Far too often I hear about talented designers being walked all over by clients who bastardize their design into a fragment of what it once was. It bothers me that this has become such expected behavior within our industry. There’s nothing more frustrating than witnessing all of these continually wasted efforts. So, who’s to blame? Though it may be true some of the time, it’s far too easy to write off every single bad experience as the client’s fault. If something’s happening on such a frequent basis then we should probably look towards the most common denominator; ourselves – the designers. However, the problem doesn’t necessarily lie within the design created, but rather, the presentation and explanation behind it.
When a client invests their money into you or your company, they’re not just paying for one final design, but an experience. If they simply wanted a design they could have just paid $50 to purchase one of the many generic templates out there. But no, they’ve invested in you as a partner, not just a designer. It’s your responsibility to help them understand each and every decision you’ve made as well as why these decisions will be successful and fulfill their needs. Unless you can clearly explain the actions behind all of your decisions, it’s likely that your design won’t be deemed final without multiple rounds of revisions. For every round of revisions that your design endures, the less likely are the chances that you will be providing a finished product that fits the needs and satisfaction of you and your client.
Trust is earned, not given.
It all starts at the kick off meeting. From the second you meet your new client to the day the project launches, you must be in presentation mode; being meticulous about every detail. Over time, you will earn your clients respect with this attitude. When it’s obvious that you’re passionate about your work, and truly care about helping your client, a foundation of trust will begin to develop. It’s imperative to your final product that this foundation of trust is on solid ground. Come presentation day, the client will already hold your judgments in high regard, giving you the down hill advantage. Do not be mislead though: This is not an act of manipulation or dishonestly; It is simply an attitude that puts all the effort and care into a design that it deserves.
Throughout the process of the project, all decisions and solutions should be explained with detail. Without continuous explanation of your decisions, you run the risk of jeopardizing your final design. Come final presentation day, it should be clear as to what you are presenting. Your designs should bring prior discussions and decisions to life, for everyone who has been involved in the process.
If you’re not confident in your design, than you haven’t finished it yet. You should be able to stand behind you design 100% while presenting it, in order to fully explain the rationale behind the decisions you’ve made.
When I hear of clients who make change after change, I can’t help but to say that this is partly the designers fault. If you don’t present your design with authority and passion than the client will see this and take matters into their own hand. They’ll begin making suggestions without fully thinking through the consequences. It’s not they’re fault though, they’re just trying to fill the void that you’ve left them with.
No excuses
If you find that your clients resource materials (logo, content, etc…) are dated, then it is your ethical responsibility to bring this to their attention. I’ve received plenty of flack in the past for being “too blunt” with clients, but I truly believe that it is our job as designers to put everything on the table and communicate the position that our clients materials are really in. If you feel that they will hold you back in some way, then this must made known. Of course, this can be a sensitive subject to some clients, so it’s important to be respectful when bringing it up. Following up with a proposed solution always eases the blow. Simply telling a client that their logo and content suck will leave them feeling disrespected and abandoned. However, approaching them and proposing a slight logo or content modification to align they’re marketing materials with the quality of their product or services will do wonders. Worst case scenario, they say no. Best case, you’ll solidify some more work for yourself and will be able to approach their new site design with some quality supporting materials. Either way, you’ll find that most clients will appreciate your honesty and will respect the fact that you are going above and beyond to make them look good. After all, that’s what their paying you for, right?
To be a designer is to fight battles and defend what is good. More often than not, if approached properly, you should be able to win.
Final Notes
- At the kick-off meeting, confirm the clients decision in hiring you. Come prepared already having a good idea of what their needs are. Talk business and avoid bringing up design solutions. It’s too early to suggest design solutions.
- Speak with authority, humility and understanding
- Be receptive to their insight. After all, they know their business better than you.
- Speak in layman’s terms. Bring the conversation down to their level. Using industry lingo sounds pretentious and separates the conversation, putting you and the client on a different page.
- Keep the client up-to-date with decisions you’re making along the way
- When presentation day comes, present your designs with confidence. If friction arises, remind your client of the goals they’ve established from the beginning, and how your proposed design will fulfill these goals.
- Present with passion. Failure is a guarantee without it.
Great article Kevin. A lot of good points and it’s good to take a step back from what a lot of designers do – defend w/out legitimate points. Your example was perfect: ‘Simply telling a client that their logo and content suck will leave them feeling disrespected and abandoned.’. I feel like a lot of times when clients point out issues in the design, it’s less about the design itself than it is about the message it portrays. From the start, discussing important points and wireframing to ensure that emphasis is properly placed will also help get you moving ‘down hill’.
Wow this is a fantastic post Kevin! I absolutely agree with everything you mentioned. I cant say this still doesnt happen to me, but when I look back at the project it is always obvious the issue falls in my lap.
Its amazing how the industry has become so immune to the create/revise process. Perhaps it’s the mentality of “designing to appeal” as opposed to “designing a solution”. I’ve always had more success when I approach a client with the intent of selling them my product that will provide a solution for their needs and not just offering a “makeover”.
I think a lot of it also comes from laziness as well. I work with a lot of different agencies where their client relationship is completely non-existent. They’re not doing their homework and a client can see right through it. If designers aren’t doing their part in preparation and understanding about what is needed, how can they expect to reason with a client to agree to their solution for them. Like you mentioned, the client knows about their product or business so let them educate you. Get them involved in the educating process they doubt have any doubt that you understand what they need.
You hit on it, that all starts in the beginning from the very first introduction. Establishing trust, understanding, and authority over the project is essential.
For a brilliant article and presentation on this exact matter check out Paul Boag’s 2009 FOWD presentation “Get Clients to say Yes!” – http://carsonified.com/blog/business/get-clients-to-say-yes/
WOW! This is a good article and everything you say is so true.
Thanks for the article, I really enjoyed reading it not just because it was written well but due to it being informative for designers who are still trying to learn the ropes (despite having been in the industry for a good few years).
In Christ,
Sky
great article. i’ve really been pondering designer-client relationships and how it affects both the design and the bottom line, and your article really fleshed out those ideas and gave great practicals. thanks!
Man, your blog is beautiful. Great work.