Formulate an idea
Do you want a beach resort, a castle, a dungeon, a club, a log cabin? Avoid approaching a designer with a blank slate. Designers can work with you to help narrow down and fine tune general ideas, but even the most creative designer can't read minds. Additionally, some designers are better with some themes than others. Give your designer something to work with. If you're not sure, look at other Zabys, clubs, and various spaces within the Utherverse as well as websites and magazines.

Shop around
Take your time finding a good designer. Visit the Zaby Forums and talk to friends. Get recommendations and ask for references. Photos don't tell the complete story; visit Zabys and try to see samples. If you have a speedy computer in good working order, a Zaby should load relatively quickly and have little lag. Images should not shimmer and should be sharp, not blurry or out of focus, and largely free of text references as to where it came from (i.e. stockphoto.com). Seating should work, as should drugs, dance floors, and sex props. Props should be aligned evenly and smoothly. You should not get stuck in props or fall through them.

Be clear about what you want
Avoid problems down the road by being clear about your expectations. That includes your design, the cost, payment for (e.g. in installments, in full of front, at the end), and how long the project will take. Communicate with your designer, and by extension, let your designer know if you will be away from UV for an extended period of time or if you change your name.

Be patient and realistic
There's only so much magic a designer can do. There are certain things we simply cannot do because the scripts or animations are not available (e.g. swimming, sex with bots). Be especially patient when patches cause problems and delays.

Know the rules
Read the Utherverse's Rules of Conduct and Terms of Service.

Protect yourself, your designer, and your Zaby
Adjust your House Rules and limit the number of people that can decorate your Zaby. Save your Zaby layout often. It's incredibly frustrating and sad to discover your decorating trashed by unscrupulous users or gone due to some glitch.

Don't hassle your designer
Ask questions, give feedback, offer ideas, and get updates; it is your Zaby after all and you're paying for a service, but let your designer work. Your constant presence and questions will annoy and slow your designer down.

If you run into a problem
There is no official protection for designers and their clients beyond the RoC and ToS. World Ops rarely gets involved in user disputes and there is often no legal recourse. We can't always rely on our memory and a simple misunderstanding can quickly escalate. Take screen shots of your chats and save your emails. Communicate with your designer. Try to resolve your problem privately. Try to find a mediator if possible. If you suspect fraud or a violation of the ToS, contact World Ops. Your last resort should be to post your dispute publicly. That makes it everybody's business, creates a lot of drama, and could damage your reputation as much as your designer's.

If you're a happy camper
Pay your designer promptly. Most will require half up front. Become a reference for your designer and tell others how good s/he is.