One of my work related New Year’s resolutions was to plan projects more effectively. Last year I frequently found myself juggling half a dozen or more active projects and it was difficult to keep track of the bigger picture – project deadlines would frequently clash, and managing my workload and client relationships became a delicate balancing act. I desperately needed a better system for planning projects, and software to help me implement the system.

I started out by making a list of features the application needed to have:

• Web-based, so it can be accessed from any computer
• The ability to keep projects separate from one another
• A calendar to which meetings and project milestones can be added
• To-do lists for keeping track of upcoming tasks
• Gantt charts (or similar) to provide a visual overview of time allocated to each project

Why not Basecamp?

I have always had great success using Backpack’s to-do lists for day-to-day task organization, so the obvious place to start my project management hunt was with its big brother, Basecamp. Sadly, I found myself frustrated by Basecamp’s lack of features.

Most conspicuously, there is no standalone calendar in Basecamp, or any way to keep track of meetings and events that occur at a specific time of day. Nor is Basecamp able to display Gantt charts, even in their most basic form. The folk over at 37signals, the developers of Basecamp, have firm views about Gantt charts and it seems extremely unlikely this form of project visualization will ever find a place in their software. Since my goal is to gain an overview of all my projects by blocking out time for them in my schedule, some sort of simple project visualization is essential. It’s all very well to set milestones for each individual project, but I also need to know at a glance how the projects relate to one another.

I also got the feeling that Basecamp’s true strength lies in facilitating communication between team members, rather than project planning or task management. I have a contractor working with me one or two days a week, but essentially I am a one man show, so group collaboration is low on my list of priorities.

The rest of the bunch

After turning my back on Basecamp, I did the rounds of its competitors and clones, of which there are many.

The software that impressed me most was Zoho Projects, which actually met all of my technical requirements. The only problem was that the interface was too cluttered for my tastes, and more critically, it was buggy. After clicking a button within the application I would frequently find myself staring indefinitely at a spinning AJAX loader animation. A second click would achieve the desired result, but the experience gave me serious doubts about the usability of Zoho Projects.

GoPlan also looked promising, but reading their forums and blog it became clear that the application receives updates very infrequently, which made me hesitant to open my wallet. I am not prepared to pay an ongoing fee for software that is left to languish by its developers.

Back where I started

After several evenings spent test driving online project management apps, I was ready to throw in the towel. Despite what I considered to be fairly simple requirements, nothing seemed measure up. Then it occurred to me that perhaps Backpack might be flexible enough to do the trick.

Rediscovering Backpack

I have been using Backpack for basic task management for some time, keeping track of the jobs I need to tackle during the day with a simple to-do list. I always assumed this was the most I could expect from the software, but when I dug deeper into its feature set I realized Backpack can also fulfill a more complex project management role.

Organizing projects

When it comes to organizing projects, Backpack doesn’t have an equivalent to the project paradigm which defines most project management applications. Instead it has ‘pages’ which can include any combination of to-do lists, notes – and in the paid version – files and images. However, by dedicating a page to each project it is possible to give each a dedicated area within Backpack, and keep jobs separate from one another.

Using the calendar to plan projects

By upgrading from the free plan to the $5/month plan I gained a standalone Calendar within Backpack. It isn’t possible to add project specific milestones to the calendar, but standard calendar events provide an adequate substitute. And unlike Basecamp, Backpack allows me to specify the date and time of calendar events, which is useful for scheduling meetings.

Another powerful feature of the Backpack calendar is that events can span several days, making it perfect for emulating Gantt charts. For example, a typical website project might require four multi-day events: Pre-Design, Design, Development and Deployment. By creating a separate color coded calendar for each active job it is easy to get a visual overview of the time allocated across all projects, which should make project scheduling far simpler.

File management

Backpack’s paid plans also include the ability to upload files and images, which is handy for archiving mockups, sitemaps, and other project development files.

