If you're attracted to a design firm just because the look and style of their work appeals to you, keep looking. Designers known for a particular style do work that appeals to them -- not you, the client. In these cases, your needs and objectives are subordinated to your design firm's visual preferences. Your ultimate success will be diminished because your project will reflect someone else's agenda -- not yours, the client.

Far better to search for a company whose problem-solving skills appeal to you rather than succumb to the attraction of work that's just decorative. A design firm who talks about clients' problems, and the solutions they developed, has finely honed listening skills. They have a much greater capability to provide the professional service you need without the unnecessary complication of ego and personal preferences.

Naturally, the aesthetic appeal of your designers' creations is important. But the look must be driven by a well-conceived concept, a solid idea, a reason for being and not simply be cosmetic. In our opinion, this is the weakest justification for design work to exist.

This is also not to imply that your designer shouldn't challenge your assumptions through the course of the program. A seasoned professional will assess your opportunities through the eyes of experience while remaining open to new ways of addressing your needs...ways you may not foresee.

The role of a good designer is, in the end, to deliver more than expected -- a solution that's quintessentially yours, not theirs.