Corporations and consultants come together in many ways for many reasons. Because understanding the rationale for a relationship is crucial, contributors to this issue define a spectrum of partnership options. They articulate the advantages of long-term relationships. They outline strategies that lead to distinguished outcomes while simultaneously saving time and money. They use examples—including Kraft Foods and Brunswick Bowling Centers—to amplify key principles and offer suggestions for running effective meetings and enhancing the creative dialogue.

Articles

Art, Reason, and the Management of the Consultant-Client Relationship
Thomas Walton

Brand Integration: Total Image Management 
Jean-Leon Bouchenoire

Amazing Pace: Shared Views on the Design Process
Pam DeCesare and Rob Wallace

Good Chemistry: Client and Consultant Relationships to Uncover the Big Idea
William J. O’Connor

Industrial Design: Crossing the Client/Consultant Divide
Les Wynn

Moving from Design to Strategy: The 4 Roles of Design-Led Strategy Consulting
Victor Seidel

Building and Fostering Long-Term Client Relationships
William H. Faust

Stronger Relationships Make Stronger Design Solutions 
Cameron Watt, Mary Haslum, and Ken Russell

Getting Design: Bringing External Design Resources into an Organization
Daniel Buchner, Harry West, and Gianfranco Zaccai

Visual Planning: Designers and Clients as Co-conspirators
David Davenport-Firth

Meetings Build Strategic Relationships
William R. Daniels