expecting for a project, and then it is up to you if you want to take the work below your costs for the experience or your portfolio. In the end, you should be comfortable with what you are making for the amount of work, and it should be fair to the client.
Is there a specific deadline?

Find out if the project needs to be done by a specific date. The job may coincide with a product launch, or another important milestone, for your client. If there is not a deadline, you will want to create a timeframe for completing the project and present it to the client. This, much like your estimate, can be done after the meeting. If there is a deadline and you feel it is not reasonable, it is not uncommon to charge a rush-fee to finish it in time. All of these variables should be discussed prior to the start of the work, so everyone involved is on the same page and there are no surprises.
Can the client provide creative direction?

Whenever possible, it is helpful to get at least a little creative direction from the client. Of course, you will be creativing something new and unique for them, but some ideas will help you get started. Ask if there are any designs, design elements or other cues they can give you, such as:

    * Colors
    * Fonts
    * Works of art
    * Other designs
    * Websites

It is also important to find out if there is an existing brand that you need to match. The client may have a color scheme, typefaces, logos or other elements that need to be incorporated into your design. Larger clients will often have a style sheet you can follow, while others may just show you some existing designs.

Collecting this information, and any other ideas, from your potential clients will help the working relationship and design process go smoothly. Be sure to take detailed notes when asking these questions, and include as much information as possible in your proposal.

Isn’t it just frustrating to hear blunt criticism after weeks of toiling and sweating over a design project? You may be thinking “all the trouble I’ve been through and this is what I get?” But dread not, as criticism is normal and graphic designers are prone to criticism from their clients. And why not? After all, it is the client’s right to express their opinions. But sometimes, client criticism can be harsh, severe and at times downright fuzzy.

Right from my very first client, I have encountered about dozens of clients who just love to criticize just for the sake of it. But these are the provoking things that graphic designers should be responsive of in his career. One must always remember the maxim “client is always right”; and if he isn’t …there are ways of making him understand.

The first and the foremost thing that graphic designer need to make sure is to stay calm while handling client criticism. Graphic designers need to realize that clients are paying for their work and would demand the best possible result. Hence, when faced with design criticism, never lose your cool and stay focused on the project rather than disputes.

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Every client wants to be heard. Whenever clients toss out criticism on designers, it is because they want their requirements to be perfectly heard. The best way to handle clients with fussy approach is to listen more and speak less. Hear out what your client wants to convey to you and then clarify your position.

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Graphic designers must always remember that their clients may not be graphic designers themselves. Hence it is useless using tough graphic design jargons with them. We may think that using terminologies and graphic design lingos may impress the clients, but it is not always the case. Many clients are layman when it comes to graphic designing and might not like hearing difficult terms such as “filtering”, “saturation”, “Rendering”. Always try to use simple words and try to make sure the client understands.

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Often when graphic designers finish with a project, they feel a sense of pride in the completion. This develops an “I can’t be wrong” attitude within the graphic designer. After showing the design to the client, designers believe they cannot be erroneous and thus head out for a clash of words with the client. One must always remember when dealing with client criticism, that aptitude is more important than attitude. You can never battle criticism with a sore attitude. To persuade the client, aptitude is more useful than attitude.

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The golden principle of handling design criticism is not to take any reproach personally. Graphic designers must remember that the client relationship is a strictly professional one and taking things personally is not a healthy thing to do. When encountering cynicism, designers should use their head more than their hearts.

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Playing blame games always lead to aggravating the matter. When a client points out a mistake, graphic designers should acknowledge it rather than blaming the clients for it. This in turn will ignite a blame game and intensify matters even more. So whatever you do, avoid the blame game.