Never work without a plan.
It is the most deadly idea I ever ventured into. When I the designer asked a client to work with a plan the client preferred “we do not need to start with a plan all we need is to start the project the rest will follow”. Definitely the project had to end on the way with me as the designer even never paid and with the client money dried up but with an incomplete landscape. Without a work plan including
- The period the work is going to take
- The amount of payment for all the labor
- The estimated costs for all materials and any form of transportation
I would say this “You would rather have a simple design that is cost effective but complete other than an incomplete landscape, the beauty of landscaping is there is always room for improvement”
Never start without agreement of certain responsibility
I believe there is a list of responsibilities every designer and client agreement needs before engagement in any project. Such us
- Material purchase
- Working hours
- Work order
- No touch areas
- Equipment preference
I would say this “Working with a designer is trust between a designer and a client, without the bonding of trust none can fulfill their responsibility”
Never start without payment agreement
This is not accepted but you have to agree is true; all designers are existent to be paid and successful project to them is if they were eventually paid. With a clear agreement of payment of for example
- After the project is complete payment is believe is the best.
- How the designer is willing to work within the allowances during the work period
I would say this “For better services, never fail to cover your bills”
Never became a client project manager
This is another vice during project management where clients forget that they had even employed a designer. Yes there is a saying “Clients are the Kings” But not all kings lead their kingdoms to legendary empires. In a certain project I experienced the bites of this vice when after we had drawn a plan and budget. We had even purchase the materials to start the client wakes up in the morning and says I feel like we are not doing this lets do something else, That’s fine but it has cost implications, what you want requires us to purchase different materials I said. The client says you designer has bought wrong materials it’s you to pay back find a way of selling those materials and give me what I want, I am not adding or reducing on agreed money. The client shouted at the workers on site not to start any construction. So as a designer my work on site was to eventually be paid to buy the materials that had remained on site.
Thanks the advice
Thanks Jennifer for your reply