Group collaboration

When it comes to granting project permissions for clients and other team members, Backpack is fairly lightweight. This isn’t surprising, since it is intended as a task manager for individuals rather than businesses. Unlike Basecamp, it isn’t possible to grant clients or team members access to your Backpack account without requiring them to sign up for their own Backpack account first. This makes Backpack fairly impractical as a tool for client collaboration, however it is adequate for basic collaboration between team members. When you share a page with other Backpack users, they can edit content on that page with full permissions. If the page is part of your paid plan and allows file and image uploads, shared users have access to those features too.

It may not pack the punch of Basecamp or other more complex project management apps, but for a freelancer like myself Backpack is a perfectly viable alternative. If I ever take on permanent staff then I may need to look elsewhere for more sophisticated team collaboration features, but for now Backpack will do nicely.

Identify your business goals

Before you can choose clients who match your business vision, you need to identify your professional goals. The sort of things on your list might include:

• Produce innovative design work
• Develop a reputation for expertise in Flash development
• Work with clients who embrace creative design solutions
• Work with socially and environmentally conscious companies
• Improve business profitability
• Win web and graphic design industry awards

Zero in

Once you know the direction you want to go in, you can focus on winning projects that can help you get there. If you want to be known for producing cutting edge Flash websites, then clients in the arts and music sectors – who are usually open to innovative online solutions – would make a good addition to your client list.

Don’t be afraid to turn down work

If you focus on clients who help you meet your business goals, it follows that you will need to turn away prospects from time to time. When I’m approached about a new work opportunity I find it very difficult to say “no”. I hate to disappoint people, but in the long run it is much less painful to say “no” to an unappealing job than “yes”.

In most cases it isn’t necessary to invent an excuse for turning down work – simply explain to your client that the brief is not well matched to your business. If your specialization is building e-commerce websites, and the brief is to produce a rich media site for a hot new rock band, then your client will understand when you explain that their needs will be better served by a Flash specialist.

It can be tempting to use the “I’m too busy right now” excuse to turn down an unattractive project, but this approach can come back to haunt you. When the client calls back to see if your calendar has freed up, you will have to give them an honest refusal anyway. A firm but polite “no” to begin with will avoid an awkward situation later on.

Personally speaking

When jobs are few and far between it doesn’t make sense to be choosy, but in most cases I believe it is better to take on projects that help fulfill your business goals, and pass up those that don’t. At the end of the day the projects that I’m proudest of, and enjoy working on the most, are also the ones that help my business grow.

Further reading

8 Essential Strategies to Saying “No”

Leo Babauta has written an excellent article about strategies for turning down jobs.

Focused?

Ideadsonideas discuss the advantages of business specialization.

When to give them the boot

The obvious reason to fire a client is because they fail to pay your invoices. When a client doesn’t pay you, clearly you should stop working for them, but there are a number of other scenarios in which you may consider giving your client the flick.

Your client insists you work for less than your normal rate

Unless you are hard up for cash, you should insist that a client pays your standard hourly rate. A client who is unwilling to do so probably doesn’t appreciate the value of the service you offer, and is likely to treat you like a monkey for hire rather than a skilled professional.

Your client is threatening or aggressive

Early in my freelance career one of my clients had a falling out with his company’s in-house designer. The company’s website became a bargaining chip in their power struggle, and as the web developer I found myself caught in the middle. At one point there was even the threat of legal action. We were able to resolve the situation without having to resort to such extremes, but it spelled the end of our working relationship. A client who uses aggressive tactics against you to get their way is a real liability, and you should extricate yourself from the situation as quickly as possible.

Your client is consistently late delivering assets or making approvals

If you have laid out clear milestones for a project but fail to achieve them because your client is dragging their feet, it can throw your entire calendar off the rails. Missed deadlines tend to have a knock-on effect and jeopardize the timelines of all the projects you are working on, which makes you appear incompetent to other clients.

