Designers are a funny bunch; but ‘those’ clients are even more unusual.
This is a post about them, not you. Those people, you know, employ a professional to do a job they could have done ten times better themselves.
I am 100% sure that you are not one of them, probably.
Someone gives a designer a brief and some brand guidelines, and they then go away and use their years of experience to produce a design for their website.
But what was the designer thinking? Is it nothing like what they envisaged?
That’s probably because they are designers and the other person is not.
Is this just another satirical rant about design? What someone thinks will tell you a lot about how they value professional design (or probably any professional, for that matter).
One of the main problems with design is that it is so subjective, but that’s the point of brand guidelines, design research, customer research and employing a good designer in the first place.
They are paying a professional to design their website, but do they need to like what they get?
Great clients let the professionals do their job.
- Have you ever been out for a meal, ordered from the menu and then complained to the chef that you’d have cooked it better yourself?
- Do you frequently tell your mechanic that you appreciate that they fixed your car but don’t like how they fixed it?
- Is the recent shade of Farrow & Ball paint you bought called Moles Breath, not quite Mole’s Breath enough for you?
There are plenty of Kens and Karens when it comes to design feedback.
Those people know better, and thank f**k they do; otherwise, all of us designers wouldn’t even know where to start.
I definitely think that 1.125 rem is far better than 1.15 rem, it just makes it soooo much better.
I could not agree with them more – WT actual F was I thinking – you know, I don’t deserve to be a designer anymore, I will go some and cut off my own hands.
Do you want to become one of those clients?
If you are a designer, you will already know about those clients. Are you sure you’re not one of those if you are not a designer?
What are those?
Your designer can’t wait to get to grips with the project:
- They’ve taken the brief
- Probably clarified the brief
- Potentially rewritten the brief
- Given them a proposal based on the project scope
- Done the market, competitor and customer research
- Studied their brand guidelines
- Asked questions about why their brand guidelines say one thing, but all their existing collateral does something different
- They sharpened their metaphorical pencils, ready to create something that answers the brief, communicates clearly and concisely with the audience and is designed to exceed expectations.
So off they go into their strange creative world and, as if without a single thought or grain of experience, deliver them something that does all of the above.
However, they don’t ‘like’ it.
We are now in one of those situations where:
- People are unable to articulate what they don’t like
- Stakeholders explain that it’s just not ‘what they were thinking.‘
- Bob, from accounts, thinks he could have done it better himself.
- The brand police don’t like the blue, even though it’s their own corporate colour.
- You get the picture…
Make no mistake: it’s all downhill from here.
Those, they, it, them, whatever, are now one of those.
Those people are a royal pain in the arse.
Those people take something that perfectly answers the brief and, for some reason that escapes most creatives, butcher a great design until it resembles a dog’s dinner.
Why do they do it?
Did you know that designers often purposefully supply those types of clients with a design that needs a fundamental change?
Often, it’s to make the logo slightly smaller than they would like so that those types of clients who want to can change the design without destroying it.
Can you make the logo bigger?
Ok, how’s that?
Perfect.
Thank f*ck for that.
People feel the need to make changes to something for two main reasons:
- They are asked to
- They feel they need to
According to Chat GPT:
Clients who constantly request changes to design work can be driven by a variety of psychological factors.
Understanding these factors can help manage expectations and improve communication with these clients.
Here are some common psychological reasons behind this behaviour:
1. Perfectionism
- Characteristics: Perfectionist clients have high standards and are rarely satisfied with the initial designs. They may believe that the work can always be improved.
- Impact: This can lead to a cycle of revisions as they seek to attain a ‘perfect’ outcome, often without a clear definition of what that is.
2. Lack of Clarity or Vision
- Characteristics: Clients might not clearly envision what they want from the outset. This can stem from a lack of experience with design or an inability to articulate their ideas.
- Impact: They may make frequent changes as they react to what they see, gradually refining their understanding of what they want only after seeing various iterations.
