Everything I Wish I Knew About Running a Design Studio
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Everything I Wish I Knew ... Daniel Schutzmith
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Presentation for the HOW 2007 conference in Atlanta, GA.
Transcript of Everything I Wish I Knew About Running a Design Studio
Everything I Wish I Knew ...
Daniel Schutzmith
Who Am I?
www.graphicdefine.org
www.choppingblock.com
School of VISUAL ARTS
209 East 23 Street, New York, NY 10010-3994 Tel 212.XXX.XXXX Fax 212.XXX.XXXX www.schoolofvisualarts.edu
Presentation Slides & Worksheets:
http://how.graphicdefine.org
The Top 5 Things I Hear
Top 5 Things I Hear
5. Have a tough time finding new projects.
Top 5 Things I Hear
4. Estimating the cost of a project too high/low.
Top 5 Things I Hear
3. Not following a project process.
Top 5 Things I Hear
2. No signed contract and/or not sure how to make a proposal.
Top 5 Things I Hear
1. Not sure how to plan for the future.
5. Have a tough time finding new projects.
New Business
“I wish I'd had more sales training before starting my bus.”
- Stephanie Sharp Sharp Designs
New Business
Put a Process in Place
New Business
1. Identify Prospects
New Business
1. Identify Prospects2. Contact Prospects
New Business
1. Identify Prospects2. Contact Prospects3. Sales Meeting
New Business
1. Identify Prospects2. Contact Prospects3. Sales Meeting4. Close the Sale
New Business
1. Identify Prospects2. Contact Prospects3. Sales Meeting4. Close the Sale5. Follow-up
New Business
Sales = Fear
New Business
WORKSHEET:Anti-Hard
Sell Success
New Business
Daylite
Salesforce.com
Highrise
New Business
Know Who Your Client Is
New Business
New Business
WORKSHEET:Client Wish List
New Business
New Projects Are Everywhere
New Business
New Business
Listen More Than You Talk
New Business
New Business
Know Your Product
( Hint: It is NOT your style or your superior design skills )
New Business
New Business
Friends Will Tell You the Truth
New Business
New Business
Repeat Clients Are
New Clients
III. Getting Clients
Marketing
Good Marketing
Means Less Need for Sales
Marketing
WORKSHEET:Marketing Plan
Marketing
Over the Top is Good
Marketing
Marketing
Marketing
Have a Press Kit
Marketing
WORKSHEET:Press Kit Ingredients
Marketing
A Press Release Compliments a Project Launch
Marketing
WORKSHEET:Press Release
Advice
Marketing
4. Estimating the cost of a project too high/low.
Scoping a Project
“Don't tell a client ‘yes’ when the answer is really ‘no’.”
- Mike Buzzard, President Cuban Council
Scoping a Project
Scope
Scoping a Project
Time
Scoping a Project
Cost
Scoping a Project
WORKSHEET:Quality Triangle
Scoping a Project
WORKSHEET:Project Scope
Scoping a Project
WORKSHEET:Project Pricing
Scoping a Project
WORKSHEET:Scheduling
Scoping a Project
Microsoft Project
Scoping a Project
3. Not following a project process.
Project Management
“Plan, plan, plan!”- Eric Breitbard, SVP Schematic
Project Management
Project Management
Identify Your Process
Project Management
4 D’s
Project Management
1. DiscoveryProject Management
1. Discovery2. Design
Project Management
1. Discovery2. Design3. Develop
Project Management
1. Discovery2. Design3. Develop4. Deploy
Project Management
Studiometry
Microsoft Project
Project Management
Managing Talent
Assign Tasks / Objectives
Managing Talent
Check in Regularly
Managing Talent
Let People Screw Up
Managing Talent
Preach Time Management
Managing Talent
Weekly Status Meetings
Managing Talent
Managing the Client
Assign Tasks / Objectives
Managing the Client
Keep Consistent Communication
Managing the Client
One Channel of Communication
Managing the Client
Be Honest
Managing the Client
Under Promise,Over Deliver
Managing the Client
StandardizeEverything
(its OK to be anal)
Standardize File Structure
Standardize Everything
Standardize Everything
WORKSHEET:Ways to Standardize
Standardize Everything
Retain Ideas
Standardize Everything
WORKSHEET:Idea Tools
Standardize Everything
2. No signed contract and/or not sure how to make a proposal.
Legal Mumbo Jumbo
“No matter how close a friend or client may be, never sway from your business practices.”
- Kathryn Rural City Creative
Legal Mumbo Jumbo
Don’t Be Scared of Contracts
Legal Mumbo Jumbo
Legal Mumbo Jumbo
Rely on Your Legal Team
Legal Mumbo Jumbo
Legal Mumbo Jumbo
Get it in Writing
Legal Mumbo Jumbo
Legal Mumbo Jumbo
Define Payment Logistics
Legal Mumbo Jumbo
Legal Mumbo Jumbo
Proposal Ingredients
“The client is not an idiot.”
- Jeffrey Zeldman, President Happy Cog Studios
Legal Mumbo Jumbo
Proposal Ingredients
Proposal Ingredients:• Cover Page• Contact Information• Stake Holders• Scope• Objectives
Proposal Ingredients
Proposal Ingredients:• Target Audience• Deliverables• Process• Milestone Schedule• Payment Schedule
Proposal Ingredients
Proposal Ingredients:• Fees• Strategy• Company History• Principal Bios• Case Studies / Awards
WORKSHEET:Ingredients of
a Proposal
Proposal Ingredients
WORKSHEET:Project Pricing
Proposal Ingredients
Tips for Successful Proposals
Get a Copywriter
Tips for Successful Proposals
Use Templates
Tips for Successful Proposals
Be Organized
Tips for Successful Proposals
Avoid Bullshit
Tips for Successful Proposals
No Sales Lines
Tips for Successful Proposals
No Spec Work
Tips for Successful Proposals
Focus on Process
Tips for Successful Proposals
Don’t Delay
Tips for Successful Proposals
1. Not sure how to plan for the future.
Working on Your Business
“I wish I knew how important it was to reach out for help before I was in over my head.”
- Florence Haridan Gathering
Working on Your Business
Rely on Professional
Help
Working on Your Business
Understand Your Books
Working on Your Business
Create a Blueprint for
Success
Working on Your Business
WORKSHEET:Business Plan
Working on Your Business
Invoice Regularly
Working on Your Business
Keep a Playbook
Working on Your Business
V. Planning for the Future
For every project, log the total hours, players, profit/loss, things learned, strengths, weaknesses, and so on.
Working on Your Business
Working on Your Business
Decide Where You Want to Go
Working on Your Business
• write down where you want your business to go.• plan for it in baby steps.• visualize it happening.
Working on Your Business
“Everything's a work in progress ... no matter how well you're doing.”- Michael Lebowitz, CEO Big Spaceship
Working on Your Business
Working on Your Business
There is no such thing as luck, the future is what YOU make it!
Presentation Slides & Worksheets:
http://how.graphicdefine.org
BONUS:When Shit
Hits the Fan
Stay Focued
When Shit Hits the Fan
Remain Calm
When Shit Hits the Fan
Don’t Act Too Quickly
When Shit Hits the Fan
Rely on Your Staff
When Shit Hits the Fan
Don’t Play the Blame Game
When Shit Hits the Fan
Realize that Something Will
Have to be Sacrificed
When Shit Hits the Fan
Make a Calculated
Decision
When Shit Hits the Fan
Sometimes You Need to Fire the Client
When Shit Hits the Fan
If It Smells Like Shit...
When Shit Hits the Fan
Presentation Slides & Worksheets:
http://how.graphicdefine.org