Your client ignores your professional advise

If your client consistently overrules your professional opinion it can compromise the quality of the work you produce. Client feedback is usually a positive force, but when a client refuses to trust the advise you give them it becomes extremely difficult to perform your job effectively.

Your client expects you to compromise your ethics

It is not uncommon for a client to insist that their designer compromises their ethics in order help market a product. This might involve a breach of professional ethics such as plagiarizing a competitors design, or a breach of the designer’s political, environmental or religious convictions. The relationship a designer has with their client should be based on trust and respect, and if your client expects you to compromise your morals then it demonstrates a lack of respect for you as an individual.

You just don’t ‘click’ with your client

The pairing of a designer and their client if often referred to as a “relationship”. Like any successful relationship, trust, honesty and openness are all required for a client-designer partnership to work. Differences of opinion are to be expected, but if you find yourself constantly butting heads with a client then it might be the case that they are simply not a good fit for your business.

Your level of tolerance for the scenarios outlined above is a matter of personal judgment. If your business is just starting out you may be willing to put up with a difficult client in order to put food on the table. If you are in a more secure financial position perhaps you can pick and choose the projects you take on, and one less client isn’t going to cost you any sleep. The question to ask yourself is whether the financial and emotional costs the client causes you are outweighed by the benefits they bring to your business.

Don’t let your emotions get the better of you

If you find yourself contemplating firing a client, chances are your emotions are running high. Before you make your final decision make sure you step back and look at the situation objectively. I have a one client who can be stubborn at times, and early in our working relationship we would frequently butt heads over issues of design. I was sorely tempted to drop the account, but after a while my client learned to trust my design expertise, and in turn I learned to be more accommodating of his feedback. We have been working together for three years now, and I count this client among my most loyal and valued. My point is, you should have exhausted all other avenues of dispute resolution before deciding to give your client their marching orders.

How to fire a client

Once you’ve made a decision to fire a client, it is important to deliver the news in a calm and polite manner. Even if the relationship with your client has already deteriorated, getting aggressive or vindictive will only make things worse. Deliver the news in writing (email is fine) rather than by phone, to avoid misunderstandings, and so that you have a paper trail to refer back to if a dispute arises.

If your client owes you money, make sure they pay you before you fire them. Once your professional ties have been severed they will see little reason to settle your outstanding invoices. They may also be feeling sore at you, and be tempted to withhold payment as a way of exacting revenge.

If you have a contract with your client, make sure you fulfill your contractual obligations first, or are aware of the consequences of terminating the contract. If you have a lawyer it would be wise to consult them beforehand.

You will need to give your client an explanation for why you are no longer able to work for them. If you think an honest explanation will be construed by your client as a personal attack, I would suggest giving a reason to the effect of: “Your project is no longer a good fit for my current business direction.” This excuse is vague, but also difficult to refute.

So that you don’t leave your client hanging out to dry, you should refer them to another designer. Some people advocate sending bad clients to a competitor, and if you lack scruples then that’s always an option! Certainly you should avoid passing a bad client on to a friend. A good way to sidestep the problem is to direct the client to your local industry association, through which they can find a new designer for themselves. I had to fire a client recently, and I directed them to a well known Australian web design forum where there is a job board pairing up freelance web designers and clients. I am sure my client will be able to find a new web designer in this manner, and I won’t have it on my conscience that I dumped a dead weight client in a colleague’s lap.

Firing a client is always a nerve wracking experience, but there is no reason that you can’t end your professional relationship on amicable terms. If you treat the situation with delicacy and professionalism then you are likely to avoid an escalation of animosity on your client’s part.

Conclusion

Firing a client is an eventuality every freelance designer is bound to face sooner or later. In a perfect world we would avoid taking on ‘bad’ clients to begin with, but without a crystal ball it isn’t always possible to see trouble coming. Since I started freelancing in 2004 I have had to fire a client on two occasions. Both times it was a positive step to have taken, and helped to move my business forwards.

