Chapter 6: Communicating across time zones

Clients rarely leave a designer only because of the design. More often they leave, or never come back, because the experience of working together was stressful: slow replies, unclear status, missed calls, surprises about scope or money. The reverse is also true. Being easy to work with is one of the most reliable ways to earn repeat work and referrals.

For a designer in Nigeria working with clients in London, Toronto or Atlanta, communication has extra layers: time zones, different cultural styles, and infrastructure that can fail at the worst moment. This chapter turns those challenges into a professional system.

The principles

1. Predictable beats fast. A client who knows you'll reply within four business hours is more relaxed than one who sometimes gets instant replies and sometimes waits two days.
2. Written beats remembered. Decisions, approvals and changes go in writing.
3. Proactive beats reactive. Tell the client what's happening before they have to ask.
4. Clear beats clever. Plain international English, short sentences, one topic per message.
5. Prepared beats perfect. Plan for power and internet failures; don't hope they won't happen.

Step 1: Know your time-zone overlap

Nigeria is on West Africa Time (WAT, UTC+1) all year, with no daylight saving. Many of your clients' countries do change their clocks, so the difference shifts during the year.

• UK: the same time as WAT for part of the year, and one hour behind for the rest. [VERIFY the dates each year.]
• Central Europe: the same time as WAT for part of the year and one hour ahead for the rest. [VERIFY.]
• US East Coast: several hours behind WAT. Your afternoon and early evening overlap with their morning. [VERIFY the current offset.]
• US West Coast and Canada West: a larger gap; overlap is limited to your evening.

Step-by-step: set up your time-zone system

1. Add a world clock to your phone and computer for each client's city.
2. Use a scheduling tool that shows time slots in the client's local time.
3. Always write meeting times with both zones: "Tuesday 3:00 pm UK / 3:00 pm WAT" or "10:00 am ET / [time] WAT".
4. Put your working hours and the client's equivalent in your proposal and email signature.
5. Decide your boundaries: which hours you'll take calls, and how late you'll go for US clients.

HYPOTHETICAL worked example: a signature with hours

Invented for illustration.

Kemi Adeyemi · Brand Designer, [Studio] Working hours: Mon–Fri, 9:00–17:30 WAT (Abuja) = 8:00–16:30 London (winter) · 3:00–11:30 New York (winter) [VERIFY offsets] Replies within 4 business hours · [website] · [LinkedIn]

Step 2: Default to asynchronous work

Asynchronous ("async") communication means the client doesn't need to be online at the same time as you. It's the natural fit for working across time zones.

Tool type	Best for	Tips
Email	Decisions, approvals, invoices, anything you may need to refer back to	One topic per thread; clear subject lines
Recorded video (e.g. Loom)	Presenting concepts, explaining feedback, walkthroughs	Keep it under 5–7 minutes; show the work, explain the reasoning
Design comments (e.g. Figma)	Specific feedback on specific elements	Ask clients to comment directly on the design
Shared docs	Briefs, content, project plans	One shared folder per project
Slack / Teams	Ongoing projects with agencies or teams that already use them	Follow their norms
WhatsApp	Quick questions, especially with diaspora clients	Confirm decisions by email afterwards

The weekly status update

Send a short update every week, even when there's not much news. It prevents "what's happening?" emails and builds confidence.

Template:

Subject: [Project] – weekly update ([date]) Done this week: [bullets] Next week: [bullets] Needed from you: [specific items + date] Timeline: on track / [explain any change]

Step 3: Get every approval in writing

"We liked it on the call" is not an approval. People remember calls differently, especially across cultures and languages. After every call, send a summary within a few hours.

Post-call summary template:

Hi [Name], thanks for today's call. Summary: Decisions: [e.g. Direction B approved, with a darker green] Changes requested: [list] Next steps: I'll send revised concepts by [date/time in their zone] Needed from you: [e.g. final product names by Thursday] Please reply to confirm or let me know if I've missed anything.

