Eric Miller (right) runs a Brooklyn-based web development and graphic design studio and is the writer responsible for the graphic design section on about.com. Below he describes how he uses Highrise to keep his business organized.
What does your company/business do?
Eric Miller Design is a Brooklyn-based web development and graphic design studio with a wide range of clients that includes non-profit organizations, local artists, small businesses and large corporations. Through this work, we have the opportunity to take on a variety of projects, including websites, posters, book design, CD packaging, and logo design. I am also a writer, responsible for the graphic design section on about.com.
Why do you need Highrise?
I need Highrise to keep my business organized. Being that I take on a great deal of the business side of my work along with the creative side, I need an easy way to keep track of projects and communication with clients. Post-it notes are great and all, but Highrise allows me to organize everything in one system: contacts, tasks, meetings and project leads. I also need something I can access from anywhere, because I’m often working at a client on one of their computers or in a coffee shop on my laptop, so Highrise being web-based is key.
How do you use the product and why do you like it?
I treat Highrise as both a CRM and a project management system. As soon as I get a lead on a new project, I add the contact to the system and create a deal and a task, even if I don’t have many details yet. This way I know I’ll remember to follow-up with the person. If I seal the deal, I create a Highrise case to store all notes, tasks, and related contacts in one place. I use my own custom categories to keep track of tasks such as design, web development, domain name renewal dates, website launches, proposal deadlines, writing assignments, meetings and phone calls.
I like Highrise because it’s simple. There’s just enough there to customize it for my needs and not too much to overwhelm me with “feature noise.”
Which features do you use most?
My favorite part of Highrise is the options under task due-dates. For how I work, I couldn’t have picked these better myself. If I’m working on a design, especially in the early stages, it’s not always realistic to give it a specific completion date and time. I’ll often keep a design file open all week and it will take shape over several days. I do know I have to finish it “this week,” “next week,” “today” or “tomorrow,” so those options are perfect.
Being able to relate a task to a note is also one of my favorite features, again because it fits with the way I work. I’ll get client feedback on a design, record it as a note in their case, and immediately assign a follow-up task based on that feedback.
Cases and deals are also a big help to me. Every few days I scroll through my deals (potential projects) and cases (current projects) to make sure I’m keeping up on everything, just in case I didn’t assign a follow-up task for something.
What did you use before and why did you switch?
Before Highrise, I actually used Basecamp. I tried out Highrise just as CRM, and eventually using two systems became too confusing. I chose Highrise because it could best handle both contact and project management. No offense to Basecamp of course, as I still have an account that I use for large projects that involve several partners or subcontractors, to take advantage of all the features focused on collaboration. Before Basecamp, I tried many desktop apps, but most had too many features and complex interfaces.
Tell us about a situation where the product helped you out.
Aside from Highrise keeping me organized in my design and web development projects, it’s a great tool to use in my writing for about.com. There aren’t deadlines for specific articles, but I’ll often think of an article idea or blog post and want a place to quickly record it where it won’t get lost. That always goes in the about.com case under the writing category, even if it’s due “later.” This way I can easily scroll through these tasks and decide what to work on next.
Any tips or tricks for other customers?
I immediately took advantage of color-coding task categories when you added that feature. I wouldn’t want a sea of colors on the tasks page, but I wanted certain items to stand out. I left most tasks in black but made phone calls, meetings and project launches red.
Anything else?
I’m glad 37signals released the Highrise iPhone app, and I’m looking forward to cases and deals being added to that. Also, my wife wanted you to know we used Basecamp to keep track of our wedding plans. I was able to assign “call florist” to my mother-in-law while leaving the invitation design to-do for myself.
Do you use a 37signals product in an interesting way? Let us know.
