[thelist] Spec Work...?

aardvark roselli at earthlink.net
Wed Aug 29 07:57:30 CDT 2001


> From: "Eric Langlitz" <feed at chicken3.com>
[...] 
> Any thoughts/comments/experiences?

nope, don't do it... it is also possible that the client is one of those 
who is never happy... how did the client characterize previous 
experiences?  have you heard anything on the street?  i have had a 
few clients who just do *not* like any designs you provide, and 
have been through every designer in town... eventually, you just 
have to disengage them... doing work for that type of client on 
anything other than a pay basis is a bad idea -- they rarely value 
the work...

that's another key, people tend to not value something they get for 
free... i think isaac already mentioned that, tho...

*if* you want to pursue this, take half an hour or so and sit down 
with the client... get a list of sites the client likes, or wants his/her 
site to be similar to (not ripped off from)... get an idea of 
colors/shapes/designs/treatments/etc. that are right out and ones 
that may work... don't move until you have a list of design 
ideas/elements that you and the client have put together (and that 
the client has signed off on)...

then do a threesome of mock-ups -- for pay... perhaps a reduced 
cost if you want to cut the client a break...

meet with the client for criticism to see what works and what 
doesn't... keep a running list... when the client says "i don't like 
green," you can tell him/her where to stick it when he/she asks for 
a green navbar (can you tell this has happened before?) after a 
design round...

you can now restart the process... lather, rinse, repeat for each 
series of designs...

when the design is picked, lock it down... get sign off, and make 
any changes to the design clearly out of scope...

i remember a client who made it clear he didn't want tabbed 
navigation... within two weeks he made me put in tabbed 
navigation... we've all got stories like this, so be prepared for it to 
happen...





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