1. Must think of the idea before the visual
2. Must not turn to design annuals for creative inspiration
3. Must read books that are not about design
4. Must not rely solely on Google
5. Must not knowingly plagiarise
6. Must insist on a written brief for every project
7. Must ask clients questions in addition to the brief
8. Must confirm all deliverables in writing
9. Must agree on cost in writing before beginning each project
10. Must question a budget if it is clearly not enough to answer the brief
11. Must not try to do everything yourself at the expense of a project
12. Must accept that every project will preferably be more difficult than you expected
13. Must accept that every project will take longer than you expected
14. Must dress for work according to your client's or your employer's expectations
15. Must not present an option you don't want your client to choose become they'll choose it
16. Must be nice to colleagues working above and below you as things can change
17. Must not present teams of written research with a proposal just to impress the client
18. Must not present mood boards unless specifically asked - and even then, under protest
19. Must not work for free
20. Must invoice regularly and on time
21. Must not accept assignments purely for money
22. Must take days off - especially if you're a freelancer
23. Must learn the rules before you break them
24. Must acknowledge your mistakes rather than try to cover them up
25. Must not ask someone else to do what you can do yourself
26. Must find a design mentor and be prepared to be one in the future
27. Must remain humble in your work
28. Must respect focus groups, but not at the expense of gut feeling
29. Must not qualify your creative abilities with software skills
30. Must rest your eyes periodically throughout the day
31. Must work with talented illustrators, writers and photographers
32. Must hire a good accountant and save more than you spend
33. Must build a team that complements, not duplicates, your abilities
34. Must not be afraid to share ideas and collaborate
35. Must get client approval on s visual before racing to finish a project
36. Must not demonise another designer because you don't happen to like his or her work
37. Must not discuss a client's business with another
38. Must not criticise another designer in front of a client
39. Must not criticise work previously commissioned from another designer
40. Must never pretend you know more about a client's business than they do
41. Must be available to your clients at all times, but in your terms
42. Must actually talk to your clients - real conversations build strong relationships
43. Must not discuss design with your client unless they express an interest.
44. Must count to ten when a client angers you before opening your mouth
45. Must not accept your client's word of gospel
46. Must not continue to work for a difficult client
47. Must stick to your side of the project's schedule regardless of your client's input
48. Must not procrastinate - ever
49. Must talk about design as an asset
50. Must keep it simple
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