The Importance of Client Education
As a designer, I’ve found it more and more important to also step into an educator role as I’ve grown my business. This slow shift over time has resulted from trial and error working 1:1 with small business owners. I’ve had a few “ah-ha” moments that really helped me lean into this further, because why should our clients know all the ins-and-outs of design, logo concepts, website layout? They are coming to us to get that expert knowledge, and are probably looking for guidance and best practices along the way.
By offering up clear, simplified education throughout the entire process, we’re able to help our clients feel comfortable and confident, resulting in a better experience all around. I’m outlining a few places you can sprinkle in client education to reduce overwhelm, gain trust and set boundaries.
One.
Website
This one may be sort of a no-brainer, but layering in client education and expectation before they ever reach out to you is a great way to lay down the foundation. Whether it’s through informational blog posts, an FAQ section on your site or even on your services page, start to think about the different ways you can begin to educate potential clients on your process, services, boundaries and offerings. This information can also easily be reused for social media posts too!
TWO.
The Inquiry
Another place to reiterate your studio’s process, hours, when they can expect to hear from you, etc. is through the inquiry phase. For potential leads, I reach back out to them with a personalized note and have my info guide attached for easy reference. I also review this information on our discovery call, so they have a strong understanding of what it’s like to partner together.
THREE.
Project Management Tool
For each project, there’s a lot of asset collection, details and communication that will need to take place in order for it to be a successful partnership and project. I utilize Asana to set everything up by task, making it a lot more streamlined for my clients.
Depending on the phase we’re in, I may also include a helpful PDF or guide. For example, if we’re in the initial branding phase or website mock up presentation, I include a PDF specific to providing helpful feedback, because remember, this could be their first time working with a designer, and I want to make sure they understand the importance of viewing the brand from their audience’s eyes vs. what they personally like, etc.
Overall, I’ve had such great feedback from past clients on the overall process and how they felt cared for during the entire project. This feedback is so important to me, and something I’m always looking to hone, simplify and continue to nurture for future clients.
