Developing a Smarter Client

via U.S. National Archives (http://bit.ly/bSisuf)

Given the intimate size of our company, we often find ourselves fulfilling numerous roles throughout the day. One moment we’re handling client phone calls, the next we’re in a creative brainstorm, or reviewing mockups, or visiting the printer for a press-check, or…

If you were to divide our working hours into groups, they’d include categories such as “Creative Conference” and “Account Research,” in addition of course to “Graphic Design” and “Web Development.” When combined, those activities lead us towards solutions for our clients, and from a business perspective, provide valuable revenue that keeps Airspace Workshop in business. However, tucked between the deliverables and bank deposits lies a valuable byproduct that benefits both our clients and our business.

Yesterday I read an article by Seth Godin entitled Betting On Smarter that reminded me of this fact. The focus of his article is marketing, however it’s equally applicable to technology, design and the web. In it, he makes the distinction between marketers who strive to make their customers smarter, and those who work to make them dumber:

A few benefit when they make their customers smarter. The more the people they sell to know, the more informed, inquisitive, free-thinking and alert they are, the better they do.

And most benefit when they work to make their customers dumber. The less they know about options, the easier they are to manipulate, the more helpless they are, the better they do.

This brief excerpt reminded me that in addition to a website or brand identity, we also deliver knowledge, and our role of “Designer” or “Developer” is equally important as our role of “Educator.”