As a user research and design agency, we interface with a lot of clients. Some projects are small, say 3-4 weeks, while some are longer, somewhere on the order of 1-2 months.
Lately, though, we've started working on really long projects - and really long for us is 6-9 months or more. I'm 7 months in on one of our longer projects, and it's definitely been a fascinating experience: no more winning the deal and walking away, or finishing the work and handing off a report; I'm now actually accountable for my designs (eek!). This, let me tell you, is a scary/exciting thing to behold.
All this made me think of an interesting corollary from the world of relationships (romantic ones): the 7 month (or year) itch. Everybody knows that eventually - typically about 7 months or years in - things shift from hunky-dory-puppy-love to I-actually-have-to-work-to-keep-this-going. This is the first time I've made it past a 6-month work-iversary with a client, and I'm learning a lot.
Now don't get me wrong, I love my client: they're engaged, excited, and totally, passionately committed, more than can be said for many clients (or regular relationships, for that matter). But that doesn't mean it isn't hard work. There are definitely those days when I find it hard to get motivated, or I'm sick of banging my head against a particular design problem, and I'm *this close* to throwing up my hands and throwing in the towel.
But this is what all relationships - client, romantic and otherwise - are about: you get out what you put in, and staying committed over the long haul can make things tough, but oh-so-worthwhile. The key is learning what works and what doesn't, and applying the lessons to the future. Because if anything, I think relationships should be about progress.
How do yours measure up?
As a user research and design agency, we interface with a lot of clients. Some projects are small, say 3-4 weeks, while some are longer, somewhere on the order of 1-2 months.
Lately, though, we've started working on really long projects - and really long for us is 6-9 months or more. I'm 7 months in on one of our longer projects, and it's definitely been a fascinating experience: no more winning the deal and walking away, or finishing the work and handing off a report; I'm now actually accountable for my designs (eek!). This, let me tell you, is a scary/exciting thing to behold.
All this made me think of an interesting corollary from the world of relationships (romantic ones): the 7 month (or year) itch. Everybody knows that eventually - typically about 7 months or years in - things shift from hunky-dory-puppy-love to I-actually-have-to-work-to-keep-this-going. This is the first time I've made it past a 6-month work-iversary with a client, and I'm learning a lot.
Now don't get me wrong, I love my client: they're engaged, excited, and totally, passionately committed, more than can be said for many clients (or regular relationships, for that matter). But that doesn't mean it isn't hard work. There are definitely those days when I find it hard to get motivated, or I'm sick of banging my head against a particular design problem, and I'm *this close* to throwing up my hands and throwing in the towel.
But this is what all relationships - client, romantic and otherwise - are about: you get out what you put in, and staying committed over the long haul can make things tough, but oh-so-worthwhile. The key is learning what works and what doesn't, and applying the lessons to the future. Because if anything, I think relationships should be about progress.
How do yours measure up?