For the love of print

When I first came to Moskito Design I continued to work on a wide variety of projects ― we were tiny then, and when you’re tiny you can’t afford to have specialists.

But as we’ve grown we’ve all begun to specialize I’ve come to love working on print projects best ― from packaging, brochures and flyers, to bigger projects like branding and product catalogues. I think my mind’s geared more for it, for how to organize contents in physical space.

Some people say print is dead ― or dying. While it’s true that over the years print has suffered quite a lot and budgets are smaller, that doesn’t always affect us directly. We do less print work in some areas, and more in others: the number of book covers we’ve been doing for editorial clients more than doubled last year.

Book covers are special ― but also challenging ― because you’ve got a small space between the title and the author to communicate and synthesize a big, complex idea: the whole book. But what’s nice is that, the client willing, you’ve usually got a lot of freedom to do what you want.

Managing projects ― and client relationships

I’m usually the first contact point with our clients and then I go on to coordinate and organize the work of the team. These are two different roles ― working directly with the clients, and managing the project ― and they’re often filled by different people as they require different skill sets.

To be a project manager you’ve got to be able to manage a project from the beginning to the end, not only in the sense of delivering the final assets, but also managing any partners we might be working with on the project as well. What’s more, you’ve also got to manage the resources and the budget at your disposal.

Working as first point of contact with our clients, however, is different. In most agencies account management is an entirely different job, with its own rules and training and way of looking at things.

But one of the biggest complaints we hear from clients is that account managers add another layer between the graphic designers or project managers doing their work.

Things get lost. Things get misunderstood. Things take longer.

I’m not trying to criticize all account managers ― maybe it’s just some these clients have worked with.

Now I work with clients in some ways like an account manager, but my experience and my background and my role as a graphic designer and project manager means I can explain what we can do and propose solutions, right from the start.

But once the project gets started, the communication is direct with the designer actually doing the work. She’ll communicate everything to me but by removing myself from the middle the work gets done, to the client’s specifications, and without a lot of extra wasted words.

I don’t know if it’s the best way, but it’s the path we’ve found and the one that works best for us.

Keeping clients happy

Is there a secret to keeping clients long-term? Get to know them. Help them articulate their vision. Give them more than they expected or thought of. Maintain their trust. And show them respect, whatever their size.

When we worked with Vitamina C, a co-working space here in Varese, to help them build their brand identity, they told us that they were impressed by they enthusiasm we showed for what they were doing and the attention we gave them ― even though they’re a “small client”.

Small clients are no less deserving of respect and your full talents.

Professionals know how to say no

Of course, it’s not always easy working with clients. Clients are people, and people aren’t always easy. We want to be professional at all costs, but sometimes the most professional thing you can do is say no.

You’ve got to make it clear how long it takes to do things. You’ve got to explain things calmly and clearly. It’s not the client’s fault ― often they don’t understand how long things take ― it’s not their job. And the client you’re working with is often under pressure him or herself.

There are timelines related to technology that sometimes aren’t negotiable ― related to the software. I can’t speed things up. But explaining things clearly always helps. And you also have to explain when the client is demanding something that goes beyond the terms of the contract.

But of course, you’ve got to be flexible, too. Not every job is the same, not every process of revision and rework is the same, and not every client offers the same guarantee of work, so what and how you bill isn’t always the same. It’s one of those facts of life you just have to learn as you go.

The art of on-the-job training

One of the most important aspects of my job is teaching and training the new designers. Some of the designers have come here straight out of university and it’s our job to teach them and help shape them. And teaching is not always easy.

To be a good teacher you’ve got to be as clear as possible ― it’s easy to forget how much you know and take that for granted. You’ve got to really be able to think through every step, right from the beginning, and explain it in the most explicit way possible.

Then you’ve got to back off. Young designers need the freedom to try new things, experiment, make mistakes ― because it’s normal. You’ve got to guide them, explain things, give them everything they need to succeed, but then give them space to actually do it. Otherwise they’ll never grow.

I think sometimes when you’re trying to help a young designer, there’s an impulse to protect her, to make sure the work comes out to your ideal, and of course, when you’re in a hurry, to say, “I’ll take care of it”. But that can be suffocating and ultimately damaging ― they’ll never learn, and you’ll only have burdened yourself with more work. Sometimes you’ve got to let them fail.

There are limits, though. It all depends on how much time and flexibility you have. We’ve always let new designers get a workout on some of our smaller and most loyal clients. With them there’s always a bit more space ― and they’ve got a smaller client base. And there’s time to intervene.

That’s how our designers develop autonomy here. Because they’re not just executing work, they’re working directly with the clients, making proposals, and, like I mentioned earlier, helping the client articulate their vision.

Conclusion

I’ve seen this agency grow from the beginning, so it’s really part of me now. We’re bringing in new blood all the time, but I don’t have to learn the history, because I’m part of it. I made it.

We’re all here for one thing, whether it’s for individuals like me, who’ve transformed from intern, to designer, to project manager and now agency director, or for the agency too, in terms of numbers, capabilities and expertise.

Like those vines I worked with on that first student project years ago, we’re here to grow.

And we’re all getting stronger, and better, as we do.

At Moskito Design, we’re getting better ― not just bigger ― with age.