Free design day pays off
A digital design group that held a controversial day of free consultations just before Christmas claims that the exercise has won it at least two paid jobs.
NS Design serviced 30 clients for free on 19 December, and attributes two commissions for search engine optimisation audits and a client recommendation to develop a full e-commerce site to the scheme.
Existing client The Rattlin’ Boag Play Company, which NS Design calls a ‘low-value hosting client’, asked for a free site evaluation that has since resulted in a request for a full site revamp.
Design Business Association president Nick Ramshaw condemns free working as ‘damaging to the industry as a whole’, but NS Design received widespread support from www.designweek.co.uk readers commenting on the story of 27 November.
NS Design managing director Gary Ennis reports that about 60 per cent of the people NS Design serviced were new to the consultancy.
On the day, it conducted site reviews, created new logo concepts for a mobile-disco operator and online video production company, and set up a blog for a cricket club.
Ennis says, ‘I’m confident that we’ll receive work from many more of those we saw on the day.’ He adds that, ‘Not once did any of our team feel we were selling ourselves, the company or the industry short.’ He adds that he ‘would not hesitate’ to offer another free day of consultations.
I see free consultation as a good idea — it is like having a ‘fitting room’ in stores — allowing customers to try before buying and better understand what they should be wearing for their occasion/purpose.