3. Fear of Making the Wrong Decision
- Characteristics: Clients who are anxious about making decisions may continuously tweak the design to avoid committing to a final version. This can be due to a fear of criticism or failure.
- Impact: This leads to ongoing changes as they seek reassurance and validation through multiple iterations.
4. Desire for Control
- Characteristics: Some clients feel the need to assert control over the project. Constant changes can be a way of exercising authority and feeling involved in the process.
- Impact: These clients might make changes not necessarily because they are unhappy with the work, but because they want to feel like their input is shaping the final product.
5. Indecisiveness
- Characteristics: Indecisive clients struggle to make choices, often second-guessing their preferences and opinions. This can lead to changing their minds frequently.
- Impact: Design projects can become drawn out as these clients waver between options, leading to numerous revisions.
6. External Pressure
- Characteristics: Clients may face pressure from other stakeholders, such as partners, colleagues, or superiors, leading to changes in direction and feedback.
- Impact: This can result in conflicting feedback and frequent changes as the client tries to satisfy different opinions.
7. Insecurity about Design Knowledge
- Characteristics: Clients who feel they lack expertise in design might overcompensate by making frequent changes, hoping this will cover their perceived knowledge gap.
- Impact: These clients may want to explore every possible option, resulting in multiple revisions.
8. Communication Issues
- Characteristics: Miscommunication or misunderstanding between the designer and the client can lead to a disconnect in expectations. Clients may request changes if they feel the design is not aligned with their goals or needs.
- Impact: This can be mitigated by improving the clarity and frequency of communication, ensuring both parties are aligned.
I don’t know about you, but there seems to be little on this list that is a positive influencer in the need to make changes to a design.
In fact, it mostly seems to be about exercising control, being overly assertive, and lacking knowledge.
Don’t be one of those clients!
Good designers are great storytellers who can articulately explain the hows and whys of their design decisions.
Design is a very personal thing that rookie designers have to get used to, as feedback from ‘those’ types of clients can really sting.
Those types of clients look forward to receiving an initial concept design to see what changes they can make, rather than the excited expectation about what the professional they have hired has created.
Getting the best from your designer.
I am sure you are not one of those clients: you probably do this already. Here are some tips again, just for reference.
Make sure you have briefed the job correctly.
If you order a hot dog but want a burger, it will always be disappointing when your order arrives.
Don’t develop a taste for Champagne if you can only afford a beer.
Designers pay their mortgages by selling their time, and if you can’t pay for much of their time, it’s probably best to go with the flow and keep changes to a minimum.
Remember that a designer’s first take is usually the best take.
Asking a creative to ‘have another go at it’ is a passion killer. Try asking someone that after an intense bout of bedroom athletics.
A designer doesn’t think they work for you; they work with you.
Designers can see outside of your corporate box. Hopefully, they are not bound by stakeholder shenanigans you must deal with.
Play nicely, and you’ll have an articulate asset rather than a hired hand.
Don’t appropriate an external designer onto your team, and certainly don’t treat them like they work for you – they work for lots of different clients and, therefore, can bring lots to the party.
Don’t get yourself on the ‘whatever’ heap.
There are 100s of stories of experienced designers (freelancers and agencies) who have worked with big brands that put clients into whatever heap.
Getting here is easy: the design team suggests the best options for the brief, and the client team wants more revisions.
They (the client) will rapidly find themselves in a position where the designer or team just want to get them out of the door.
Do whatever they want: just get them out the door.
You and I never want a project to go this way, but endless revisions without articulate feedback will get you here.
You have a fixed job; all designers are nomads.
I have been working on design projects for over 25 years. I’ve worked with people in every vertical you can imagine, and I can bring some of that experience to your project.
If you’re not long into your career, an experienced designer can be far more than a source or designer; they can be an information and experience resource—breathe that in for a moment.
When it comes to web projects, be honest about what you know.
Most designers, like me, appreciate honest talk rather than posturing.
If you are new to a role or don’t really know whats-what, being up-front about it will get you much better results than pretending you know everything.
We prefer to help you rather than those, so get in touch.