In working with anyone, I find it best to plan ahead. Work with them on a casual basis on someone else's project or give them a part of a small project first, to see how they go.<p>This does require not just planning, but a pattern of behavior change. I love having a plan B, so I give small stuff to someone other than my main "go to" guy. This way, I know someone if problems arise. When I meet people and hear what they do for a living, I first think if I can imagine wanting that skill down the road. If I do, I try getting to know them professionally in some fashion.<p>The end result is my rolodex is one of my strengths. I know who to call for a wide variety of challenges, or I know someone who knows. I don't like more than two hops. If I wait until I <i>need</i> anything, I'm late.
'Artists want to be original… They don't want to be asked to design "rip-off's" of other people's work. Artists can be easily offended if asked to "improve" upon someone else's work.'<p>It would be hard for me to hire someone like this. If one wants to work, a client's requirements supplant everything. If one is difficult, one is unlikely to be hired again, and word of it will circulate too.<p>Her own words sum it up. It's like she prefers to cathartically vent her suppressed contempt for client work via blog posts, replete with egregiously deployed scare quotes rather than make a living.<p>Vis-à-vis lack of communication with a client, I feel that it is the designer's place as a professional to set communication expectations. Clients are not nearly as familiar with the design process as a professional designer, they are unaware of the creative process, and what is required/expected of them. On the same token, if I'm paying for a designer's services I don't expect to be holding hands all day.
I think all this shows is that designers need to take a leaf from successful developers books in terms of having a solid set of requirements and specifications in place before starting.<p>I find with blog posts by designers, there's often a strong undercurrent of dislike about having to be artistic for a living. I totally understand that - mixing a creative output with the very restrictive world of having to do something to a budget and timeline is a recipe for stress. I guess the only thing to do is scythe the worlds apart : one bucket for 'I do this for money' and another for 'I do this for fun'.