Work the hours that work for you

One of the great benefits of freelancing is being able to define your own hours. You might do your best work early in the morning before the phone starts ringing off the hook. Maybe you’re a night owl who cranks out great design during the wee hours. Or perhaps you prefer to start and end work an hour later than everyone else to avoid the rush hour. Just because the “wage slaves” work from 9 to 5 don’t feel like you have to too! Stipulate work hours that suit your lifestyle and you’ll likely be more productive as a result. But whatever hours you decide upon, try and keep a regular schedule. It is difficult to plan your time if you don’t even know when you’ll be in the office, or how many hours you will spend working on any given day.

Keep a “to-do” list

Keeping a “to-do” list is a great way to get an overview of your business and tackle tasks in a timely fashion. There is also a sense of achievement that comes with ticking off each task. Every morning I write out a pen-and-paper list of tasks for the day, and assign a block of time for each. I try to be as realistic as possible and not bite off more than I can chew. I assign a priority to each task on the list to ensure that urgent jobs get done before ones that can afford to wait. As I complete each task I cross it out and move down the list. I also keep a separate list of upcoming tasks to make sure I don’t lose track of less urgent projects. My method is about as low-tech as you can get, but very effective. If you want to get more upmarket than the traditional pen-and-paper approach there are plenty of PIMs and electronic “to-do” list apps to help you wrangle your tasks.

Stay focussed

I perform best when I can hunker down and do some undisturbed work. I find it useful to assign blocks of time to each job I am working on, during which I devote myself to that task, and ONLY that task. While I’m working on a project, if I receive a phone call from another client asking me to work on a new task I will enter the new job into my calendar, and let the client know that I have assigned some time to address their request. The important thing is not to drop what you are doing every time a client clicks their fingers.

Another major concentration killer is email. Every time I notice Thunderbird’s “new email” icon appear in my taskbar, I have to resist the urge to stop whatever I’m doing, read the incoming message, and switch to the task to which it pertains. I’ve read a couple of magazine articles on this topic recently and they all advise checking your email only twice per working day, and certainly no more frequently than once an hour. Switching back and forth between Thunderbird and Photoshop every five minutes certainly doesn’t help me get in “the zone”, so I try to minimize the frequency with which I check my email.

Do the hardest jobs first

I confess to a talent for putting off unpleasant tasks – I’m the kind of person who writes the same item on my “to-do” list every single day for a month, but always manages to find something more “important” to do instead. My advise is to work on the task you’ve been dreading at the very start of your work day. You don’t have to complete the task in one go, and in fact breaking it into smaller chunks will make it easier to tackle. As every procrastinator knows, the hardest step to take is the first one. Once you start a job you’ve been dreading it suddenly seems much less daunting.

Keep track of time

For every billable job I work on I keep a running tally of how many hours I have spent. For larger projects I will break it down into several categories such as “administration”, “design” and “development”. I use a great web app called Slim Timer for my time tracking, but there are plenty of other available too.

Keeping track of the hours you work doesn’t just help you allocate time more efficiently, it can also make you money. At the close of a project I run a report to see how many hours I spent on the job. If I under quoted then I will know to quote more realistically the next time a similar job comes my way. If I over quoted then I will laugh maniacally all the way to the bank!

For jobs on which I charge an hourly rate, I find it easy to overlook smaller tasks (5 to 30 minutes in length) and forget to bill for them, but tracking my billable hours ensures I remember to charge for every single minute I’m working.

Uh-oh, I missed my deadline

When it all turns to custard and you find you’re not making the deadlines you set for yourself, or promised to your clients, it’s time to do some damage control. Rather than burying your head in the sand it is important to keep your project stakeholders informed of the difficulties you are encountering. Clients are usually understanding if you are running behind schedule, but they like to know what’s going on rather than be left dangling. If you find that you are regularly behind schedule then it might be that you need to take on additional staff or hire contractors to help you handle the workload.

