LoveLiza will solve all your design problems, whether professional or personal. But first things first, why do designers wear black? The advantage of designers wearing black at conferences or at any other occasion is that you can easily distinguish between designers and clients. Which can give you a head start if you are looking for new opportunities. I'm glad that matter has finally been cleared up. Via Coudal Partners

Josh Catone on saying no. It's something I've said before about our role as web designers, or application developers... we have to tell our clients what they need, rather than what they want. "The customer is not always right. The truth is you have to sort out who's right and who’s wrong for your app," advises 37signals in their book Getting Real. "If you try to please everyone, ... Read full entry

Getting Design Approval: The Single Mockup Theory Too much choice can be a bad thing, writes Darren Hoyt, who argues presenting clients with one mockup, as opposed to two or three, is a far more efficient method, financially and time wise, of producing effective website solutions. Never having faced these kinds (or any kind) of design choices before, the client often takes the weakest elements of one mockup, suggests merging ... Read full entry

5 sure fire ways to make yourself look like an idiot How not to build good relationships with your clients... making them a better offer on something you know they've already purchased has to be the pick of the crop here: Talk about rubbing your customer's noses in it. These days people are aware that offers change over time. How many of us have bought a TV, only to find it ... Read full entry

Client Taxonomy: Bruisers, Nodders, and Champions Client profiling by Jason A. Tselentis at Speak Up. Clients come in all shapes and sizes. But how do you handle a Bruiser? What do you say to a Know-It-All? And what if a Donald Trump is on the other end of a boardroom table? Which of these tough, brainy, or bossy people sound like your clients? Which did we leave out? My favourite ... Read full entry

Design is in the Details, by Naz Hamid at A List Apart. Design tip of the day: when it comes to getting interface mockups right, and ready, for presentation to a client, "obsession is healthy" according to Naz: If I don't feel right about a navigation or a flash widget that displays photos, I will sit and stew and sketch until I find something that fits. Design ... Read full entry

Clients: Beware, and Be Clear! Memo to clients seeking creative/design work; a few tips for composing creative briefs: You're probably standing in the doorway of your in-house designer or at the workplace of a design firm, and you're holding a post-it note saying something like: "Need website with shopping cart," or "Need complete business identity: Be creative!"

None Of Your Business Cards When you no longer want any more clients... Our 2008 self-promo, None Of Your Business Cards, is an in-genious set of faux business cards, which upon close inspection contain fake names and numbers and a special hidden message: never call me again. Some years ago there were one or two web design companies who prided themselves on being able to choose their clients, rather than have ... Read full entry