Build a remote working attitude and free your mind to get sh*t done
So here you are, sitting in that office chair now awaken to what you may call the designer’s matrix. You’ve seen the benefits of working from home first hand and can’t imagine a life where your cubicle becomes your forever workplace. You’ve seen others like you unplug from that chair and now its your turn to take the plunge…but before you endulge in that red pill of remote working and fall down that rabbit hole, let’s get you prepared.
Oh where or where did my designer go?
If you could ask each of your clients what their biggest fear in working with a remote designer is, communication is sure to be at the top. With all the benefits that remote working brings, communication is usually one of the first to drop if you’re not fully engaged with your projects and clients. To build an easier communication channel, create a process for you and your clients to follow, so that for any stage of the project’s lifecycle you are prepared. Here’s a few things to keep in mind…
Initial communication: (Contract negotiations, project briefs, and scheduling)
For those initial contacts, email and phone works perfectly fine here. This is a stage where you and your client are feeling each other out as far as project specifics and expectations. This is also the time where being fully transparent is highly pivotal to ease any concerns and creating a good foundation that your relationship will build from. Your schedule, how you handle reviews, pricing, and project management should all be discussed now so that once the ball begins to roll you can spend more time doing what you do best. Add in a video conferencing tool such as uber conference or hangouts, and you now have the ability to build trust across multiple channels.
Project Management: (Updates, Milestones)
This is where we enter the rabbit hole, you were able to land that great project and now its time to show up to the dance. Communication throughout the project is a must have, and here are a few ways that you can approached this. First, you need a real-time communication tool. Using Slack (Hipchat, Skype, Fuze to name a few others) allows for any communication to happen, as far as answering questions and detailing items within the process…but be careful, this should not replace your scheduled updates with the client. Use a video conference tool for those (your clients will thank you for this). Why? It helps to remove levels of misinterpretation that can happen through a chat tool, saving time and explanations in the long run. Tone and approach can be interpreted differently as a reader, and when your asking for feedback/input save those scenarios for either conference calls or video.
Work | Life Balance
One of the biggest things that happens when you become fully remote, is now your lifestyle becomes even more integrated with the way you work. If you choose to stay at home or travel abroad, make sure that everything work related is accounted for. Create specific times during the day for calls, times where you can work, and times where you can unwind. That way, your not having to reschedule meetings due to yoga class and your clients know exactly when you are available to chat just in case something comes up.
The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.
- Stephen Covey
You will also have to consider time zones and how that effects your schedule. If your client is based in New York and your on the west coast, buffer overlapping time slots so that you can be fully engaged with them and their availability. Same goes for managing time abroad.
Boast creativity by mixing up location
Instead of being fixated to your desk at home, changing the scenary can also bring new and refreshing ideas to your projects. Love coffee? Start by picking out a few coffee shops in your area and spend time during the day working from them. Once you gain the confidence in your schedule, pack a bag for a few days and travel. Becoming the ONE isn’t easy, but with adquent planning and a hunger to succeed you’ll cross that off your list in no time.