A special note about home offices

Working out of a home office is a whole other kettle of fish when it comes to time management. Not only can it be quite depressing being stuck in the same building day and night, but there are a whole host of domestic distractions waiting to steal your attention. Housework, pets, partners, and children all vie for your time, and extra self discipline is required to stay focussed on work. To assist in keeping your work and private lives separate your home office should be separate to your living area. Sticking to a rigid work schedule helps too. That way you won’t be tempted to sneak in a bit of work in the evenings, or perform domestic chores during the office hours.

Conclusion

As I mentioned at the outset of this article, good time management is something I have to work hard at rather than a natural gift. If you’re at all like me then you will probably benefit from following a few of the tips I’ve shared here. If you have your own time management tips or experiences to share, please post a comment.

The knowledge gap

As web designers we are in the upper percentile of web users when it comes to familiarity with the medium. We devote most of our waking hours to exploring, researching, and building websites. By contrast, most people spend less than an hour each day using the web, and are largely unfamiliar with its inner workings.

A client’s lack of web experience can help to keep us honest, ensuring we create sites that are appealing and functional for the average user, not just the techo elite. But generally a client who lacks web savvy simply adds to our workload and increases frustration levels.

Common problems

I’m sure we’ve all had at least one client who surfs the web using IE/Mac, has a monitor resolution of 800×600 or lower, or still only has Flash 6 installed – I’ve encountered all three of these things within the past 12 months. Scenarios like this make both our job and our client relationship awkward. The additional work involved in supporting an obsolete computer configuration will very likely blow out the project budget and timeline, and the obvious solution – telling the client to update their system – is likely to cause tension: if a competitor’s website works just fine on the client’s outdated computer, they will expect that theirs should too.

Other clients have a more generalized lack of computer know-how, and turn to their web designer whenever they encounter a technical problem, be it related to their website or not. They tie up their designer’s time with numerous support requests, often to ‘fix’ something that wasn’t broken to begin with. These are the clients who can’t work out how to configure their new email account, need their hand held when resizing images in Photoshop Elements, and ask for advise on getting rid of spam.

Then there are the clients who make unreasonable or ill-conceived demands of their web designer. I’ve had a couple of clients who wanted me to make their site rank #1 in Google by “adding those meta keyword thingies”, or have insisted I add a promotional popup window to their homepage, despite my recommendation that popup windows are blocked by most web browsers and engender a negative user experience.

These are just a few examples from my personal experience, to illustrate the sort problems that can arise. Over the years I have gotten tired of dealing with these same issues again and again, and have developed some strategies to tackle my clients’ lack of web-savvy.

Come prepared

Learn as much as you can about your client’s computer systems and web knowledge at the outset of a project, to avoid nasty surprises down the track. For example, if you notice at your initial meeting that your client has their monitor resolution set to 800×600, then you would be well advised to design them a website to fit within those dimensions. If you believe it is in the best interests of the project to design for larger dimensions, then you will need to prepare a solid argument to justify that position. Either way, it helps to know beforehand the hurdles you might face.

Write a proposal

Usually I will supply a written project proposal to a client along with my quote. This gives me an opportunity to outline my proposed design and technical approach, and answers many questions that the client might have going forward.

Make sure you are clear in your proposal about what the client will (and won’t) get with their new website. For example, if you don’t intend to build a Content Management System allowing the client to make site updates themselves, make sure this is stated clearly. These days many clients make the assumption that some sort of CMS is ‘automatically’ included with their website, and it can be a source of friction when they discover this isn’t the case.

Statistics are your friend

Your client may be reluctant to trust your expertise, especially on the first job you do for them. Recently I was commissioned to build a hybrid Flash/XHTML website, but subsequently discovered my client only had Flash Player 6 installed on his computer. When faced with the prospect of downloading the latest Flash plugin, he panicked. “What if my customers have the same problem? I want our website to be accessible to as many people as possible”. This is a valid concern. If I had told my client that “most people” have Flash Player 7 or higher, I doubt he would have been convinced – his own negative experience would likely have outweighed my reassurances. But it’s a lot harder to argue with the statistics. As it is, Macromedia’s current figures on Flash Player version penetration show that 95.8% of web enabled computers have at least Flash Player 7 – that should be compelling enough to put any client’s mind at ease.

