Dear Client: This Book Will Teach You How to Get What You Want from Creative People

Be transparent.

By all means, think of as many contingencies as you can, but build in extra room for the unknown in both the schedule and budget anyway. (For the latter, an extra 10 percent in the lockbox is a comfortable cushion.)

A young colleague was asked to submit a proposal for a job he really wanted. No budget was given, leaving him agitated about having to make a wild guess. He decided to submit a very low bid—he landed on $5,000—hoping that after they saw how awesomely talented he was, he could raise his fees on the next project. The next day he got the job, but in r

it’s crucial that key stakeholders agree on the contents of the brief.

You’re paying for our creativity, for our ability to create order from chaos, to communicate your message, not for the time we need to solve your specific problem. The time it takes is our burden, not yours (so long as we meet deadlines). Is a brilliant logo worth less because we had the idea during our initial meeting? Is it worth more because we

Vision is not a group activity, and the group inevitably interferes with the possibility of greatness.

“I notice” and “I wonder” statements can be the difference between having a constructive creative dialogue and a combative one.

Start by creating a list of adjectives representing the emotions and responses you hope to elicit from our work. Those

As crucial as it is that you let us know what your brand stands for, it is equally important to let us know who you are.