Why Some Designers Are More Valuable Than Others

Why can some designers charge more than others? What makes them more valuable? Your value is determined by the quality of your questions. Low vs. High value questions. Asking why demands a deeper understanding. Become more valuable, build expertise by asking better questions.
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0:00 Thales: 624 – 546 BC: When he was asked, “What’s the most difficult thing in life?” His response was, “The most difficult thing in life Is to know yourself.” The easiest is to give advice.

0:16 At the top of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is: Self-Actualization from creativity, meaning, and purpose.

0:55 What makes a creative person more valuable? It’s their ability to help others find their meaning and purpose.

1:41 How do you help somebody know themselves? Your value is determined by the quality of the questions that you ask.

1:50 The questions that you ask demonstrate your knowledge, experience, confidence, and therefore your expertise.

2:00 Low versus High Value Questions. Quantitative, fact-based questions: What does it look like? When is it due? Who is the target market? What is the budget? These questions make you an order-taker. You establish yourself here as “hands for creative work.”

2:50 Qualitative questions (the higher value questions): How did you come up with this idea? Describe how this looks in your mind. How will you judge if this is successful? *Open-ended questions that invite the client to participate with you. Those questions also change the dynamic that you have with your client.

3:54 The high-value questions get to purpose; they cause people to be more reflective: If someone asks you to do something, ask them…Why is this important? Why do you believe this to be true? Beyond money, why did you exist? *These questions bring you back to your roots.

5:16 Ask the questions that drive towards purpose. This will get you to find the cause of the symptoms. *We ask questions to surface deeper meaning. *Core: Purpose/meaning = Like an onion; we need to peel back the layers.

5:54 What happens if you do? What does that look like?
DISCOVERY: a framework of questions designed to surface deeper meaning
“This company exists to…in order to…” = PURPOSE

6:27 Are you asking these types of questions? Are you getting these types of answers? What do you think this is worth, and what would you pay to find out your purpose?
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