Content Delivery

After tips on dealing with client content delivery..

[Wild_Rose]

How do you deal with clients that want to see the design, before they've given you the content?

I ask for the content or content amount (broken down into amount of text and images) before I start to design. (And is stated in all my paperwork!)

But sometimes this turns into a sticking point, with "Well I don't know what to give you if I don't know what it's going to look like"

Does anyone have any tips on how to deal with this?

[johntabita]

Other than say, a logo, I don't really need any content in order to start on a mockup. In fact, I find it a timesaver if I'm working on the design while the client is gathering content. Then (in theory, at least), by the time I'm finished with the design, I'll have the content.

Perhaps the problem is that the client doesn't know what the site structure is. The first thing I do with the client is develop the architecture and page breakdown of the site. That way, if the client is writing the content, he knows that he needs text for the 'About Us' page, the 'Our Misssion' page, and so forth. Other times, the client simply gives me "everything he has" and allows me to organize the content into the agreed-upon site architecture.

[sanity]

Why not show them the design with the Loren Ipsum copy (dummy text). If you sticky me I can give you the URL.

[Wild_Rose]

Thanks for your replies.

I provide fixed priced proposals, and ask for the content, or details of the amount of content before putting together the site architecture and design.

Otherwise I find I'm faced with a lot of extra content/pages not bargained for. And not able to bring in within the budget I've set.

This has worked well on most of my clients, but I currently have 2 clients, where a different approach might be more suited to them. Although I've stated in all my documents to them that content or details of content is needed before development work.

I've been working as self employed for a year now, and although I've been running large projects within a large organisation, running my own business is fairly new to me. Some elements I'm learning as I go.

Any hints and tips are warmly received.

Thanks