Reality Vs Expectation: Design Challenges In A Fast Moving Business Environment

It is common knowledge that the creative industry in Nigeria is lagging behind most of its contemporaries in other parts of the world. This is in no small part due to the lackadaisical attitude a good number of Nigerians attach to creatives and the value we bring to the fore.

There is also the thorny issue of compensation for work done, in simpler terms:

A good number of people are not willing to pay for the quality of work they want to see.

This presents a set of unique problems I’m certain creatives in Nigeria will relate with on some level.

Additionally, due to the fast pace of work in the client service industry, designers have to find the perfect balance between satisfying customer expectations and providing adequate value for work. This is especially important because most of us usually service the low end on demand part of the industry. Below I will outline a few difficulties I have faced as a designer working for Astract 9 Designs:

Little room for mistakes

The turnover time for most designs are short, so I have had to perfect the art of balancing conceptualizing, actual design and quality control. At every level of the design, I have to make extra care to micromanage any distortions that may appear in the design process.

Creativity

Because of the fast pace of work, there’s hardly ever time to try out new concepts that could add vibrant dynamics to the designs. I have had to learn to balance the creative side of my craft with a systematic process that always guarantees results on time.

Quality Control

Most of the time, I know that the designs ought to be revisited over and again until certain they are good enough to be published. There is usually no such time, so like earlier stated, I have put in place process checkpoints to ensure that at every level of design, validating the designs. This allows for an interesting feedback loop that ensures that the quality of work never drops below the baseline level we have set for ourselves at Astract.

Research

Most clients take for granted the notion that designers have a never ending stream of concepts and ideas. In order to meet this expectation, I have had to create time to research new ideas and find inspiration.

Communication

The communication barrier is one of the biggest drawbacks in working with clients because most of the time, they cannot accurately describe what they want to achieve. Making sense of the design brief is a process with unique drawbacks, I always try to make sure the client and I are on the same page before commencing on the project. This eliminates unnecessary drawbacks and bottlenecks moving forward.

Navigating the murky waters of client service is an artform, an artform we are still perfecting at Astract 9 Designs. You can share your custom tips and tricks about doing business in Nigeria as a creative in the comments, I and everybody else at Astract would love to hear from you.

Henry Apata,

Creative Director,

Astract 9 Designs Limited.