The client—designer relationship is what keeps designers designing. Without clients to work for, we would not be able to continue doing what we do. However, sometimes it can be a difficult relationship to maintain. The problem put simply, is that clients have opinions and designers are stubborn.
The problem put simply, is that clients have opinions and designers are stubborn.
Often designers and design companies merely go about implementing client whims and desires, angrily grumbling about what a ridiculous request it is whilst they complete the task. Much of the time client requests are not fully thought out or their consequences are not fully understood. This is by no means the client’s fault. Your client is not a design expert; this is why they have hired a designer. Clients often know that something needs to be changed, but not how to change it to yield the best result, or what other implications that change might have.
Designers have a wealth of knowledge that needs to be shared with clients.
Designers have a wealth of knowledge that needs to be shared with clients. A designer’s job should not just be to complete tasks passed along a one-way street of communication where the clients’ requests are handed down like the word of god. A designer’s job is also to consult.
For example, generally, front-end designers should also be experts in usability. If a client wants to create a new page without considering how drastically different the functionality is from the rest of the site, ultimately it is the users that will suffer. If a design change poses a usability issue or the bigger picture is not being taken into account, it is the designer’s job to return to the client with these issues and alternative solutions to address client concerns while maintaining the integrity of the entire project.
…there is much more a designer can do for a client than just design…
Some clients of course see designers as employees who work for them, bringing their ideas to fruition rather than partners who work with them in the best interest of the project. Showing these clients there is much more a designer can do for them than just design is the first step in creating a better working relationship.
Ultimately what makes clients happy is the bottom line. If more customers are coming through their doors, or more people are viewing their website because of your tweaks and recommendations, the client will generally be much happier than if it was completed to their original expectations. If we turn communication into a two-way street the potential for success is much higher. Clients are experts in their field, but designers are experts in communicating the message; working together will build a happier, healthier relationship over time.
Tags: Business, Clients, Design
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I actually just came across an excellent post by John O’Nolan that goes quite nicely with this post so I wanted to share it with everyone The Problem With Selling Web Design
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Ritzenthaler suggests taking the mystery out of layout by sitting down with a client before the designing starts. Together, assign weight or points to each piece of information or item on a page, and sketch it out on a plain piece of paper accordingly. For example, a really important registration button might take up 50 percent of the page. The least important item would only take up 10 percent of the space.