New year, new clients, new assignments. Time to get rid of poor, unprofessional habits and start practicing courtesy at work. “Please, Don’t Be A Dick: A client’s handbook to working with a designer” is exactly what the title says; it’s a handbook of tips for clients on working with designers. There are many self-help books that tell designers how to render good service but very few to none that target clients. It aims to “educate design clients on what to expect from a designer, and to encourage designers to understand what clients should expect from them.”
The e-book was launched in early 2014 but now we can grasp all the knowledge with the soft-bound version. Good clients, this as an ode to you. Stubborn clients, take this as a tutorial. Here’s a quick review of this book to help you decide if you should carry it with you on your next meeting.
1) Some say it’s a badly designed book.
On some level, we can say that. To start, yellow isn’t a flattering color, but this isn’t a book that’s supposed to be colorful and graphic. This book was primarily made for graphic design clients, not graphic designers. The book is informational first, graphic second. The illustrations inside aren’t that bad; they seem to do the work, but they’re not what you’re expecting from a design-related read.
2) The title came from a conversation with a real design client
The makers of the book were in a meeting with client Paul Furey when he asked, “If I were to hire you guys, how would you want me to act as a client to be the perfect client?”, to which they responded, “There is no such thing as a perfect client, just please, don’t be a dick“. This just goes to show that this book is inspired by real experiences of real design clients and designers.
3) It’s a mini manual for clients and graphic designers
There is no perfect client and there is no perfect designer but it takes good communication for the two to produce perfect work. The book speaks of different ways on how clients and graphic designers should interact. It aims to bridge the gap between the client and the designer by giving real-life examples of current practices and what we can do to improve them for a more harmonious working relationship.
4) The page numbers stand for a specific number of things
There are many interesting facts and trivia not related to graphic design but are nonetheless fascinating. Take home new information and random facts about classical music, world records, literature, and the human anatomy. This book doesn’t only preach about being a good client, you also learn a couple of things along the way.
5) This book does not glorify graphic designers
Unlike other books that focus the attention on graphic designers and always put the blame on the client, Please, Don’t Be A Dick gives a fair judgment for both parties. It will not make you feel like a victim or a complete design idiot; the tone of the book is friendly yet informational.
Get to know how you can get a copy HERE.