How to Efficiently Work with Graphic Design Clients

90% of people use customer service as a primary deciding factor when it comes to doing business with a company. Graphic design clients are no different.

Professional graphic design is one of the most challenging industries out there. Making art to someone else’s specifications has always been difficult. With demanding expectations in the graphic design industry, client relationships are everything.

That’s why we’ve assembled a guide on how to efficiently work with graphic design clients. Let’s get started!

1. Prioritize the Client 

As a talented graphic designer, it’s tempting to follow your heart. After all, you’ve likely been running a business for some time now.

That experience, paired with your education and portfolio, is evidence that you are a shining star in the graphic design industry. But sometimes, clients don’t want to hear it.

There are many different types of graphic design clients. Some are convinced that you ‘can’t do it,’ even though they hired you for this job.

It’s a challenging type of client to deal with. And sometimes, you may need to ignore your gut feeling. Sometimes, you may know that another design would generate more engagement, or highlight the client’s message more clearly.

If this information gets rejected, then it’s time to pivot. Of course, try to explain the reasoning behind your design choices. Then you can develop something that works for you and the client.

That might not work, though. You may need to ignore your intuition and create what the client wants. Your graphic design is a product that’s meant to fit certain specifications. The best clients will allow you to do the job they’re paying you to do.

2. Get Everything in Writing 

Trying to communicate graphic design specifications is like trying to get a haircut. In some cases, it’s easier to show a picture than try to say it in words.

However, these communication difficulties can result in dissatisfaction on the client’s part. Their poor communication resulted in a design that doesn’t match the image they had in their head.

That means that your working relationship will likely suffer. Instead, get the client to write down all of their requests.

This will give you a point of reference. If a client contests something you created, then you can show where they requested it in the past.

3. Adhere to Deadlines

When creating new designs for a client, it’s important to meet practical standards. One of the fastest ways to frustrate a client is to miss or ignore deadlines.

Instead, keep organized and transparent with all the work that you’re doing. It’s often a good idea to leverage popular project management tools, like Trello.

For freelance graphic designers, the goal is often to wrap projects as quickly as possible. That way, you can move on to getting more work from more clients.

That’s why deadlines are so important. It’s a good way of communicating progress to the client while obtaining incremental approval for different elements of your designs.

4. Develop A Strong Pitch

When working with graphic design clients, it’s crucial to smooth the onboarding process. This involves creating a value proposition that demonstrates your experience, rates, and past portfolio.

This helps provide an easy pitch that will win more clients, ensure repeat work, and help secure your future as a freelance designer.

Start assembling this pitch by asking yourself incisive questions. This starts by reviewing your own experience.

What experiences do you have as a graphic designer that are unique to you? List the experiences that you’ve had in specific industries, such as tech or healthcare.

Then, assess what you have to offer that other graphic designers don’t. This will help you develop a unique angle when pitching to clients and marketing your services.

The last question you should ask is about results. When you complete projects for clients, what results do they get from the finished project? Think increased click-through rates, increased revenue, and so forth.

5. Get Organized 

As a freelancer, there’s a lot of paperwork to manage. You are your own advocate, HR team, supervisor, and so forth. That means you’re responsible for all paperwork involved.

One of the fastest ways to embroil yourself in legal issues is by avoiding the paperwork. Focus on using the right software and organizational systems to stay on top of things.

You’ll need to organize:

• Proposals
• Contracts
• Invoices
• Taxes

With the right platform, you’ll be able to organize paperwork, projects, and so forth. This makes it a great way to ensure client satisfaction and make sure that you’re handling details.

6. Follow Up With Graphic Design Clients

Part of working in professional graphic design is dealing with customer service. As a freelancer, you’ll be doing much of the legwork in your free time. This means that you’ll need to go above and beyond to snare clients.

Sometimes, you’ll send a client a great proposal. Or, you’re trying to get them to book a discovery call with you. But you might not hear back from them.

If that’s the case, what can you do? For starters, don’t let this deter you. As a freelancer, you may need to follow up multiple times.

This is good business for several reasons. It shows clients that you value a working relationship with them and that their project matters to you.

It also serves as a friendly reminder. Sometimes, people want to work with you—but they just forgot! This makes sure you don’t miss out on valuable opportunities. Remember to strike a balance between sending reminders, and bothering the client.

Working with Graphic Design Clients 

When you work in graphic design, it’s important to cultivate client relationships. This will help ensure a strong reputation, a stellar portfolio, and a long future in the graphic design industry.

If you’re interested in a successful freelancer career, apply today! We offer great opportunities and make it easier for you to connect with the right clients.