I make a habit of keeping up-to-date statistics on Flash Player version penetration, monitor resolution, and browser market share. Keeping abreast of changes in user behavior not only helps me to make informed design decisions, it allows me to justify those decisions to my clients.

Don’t talk in techno-babble

When you’re buying a new stereo or television you don’t want the salesperson to baffle you with a list of technical specifications you don’t understand. Unwittingly, that’s often exactly how we make our clients feel when we discuss their website. The thing to ask yourself when explaining a website feature is: does my client really need to know about the underlying technology? Another web designer might be impressed to know an image gallery is powered by AJAX – the client just wants to know that images load smoothly. Focus on the business benefits to the client, rather than the technology. They don’t need to know that their new website’s XHTML markup and CSS stylesheets pass W3C validation, but they will be chuffed to hear that their website is easy for search engines to index and loads faster than it used to. If you speak to your client in terms they can understand, you’ll have a better chance of selling them on your chosen approach.

Write an FAQ

I find I spend a lot of time answering the same questions for my clients, over and over again. Writing a document that answers the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) saves you having repeat yourself to each new client. An FAQ is also a good way to educate your client on topics they might not ask about themselves, but you feel they ought to know about anyway.

You could provide your FAQ to your client as a written document, or you could put it online in a ‘client area’ on your own website. If you think your FAQ is likely to overwhelm your clients with too much information you might prefer to keep it to yourself, and email relevant information to your client only when they have a specific question or concern. Whichever approach you choose, it’s going to save you time in the long run.

The precise information you include in your FAQ will be specific to your business, but here are a few points to consider:

• Setting up email accounts
  If you have purchased a new domain for your client’s website, then the responsibility probably falls to you to create new mailboxes at that domain. Many people don’t know how to set up a new email account on their local machine, and who can blame them: POP, SMTP, IMAP – it’s all a bit baffling for the uninitiated.
• Ranking well in Google
  There are many myths surrounding how to achieve good search engine rankings. Personally, I advise clients that their best chance of ranking well in Google is through quality inbound links.
• What are web standards?
  I like my clients to know that I build standards compliant websites using “best practice” techniques. I point out the business benefits as well as the benefits to website visitors.
• Technological baseline
  Just so there is no confusion down the track, I spell out what server and client side environment is required to run and view my websites. If my client goes home, fires up the old PC in the spare room, and tries to view their website in IE5, I don’t want them to come crying to me.
• Website statistics
  Website traffic statistics can be overwhelming in their level of detail, so I explain to clients the key metrics they need to pay attention to.

On-site training

As part of the job scope, factor in a couple of hours on-site training at the completion of the project. If the website you have built includes a content management system, this is the best way to teach your client how to use it, and will save you numerous annoying support calls down the track. Also make sure your CMS is fully documented, so that if your client has ongoing questions you can direct them to read the manual before they pick up the phone.

Be prepared to learn

In most cases, you are in a better position than your client to make effective design and usability decisions about their website. It’s what you do day in, day out, and your expertise is what you are being paid for. But don’t get too sure of yourself. There is one area where your client’s expertise far exceeds your own: their business. Your client understands their own industry and business far better than you ever will. Be prepared to learn from their experience, and for it to shape your design decisions. For instance, your client might realize that the majority of their customer base are over 50, and that text copy on the website will need to be larger than average to accommodate this older audience. Don’t ride roughshod over your client’s ideas with your own design agenda, or you run the risk of disregarding potentially valuable input.

Conclusion

Hopefully you will find a few of these pointers applicable to your own web design practice – here’s to happy and knowledgeable clients!