If you are in the process of hiring a designer for your next or on-going project then you should follow these six essential tips:
#1 - Define your project goals At the beginning of any project there has to be a discussion about your aims and goals. It is imperative that you have a written statement of what you believe these are. This is also useful if your colleagues have different opinions. Try to be as specific as possible too. You should ask yourself the following questions: • What is the intended end use of the product or what benefit are we bringing? • What/where is our intended market? • What is my timeline? #2 - Prepare to be challenged You may have a specific outcome in mind but you should know that often the design process for achieving that outcome may be very different to what you had imagined. It may even challenge what you thought the end product should be. There’s the old joke about how many "X" does it take to change a light bulb? In this context, it would be:" How many industrial designers does it take to change a light bulb? Answer – A light bulb isn’t what’s necessarily required here! For example, if you requested a design for a storage cabinet then that is exactly what you would get. However, if you ask for a new system of storing items then it would be possible to create something entirely new and unique that could open up new markets and hence new revenue streams.
#3 - Be open minded You should have the problem you wish to solve defined as clearly as possible. But it is also in your interest to be open to discussing it with your industrial designer. In this way, we can craft together a more open-ended and innovative solution. This can be challenging and it is imperative to remember that we are on the same side. So if you have hired an industrial designer to convey the things you don’t know, then try not to see this information as a threat.
#4 - Think of it as a partnership The most successful projects are those where the client has made every reasonable effort to be a part of the design process and where necessary, providing documentation and resources. Essentially it is a joint effort and for the industrial designer to do his part, he must have full support from the client. The client should also be prepared for progress reviews, provide feedback and sign-off on approvals in a timely manner. Deadlines work two ways.
#5 - Know who you are dealing with Design firms are businesses too, but with unique perspectives and unique work processes. A small design firm is comprised of people who are accustomed to highly creative and demanding assignments. They bring expertise instead of procedure and ways of thinking instead of methodologies. And they are often more willing to push the envelope. Also small design firms can often possess specialised skills (such as engineering), or they may have a lot of experience in a particular product/service category (medical device design, for example). This is helpful when clients want to find firms that have done similar work to what they are looking to do. Be aware that many small firms market themselves as full-service. However, you should research as to where their true proficiencies lie. I personally believe that certain services should be provided by external expertise when necessary. This makes sense when, for example, market research is their main focus, as opposed to many design firms where market research can be a part of the design service offered, but it will never be at the same extensive level. Sometimes a project requires the assembly of a team of specialists so that collectively, they possess the expertise appropriate to the design challenge. They are handpicked in a very calculated way. The idea here is that you assemble the best on a project-specific basis, and when the project's done, so is the team. Of course, the team can always be reassembled for another project if the results were good. And for the client it is one invoice to the principal supplier. Other advantages to working with a smaller firm are: a more personal connection, better support and designers who answer their own phones. They can also implement changes much faster too. These are things that can make working with a small design firm more satisfying.
#6 - Anticipate the relationship Are you looking for a “partner” or a “supplier”? This is a critical question to ask yourself before you begin searching out design firms. The two kinds of relationships can be defined as follows: A partner is a firm that collaborates jointly on developing a new product. It's a relationship that places as much focus on the process as the product. The final deliverables may be fuzzier in this kind of relationship, but through rigorous reviews, both parties work together toward agreed-upon goals. A supplier, on the other hand, can be thought of as a firm you hire when you have a specific product to be designed with predefined criteria. You've done your homework and you understand your market. You need good thinking, but you also need somebody to make your aspirations a reality. Suppliers don't challenge your business proposition. They fulfill it.
I hope this has been helpful and if you have any further questions then I would be delighted if you got in touch.
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