Design Iterations vs Design Workshops
Design Iterations vs Design Workshops for Website Projects
In a workshop, half the design work happens in front of the client on a 1.5-hour call, with every decision made together, and I can usually tell which type of client I have during the intro call. I've also closed a solo consulting gig at $1000/hr, and I keep running Shovel so I stay in practice instead of becoming a full-time creator.
Blaze here for Week 10,
I’ve learned that human behavior is what influences my project timelines the most. Let me get into how I’m structuring design sprints.
Iterations vs. Workshops
Recently I’ve had two distinct client situations.
- Leveling their website up from a 2/10 to an 8/10
- Leveling their website up from an 8/10 to a 10/10
The first client is easier because anything you produce will be fire. That client has a higher ROI and likely hasn’t worked with a designer as good as you before.
Going through typical design feedback iterations works best for this client. You work for a week with whatever notes they give you, then meet again in a week.
The second client doesn’t work well in this structure. It’s likely they’ve hired an A-tier designer before and have a high expectation. These clients are typically very strong in their tastes.
I’ve found the workshop approach to be better here. Half of the design work you do right in front of them on a 1.5-hour call. All decisions are made together. This is a collaborative process where you build the final design piece-by-piece together. Ideally you run multiple sessions a week.
Recently I’ve mismatched these clients and processes, which nearly caused me to abruptly cut a project early. You can easily identify what type of client you’re dealing with in the intro call, so you can then pitch a project structure accordingly by the end of it. Looking at their existing design presence beforehand will also be a big signifier.
Below are excellent websites and brands we’ve launched from this methodology.
Selling the “How to” is worth more than doing the thing the “How to” is for.
There’s a lot of resources and information online about consulting and information businesses. I’m at a point where I’ve done enough $20k to $50k web design projects and acquired 100k followers online organically. Giving this game out is valuable, and there’s a high hourly rate assigned to it.
Although across all of these emails and my IG content, it’s free, just spread out.
I’ve effectively closed a consulting gig for $1000/hr solo, with little to no setup time before it kicks off. All I need to use is my brain and a Figma file.
People want the workflows to achieve a specific level that you’ve been able to hit before. If you can help them speed past the first few levels of the game, you’re giving a huge ROI.
To get more consulting deals, you actively need to be in the practice. In marketing, if you’re out of practice for 6 months, you’re going to be out of touch. This is why I choose to run a web design studio and not just be a FT creator.
Below (sorry, I can’t link this for now) is everything I know about organic content on 1 Figma file. More to come on this, but this is my start into content & consulting services.
People I met through content this week
Simon Robert - The ad creative legend. Built a $5M agency in 2 years which makes me feel like I’m doing the wrong thing.
Take care
Feel free to reply to this email with any recommendations you may find valuable here.
Talk next week! - Blaze
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