An Opinion: AllStars

Yesterday, I went to breakfast with Indie Arsenal and I have to say, it was one of the most beneficial meetings I’ve attended to date.

A question was asked and, being the “shy in a group, loud with a few” sort, I didn’t proffer my thoughts. But they were bubbling.

The question was (paraphrased), “Given the choice of hiring one person to do your design, website, and marketing, or hiring three or four separate people, which is better?” The answer given by Dave Carlson of Green Chair Marketing Group was good. He responded (again, paraphrased), “Depends on the maturity of the individuals.” A bit of chuckling followed, because that is very true.

I wanted to interject my thoughts: as a designer, I relish, crave, look for opportunities to collaborate. I learn something from everyone I meet – designers, webmasters, marketing professionals, photographers, painters. If someone called me and asked if I could be The/A Designer on a project that included other independent professionals, I would jump at the chance. Even if there’s some overlap in skill sets. I’ve done collaborations in the past and I just love it. If it’s the right mix of people, each person will sink into their respective role and the client will get the best of each person’s abilities.

Another thought I had came more in the form of a low growl, deep in my brain. It’s the frustration-slash-admiration I feel toward the AllStars. These are the designers who can do 3D, animation, illustration, publication design, print processes, build e-commerce websites, speak in coding languages, teach college-level programming classes, take killer photographs, write Top 40 songs, build skyscrapers out of toothpicks, jog 15 miles a day, knit their own nylons, and bake a perfect cake (and some are 10 years younger than me). I’ve known approximately three of these people in my life and I respect them deeply. They’re typically brilliant (duh) and great to watch (because I can’t possibly work with them and hope to keep up). But I know a LOT of people, and I’ll tell you: these AllStars are rare. Precious, but rare.

I have seen Faux AllStars, that is, those who present themselves as AllStars, but don’t have the skills or knowledge to back it up. All bark, no bite, as it were. Fortunately, this becomes evident relatively early.

Another AllStar type I have seen is the AllStar, Ltd.: a bona fide AllStar, but with limited spectrum. These people have all the knowledge, but can only apply it in one format. Look for portfolios with one “flavor” of design. I am not, by any means, disparaging these AllStars. Not at all. They do great work and produce solid results. If you’re wanting something unique, splashy, or very specific, they may struggle to mold their abilities into your specific project. These AllStars are very good at editing the back-end of previously implemented designs, and often give good technical advice, so shouldn’t be discounted as potential team members.

Here is my recommendation: If you have an AllStar in your midst, discuss, in detail, your expectations. If possible, and they are willing, ask for a rough draft of what they think you are expecting. Be kind: don’t ask for 15 hours of free sketching and then hire someone else (bad karma awaits). Be honest with them about their interpretation and determine if you can work together to achieve your intended end result.

If there are no AllStars (more than likely), ask an artist if they have collaborators. If not, ask if they’d be interested in working with a couple new team mates. Find said team mates, and schedule a pow-wow to test the group dynamic. If it’s golden, there you go! If there’s a dark spot, you can always change out seats, bearing in mind the time commitment already given by the soon-to-be-ousted collaborator. Kindness and communication are key. (And, a sidenote, if The Ousted flips out, that should tell you something right there.)

95% of people I have met are a pleasure to work with. As I said, I would jump at the opportunity to collaborate, and I’d imagine other freelancers feel similarly.