Class Introduction
Lesson 1 from: Working Successfully with Clients: A Class for Illustrators and DesignersLisa Congdon
Class Introduction
Lesson 1 from: Working Successfully with Clients: A Class for Illustrators and DesignersLisa Congdon
Lessons
Class Introduction
03:45 2The Importance of Effective Communication
05:00 3Be Prompt, Clear and Succinct
15:56 4Email Communication: What Works, What Doesn't
20:01 5What to Look for in an Assignment
13:04 6Red Flags
09:42 7Questions about the Schedule
03:34 8Fees & Negotiation
22:16How to Approach Bidding
05:34 10Navigating Contracts
03:57 11What Should Go Into a Contract?
13:09 12Negotiating Contracts
04:51 13The Pros and Cons of Having an Agent
14:46 14Phases of a Freelance Illustration or Design Job
02:49 15Sketch & Feedback Phases
14:19 16Ask Questions!
03:15 17Final Artwork Phase
03:37 18Dealing with Change in Scope
05:43 19Wrap Phase
04:31Lesson Info
Class Introduction
(audience applauds) Hello, and welcome. My name is Lisa Congdon, and I'm thrilled to be teaching this class on working with clients. The world of commercial illustration and design can feel mysterious and daunting in the beginning, which is why I wanted to develop this class. It was a world that when I started out 11 years ago felt so mysterious to me. So those of you in the studio audience, how many of you have worked with clients before? All right, all of you. For how many of you is this relatively new, however, and you still have questions? Okay, and I imagine those of you listening out in Internet Land also have questions. So some of the questions that I used to think about a lot and wondered about and pondered over was what if a client reaches out to me and I'm not sure I want to take the job? How do I negotiate the terms of a contract with potential clients? I have no idea what should go in a contract in the first place. We know we have to have a legal agreement, but we don't r...
eally know what should go in it. What are the most important parts of a contract? What about fees? How do I get paid what I deserve? That's a big one, and we're gonna talk about that. I have no idea what to charge. What if I think I'm being screwed by the client? What if they're trying to pull one over on me? What if I have a bad feeling about the job? What if I'm not sure I can execute what they expect of me? What should I expect in a typical assignment? I don't even know what I'm supposed to do. How do I know if I'm going about it correctly? What if they asked me to do more than I signed up for? What do I say, how do I handle that? There are answers to all of these questions, and my hope here is that I can demystify the world of client work for you. So what if you knew just the right questions to ask to determine if an opportunity was right for you? What if every time you were offered a design or illustration gig, you knew just what to ask the client to ensure you'd be doing your best work and getting them exactly what they needed? What if every time you worked with a client you felt confident and ready to engage in the project and do your best work? What if you could confidently research and then ask for the money you deserved for a project? All right? That's a big one. There is a world of opportunity there for you. As I like to say, there's never been a better time to be an artist. There are so many opportunities because of the internet, but navigating those opportunities successfully so that you get paid the money you deserve, that you're legally protected, and that you're working in a way with a client that's gonna ensure that you keep getting more work is really important. Knowing exactly how the process should work with clients is important. Having high expectations for client interactions, not just for yourself, and today we're gonna be talking a lot about having high expectations for yourself in your communication with clients, but you should also have high expectations for your clients. Knowing appropriate communication strategies for dealing with different scenarios. Those are all really important. All of those will help you have a successful relationship with your clients so that you can keep doing more and more work.
Class Materials
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Ratings and Reviews
Caroline Fidelaire
Great class packed very useful tips for entrepreneurs in illustration and design and great email examples on how to: - respectfully and gratefully communicate with clients in the diverse phases of the production line - negotiate a contract and your fees - how to proceed to bidding for a work contract Lisa is a wonderful speaker. A wonderful class well worth its 3 hours length.
Scavenger Annie
Right from the start of class Lisa offers up her pearls of wisdom. Absolutely jam-packed with information on working with clients, illustration agents & art directors in the commercial world. All very relevant to other careers in the creative realm too, especially when Lisa talks about the language & negotiation of contracts. Clear, concise teaching & my fingers are burning from typing so fast as I made notes! A wonderful class that has motivated me to pursue commercial illustration with my brand Northern Bird Designs. Thank you for the top guidance & inspiration Lisa! Looking forward to the next class on managing workflows.
Neelam Kaur
Lisa has immense knowledge about the industry and she shares the same with Artist Community in the form of Books, E-courses, Workshops. This class is jam-packed with great information which as an Freelance or as an New Illustrator we struggle and feel we had someone to help us understand. And I must say, the Skillshare & CreativeBug Classes other than Creative Live Classes, she focuses it all from an artist standpoint. As a Freelance Illustrator Artist I struggled managing the other aspects of my Art Business which I feel so confident after this class. And most of all I know my worth! Thank you Lisa!