Their reply ("Confirmed!") becomes your written approval. It protects both of you and supports your revision limits (Chapter 5).

AI shortcut: With the client's permission, a meeting notes tool (e.g. Otter, Fathom or Notion AI) can transcribe your call. A text assistant can then draft the post-call summary. Check it against what was actually agreed before sending (Chapter 8) [VERIFY each tool's data terms].

Step 4: Run calls that work

Before the call

• Send an agenda the day before.
• Charge your laptop and phone fully.
• Check your backup power: inverter, solar, generator fuel or at least a power bank.
• Check your backup data: a second network SIM or mobile hotspot.
• Test your camera and microphone.
• Choose a quiet location. Plan around predictable noise (generators, traffic) where you can.

During the call

• Start on time.
• Confirm the purpose and the time available.
• Share your screen to show the work.
• Take notes, or record if the client agrees. Always ask before recording.
• End by confirming next steps and who does what.

If something fails

Outages happen. What matters is how you handle them:

1. Immediately message the client on another channel (WhatsApp, email or a phone call over another network): "Apologies, I've lost power/connection. Reconnecting in 2 minutes."
2. Switch to your backup.
3. If you can't reconnect quickly, propose a new time and send a recorded walkthrough in the meantime.

[Assumption] Handling a failure calmly and quickly can build more trust than never having one, because it shows the client you're reliable under pressure.

Step 5: Adapt to cultural styles

Communication norms vary between countries, industries and individuals. Some general observations [Assumption: generalisations, so treat each client as an individual]:

• Some clients are very direct ("I don't like it"). It's usually about the design, not about you.
• Others are very polite and indirect ("It's interesting, but maybe we could explore…"), which may mean they don't like it.
• Some expect formal emails; others prefer casual messages.
• Approaches to deadlines and punctuality differ.

Practical tips

• Mirror the client's level of formality.
• Avoid slang, pidgin and local idioms in written client communication unless the client uses them (some diaspora clients will).
• Be careful with long voice notes. Many international clients prefer text. Ask before sending voice notes.
• Ask clarifying questions when feedback is vague: "When you say 'make it pop', do you mean brighter colours, bigger type, or more contrast?"
• Respect holidays: know the main public holidays in your client's country.

Step 6: Handle difficult conversations

Price pushback

Offer a smaller scope rather than a discount (Chapter 4).

Scope creep

"Happy to help with that. It's outside our current scope, so I'll send a quick quote. Once you approve it, I'll fit it into the schedule."

Vague or conflicting feedback from multiple people

"I've received slightly different feedback from [A] and [B] on the colour. To keep things moving, could you confirm which direction you'd like, or nominate one person for final approvals?"

The client goes silent

"Hi [Name], just checking in on the concepts I sent on [date]. When you have a moment, could you share feedback? If priorities have shifted, no problem. Let me know and I'll pause the project."

Your contract (clause 7) should cover what happens after a long silence.

Late payment

Use the reminder sequence in Chapter 5.

Saying no

"Thank you for thinking of me. That project isn't a good fit for my current focus, but I'd be happy to recommend someone if useful."

Step 7: Set boundaries

International work can quietly take over your evenings. Protect your energy:

• Publish your working hours and stick to them most of the time.
• Turn off notifications outside working hours.
• Agree response times in your proposal ("within 4 business hours").
• Schedule US calls in a defined evening window, not whenever they ask.
• Don't promise instant availability on WhatsApp.

HYPOTHETICAL worked example: one project week

Invented to illustrate a communication rhythm.

• Monday 10:00 WAT: Kemi sends a Loom presenting three concepts to a London client, plus a short email with a feedback deadline (Wednesday 12:00 UK time).
• Tuesday: the client asks a quick question on WhatsApp. Kemi answers and adds: "I'll keep all decisions in our email thread."
• Wednesday 14:00 WAT: 30-minute call. Power cuts out halfway; Kemi switches to her power bank and hotspot within two minutes after a WhatsApp message.
• Wednesday 17:00 WAT: post-call summary sent. The client replies "Confirmed".
• Friday: weekly status update.

