In the pursuit of being a famous designer and making the big bucks, many designers (and firms for that matter) often forget about the bigger picture. They do the work, get paid, and then wait with salivating tongues for the next project they can bill. But we need to concentrate on being more than just a design firm, more than just another cold vendor.

I’m a huge advocate of going the extra mile for clients. Whether that means putting in a few extra hours to make sure something looks really great, throwing in a few freebies every now and again, or even making the effort to send a thank you card or a bottle of wine to congratulate them, I believe in doing more for clients than just billing them. We should strive to be true partners in this business, after all our success is dependent on theirs.

It doesn’t have to be anything grand and spectacular, or even a worth a lot of money, but putting in a little extra humanity and good will into our work does wonders for healthy client relationships. With Transit I practice being a true partner by being willing to help my clients and peers out with anything they need, be it design related or not, by being a resource and offering my own resources for their benefit, by educating clients in any and all manor of design related or business related challenges, by being transparent in my practices so that communication and relationships remain open and honest without any surprises, and often by sharing in their successes by offering my congratulations in some form or another.

It shouldn’t be a burden in any way, and it doesn’t need to take much time or effort or money, but by making that extra effort to be more than just a design firm we can create better, longer-lasting client relationships and establish ourselves as experts in our field and someone that our clients can trust and continually come back to and utilize. And it might just make the world a better place in the process

So I ask you this - what are you doing to be more than just a design firm?