Christine Godlewski, Genius Creative

“I work with a lot of not-for-profit clients, so I’ve got this one down to a science. If you know there is a budget, or suspect they don’t have money to burn, do your best to get a firm dollar amount up front. There is no sense in wasting your time designing something they won’t be able to afford producing.”

Budgeting a project can be a bit of a you-go-first, no, you-go-first dance. The client wants you to tell them what the project is going to cost and you want to know how much they have to spend. One way to handle this is to explain that any project, from a simple letterhead to a corporate brochure, can cost as much or as little as can be imagined, and what you want to do is design the best and most creative piece possible, within the natural constraints of their budget.

Tell your client you understand that a start-up or non-profit is going to have a different budget from a multinational corporation and you will do your best work if you have some idea of the parameters up front. Even a range or a not-to-exceed amount is helpful. Explain that you can use these guidelines to schedule time appropriately, to think of effects that are manageable, and to allocate resources between creative, production, and printing so everyone gets their fair piece of the pie and, most important, the client gets the biggest bang for his or her buck.

Little Company of Mary Hospital public health awareness brochure

Children’s Alliance 20th Anniversary invitation

Donovan Beery, Eleven19 Communications, Inc.

“Be creative with the printing of a project, wherever possible. I was designing wedding invitations for a client and the print budget was very minimal, but the last thing I wanted to cut was the creative parts. Printing the envelopes and inserts for the program myself (black and white on a laser printer) was one of the first cost-saving adjustments I made. Then I talked with another sole-proprietor and got some advice on which local printers did good work for the least cost.

Talking directly with the printer is always advised, as they can tell you if certain paper or colors are used a lot in the shop (as these are normally cheaper), and you can get the exact sheet size that’s most economical for that printer.”

Krueger/Kracher wedding stationery and logo

M. Mavromatis, MM Design Studio

“Pushing your thinking in everything you do is a must. Getting the most out of the press sheet can help maximize the print costs in a budget.”

As a one-person shop, you don’t have the luxury of turning files over to a seasoned production manager. You have to be your own production manager. And this means thinking—while you’re designing—about details such as understanding how your printer will set up your project on the final press sheet. Most designers don’t realize how much paper is routinely wasted—and can therefore be saved—on a press sheet.

Fortunately, there’s no reason to go it alone and waste long hours with complicated calculations and mock-ups. Simply talk to your printer. They’ll be thrilled you brought them into the process early and happy to give you ideas about how to set up your project to save paper and still get all the white space you want and even the bleeds you need. However, it’s definitely your job to approach the printer first. Even if they see opportunities for reducing wastage when you send your files, they will likely not have the time or inclination to go back to you and suggest changes. By that time, everyone’s up against the clock and needs to get the job printed and to the client. So be proactive. You’ll not only save time but also headaches, and you’ll certainly learn something and become smarter along the way.

Waste not, want not—tips for using press sheets wisely if you need to set up your own:

• If finishing the final piece yourself, use as much of the actual white-space as possible. This may be the only time you hear this as a designer! Careful positioning of artwork can maximize the sheet and give you more per page, so work the angles to fill the print area.
• When hand-finishing final pieces, common crop marks and bleed areas allow more space on the page for other artwork.
• If the printer is trimming and finishing the work for you, align the piece so that there is horizontal space between rows of artwork. This allows the printer to cut straight lines between the work for the batch cutter.
• Branding and identity work is great for gang runs because they utilize the same color palettes. Print business cards, notepads, and letterhead on the same sheet.
• Be creative with the final size of the work. Unique sizing may allow more print space, and the final products will likely stand out.

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists identity and brochure design

Keith Bowman, The Design Bureau of Amerika

“I love working with smaller clients because many are aware that design is all about getting the message out and they realize that smaller budgets often require more creative solutions. However, a client may try to art direct or run the creative aspect of a project because they worry that the designer doesn’t have a personal stake in the project and therefore won’t arrive at the best design solution. This is especially true for clients on limited budgets who may be scared of the investment they are making.

Having an open discussion with your client about the limitations of a smaller budget is a good way to start the creative process. Show the client that you are passionate about his project. Do independent research and always give sound reasons for the creative decisions you make. If you not only show that you are passionate about the project, but bring some serious creative thinking to the table, it can often ease a client’s worries, making them more receptive to your design concepts and less apt to meddle in or control a project.

For example, we created this one-color poster for a band that had little budget. The challenge was fun, and ultimately the black-and-white poster had more impact than a full-color illustration.”

Also, try to remember that this walk goes in both directions. The best way to make a client receptive to the work you’re trying to do as a designer is to be aware of what they’re trying to do as a business or nonprofit. Go to the effort of learning about their industry or cause, about their sales and goals. Their budget for design may seem small to you, but it may be a huge percentage of their overall resources. If you can show you understand where they want to go, they will be much more open about having you partner with them on the journey.

The Rooms concert poster design

Seth Cheeks, CheekyDSN

“Educating your clients will help gain their trust. As you walk them through the budget, explain the options and why what you are proposing is the best solution for the budget they have.

From my experience, clients often come to me as a referral or because they’ve seen something I’ve done already and they think they really must have exactly that same thing. My first question is, ‘Aside from the look, why do you want that? Tell me about you and your company first.’ I like to get to know the client because I want the work I do to reflect them as much as possible, with my vision on it.

When clients refer to designs in my portfolio and say they want something similar for their project, I tell them, ‘That’s a $15,000 (£9,741) project, and your budget is $2,300 (£1,493). Let’s take inspiration from that project, but tailor something for you that will fit your budget and needs.’”

The bottom line is that the more your client understands what you do, the more they’ll trust what you do.

Mischen Clothing website design