Request from a design agency — what now?!

[patricialamas]

Hope this isn’t too off-topic, but I was emailed today by a local design agency asking if I might have time for a fast turnaround project. They got my name from an organization I did some illustration work for this spring. I’ve never done work for an agency before, and I don’t know what to expect in terms of who’s in charge of what paperwork since I’ve only ever done freelance for non-design people and our communication has always been very informal. I don’t want to sound totally unprepared for the upfront logistics! Does anyone here have any experience with this sort of thing? Who prepares the contract after the initial phone call? The people I’ve done freelance work for typically ask me to write up an estimate myself, but who does that in this case? Thanks!

[PenAndrew]

@patricialamas Congratulations! I am sure lots of helpful advice will be on its way!

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@patricialamas hi! First off, congratulations! My advice is too ask them if they already have a contract that both of you can use. Most likely, they have.

[PenAndrew]

@patricialamas My advice is to communicate as much as possible as what I have learnt is that communication shows your professionalism, and professionals appreciate that a lot.

[Melissa_Bailey]

@patricialamas congratulations!

What @Nyrryl-Cadiz and @PenAndrew said: communicate and ask questions. Be upfront with them and let them know that this is your first time working with a design agency. If they know you're a newbie, then they'll be able to help you out. Acting like you know what you're doing when you don't is often obvious -- they'll see right through that. You'll come across as more professional if you're honest and ask questions. It will tell them that you're taking this seriously and want to make sure that you do a good job and will try your best to deliver exactly what they're looking for.

[Holumpa]

@patricialamas Congratulations!
In my limited experience companies that work with illustrators on a regular base will probably have their own contracts. Otherwise you might be expected to provide one.
I, too, find this contract and negotiation stuff difficult. I found the YT videos of Anoosha Syed really helpful and I also have the Graphic Artist's Guild Handbook which hac contract templates.
That is all info for the US, I had to find different infos for my country and international contracts, it gets really confusing at that point

[lizardillo]

Congratulations. I have done a lot of illustration for design agencies as I used to work for them. All I would say is in your contract make sure you are not technically doing 'work-for-hire'. Have a clause allowing you to say that you did the work and display it in your portfolio if you wish. You would explain that you created this for the agency and perhaps credit the art/creative director if needed. Have this even if it ends up being something that does not fit your portfolio in the end. Not all agency work will be portfolio worthy, it depends on the client and brief.

Most of the work I have done I cannot show as it is classed as the agency's work.