Client Projects

When assigning/awarding a project I do my best with the art director to give the photographer/illustrator a sense of the project at hand and information about the client. I also hope the artist does a little research on their own as well. It's most certainly not expected but goes a long way.

Granted the ultimate reason the artist is hired for a job is because of their work and the images they can create for the client but the artists who do a little client research on their own also adds to the project. It helps to understand the client and their product. For example if you're working on a project for a commercial retail client, go into the stores and check out the products and the signage, take a look at the catalogue, look at the most recent advertising campaign, etc.

Understanding where the client has come from and taking a look into the brand and their brand positioning can help you interpret the project better. Essentially artists are hired for their creativity and what they can bring to the project, not always do we want to hand over layouts and have you simply recreate something similar to the layout.