ZURBlog is where we discuss product design, business and strategy.

Self-taught designers that work on their own as a freelancer or within a company aren't trained in the service side of a design business, so many budding designers look to process as the magical selling point of design. The reality is, companies aren't interested in being sold process. They simply want results.

Indeed, process is effective and companies want to know you have one, but they're really all about seeing a finished, polished product. The concept of a design process is often unclear to customers and clients. It may seem like a waste of time, with steps that only slow things down or add to the designer's time. Some companies are also concerned process is a threat to their control over the project.

The good news is, "design" is both a process and a result. People pay for results, but the benefit of design is that it's an effective way to solve business problems. We've found that the best approach is to sell on results and educate with process. It takes more time to build a business relationship this way, but it keeps the cash flow moving while you build long term clients. As an added bonus, these long-term clients will come to appreciate the importance of the design process, making future projects run more smoothly.