Nothing dramatic happens, which is exactly the point.

Step 8: Start every project with a kickoff email

The first message after the deposit sets the tone for the whole project. A clear kickoff email answers the client's questions before they ask them.

Kickoff email template:

Subject: [Project] kickoff: timeline, process and how we'll communicate

Hi [Name],

Thank you. Your deposit has arrived and the project has officially started. Here's how the next [X] weeks will work:

Timeline: [Phase 1: dates] · [Phase 2: dates] · [Phase 3: dates] · [Handover: date] How we'll communicate: decisions and approvals by email; concept presentations by recorded video, followed by a call if you'd like; quick questions on [WhatsApp/Slack]. My hours: [hours WAT] = [hours in their zone]. I reply within [X] business hours. What I need from you now: [completed questionnaire / brand assets / product list] by [date]. Weekly updates: every [Friday] you'll get a short status email.

Looking forward to building this with you. [Name]

HYPOTHETICAL example: why kickoffs matter

Invented scenario.

Two designers start similar projects for US clients. The first sends nothing after the deposit and begins work quietly. On day three, the client emails, a little anxious: "Just checking you received the payment and that we're on track?" The second designer sends a kickoff email within an hour of the deposit arriving. The client replies "Perfect, very clear," and doesn't follow up again until the concept presentation.

Both designers did the same work. Only one of them made the client feel the project was under control.

Step 9: Write for readers whose first language may not be English

Many international clients, especially in Europe, read English as a second or third language. Even native speakers skim. Make your messages easy to read:

• Put the key point or question first.
• Use bullets for lists of changes or questions.
• Number your questions so the client can answer "1. Yes, 2. Blue, 3. Friday".
• Bold any deadline or required action.
• Avoid idioms ("ball is in your court", "touch base") where a plain phrase works.

Step 10: Build a resilient work setup

Reliability is part of communication. A client can't tell the difference between "the designer ignored me" and "the designer's power was out for six hours" unless you tell them, and ideally they never need to ask. Build layers:

Layer	Primary	Backup	Emergency
Power	Grid / solar	Inverter or generator	Charged laptop and power bank
Internet	Main broadband or 4G/5G router	Second network SIM	Phone hotspot
Files	Local working files	Automatic cloud sync	External drive backup
Communication	Email on laptop	Email and chat on phone	Pre-written outage message

Step-by-step:

1. List your current setup in each layer.
2. Identify the single biggest gap (for many designers, it's backup power for calls).
3. Fix that gap first, within your budget.
4. Turn on automatic cloud backup for active project folders.
5. Test the whole setup once a month: power off, Wi-Fi off, can you keep working and stay reachable?

[Assumption] You don't need an expensive setup. You need enough redundancy that a single failure doesn't stop you from replying to a client or joining a scheduled call.

Checklist: communication

• World clocks set for client cities
• Working hours and time-zone equivalents in my signature and proposals
• Async tools set up (email, Loom or similar, shared folder)
• Post-call summary template saved
• Weekly status update template saved
• Backup power and backup data tested
• Outage message pre-written
• Boundaries defined (call hours, response times)
• Scripts ready for scope creep, silence and vague feedback

End-of-chapter exercises

Exercise 6.1: Overlap map. For your top three client countries, write down the overlap with your working hours in each season. [VERIFY the current offsets.]

Exercise 6.2: Templates. Save your post-call summary, weekly update and outage message as text snippets you can paste quickly.

Exercise 6.3: Backup drill. Run a fake call with a friend. Halfway through, switch off your main power or Wi-Fi and time how long it takes to get back.

Exercise 6.4: Feedback questions. Write five clarifying questions you can use when feedback is vague.

Exercise 6.5: Boundaries. Write your communication policy in three sentences (hours, response time, channels) and add it to your proposal template.