WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A PROJECT IS DISCONTINUED
Any partnership is difficult and well thought through, but each one of them is a calculated risk.
We do our paperwork, clients do their background check, but we both rely on instinct and trust as a project is finalized.
We finish a lot of them, but there are many that break mid way.
How do they effect us designers? And what are the things we could do to cope up with the break up?
Let’s take a look:
1-THE OBVIOUS- THERE IS A LOSS OF MONEY
The labor, the contractor, the vendor, everyone that makes the family or the team who put forward the project is at risk.
Yes, the load is not only on the designer, but loss of money costs more than the loss of money alone.
2-SELF DOUBT
Design is a personality. When a designer designs, they don’t always know for sure, they take risks, they put their beliefs forward, they take that plunge of trying something new.
A discontinuation however makes them doubt themselves and their design process.
They do gather courage and bounce back, but the hit is a hit.
3-CONTACTS ARE BROKEN
We often collaborate with a new team, a new vendor or a new contact for a project.
Such first time contacts lose interest and the collaboration suffers because of the break up.
4-CARTS HAVE TO BE EMPTIED
Since we don’t have a fixed income, we count on projects and their progress for our expenses, and for planning our future.
Designers thus suffer a total planning loss as a project is lost.
We do calculate the risk at stake but a lot of projects we really counted on have broken, the entire cart of dreams have to be emptied.
5-MATERIAL WASTAGE
Of the many projects that left a sour taste, a particular one left us with a lot of fabric, metal and stone we had procured early on for a heavy discount.
While we managed to use a lot of it in projects to come, storing them, fitting them in another project and bearing the cost was a big hit.
HOW TO TAKE THE HIT AND NOT THE FALL
Don’t fall in love with your client
Understand that there can be good and bad situations and people
Have tough sentences put very simply in your contract
Be strict about your payment terms and paperwork
Be friends with lawyers :)