Comments on: What is the cost of compromising on good design? http://www.traceygrady.com/what-is-the-cost-of-compromising-on-good-design Web design Hobart, Graphic design Hobart, Web design Tasmania, Graphic design Tasmania, branding, logo design, illustration, marketing Sun, 18 Apr 2010 14:04:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Tracey Grady http://www.traceygrady.com/what-is-the-cost-of-compromising-on-good-design/comment-page-1#comment-259 Tracey Grady Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:22:25 +0000 http://www.traceygrady.com/?p=190#comment-259 Addi: Clients have their area of expertise, just like you said, and being mindful of this might be a good step in negotiating the way out of a difficult spot. Meppel: I'm glad you keep trying to talk round clients when you feel the need to, and that you've still got your sense of humour about it all! That doesn't hurt. Addi:
Clients have their area of expertise, just like you said, and being mindful of this might be a good step in negotiating the way out of a difficult spot.

Meppel:
I’m glad you keep trying to talk round clients when you feel the need to, and that you’ve still got your sense of humour about it all! That doesn’t hurt.

]]> By: Webdesign Meppel http://www.traceygrady.com/what-is-the-cost-of-compromising-on-good-design/comment-page-1#comment-257 Webdesign Meppel Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:18:12 +0000 http://www.traceygrady.com/?p=190#comment-257 I recognize this story :-) Some clients come up with the most bizarre ideas. I always try to talk them away from it but sometimes that doesn't work. I just won't add them to my portfolio :D lol I recognize this story :-)
Some clients come up with the most bizarre ideas. I always try to talk them away from it but sometimes that doesn’t work. I just won’t add them to my portfolio :D lol

]]> By: Arbenting’s Best of the Week (11/30 - 12/06) | Arbenting http://www.traceygrady.com/what-is-the-cost-of-compromising-on-good-design/comment-page-1#comment-255 Arbenting’s Best of the Week (11/30 - 12/06) | Arbenting Sun, 07 Dec 2008 11:50:32 +0000 http://www.traceygrady.com/?p=190#comment-255 [...] What is the Cost of Compromising on Good Design [...]

[...] What is the Cost of Compromising on Good Design [...]

]]> By: Addi http://www.traceygrady.com/what-is-the-cost-of-compromising-on-good-design/comment-page-1#comment-254 Addi Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:41:16 +0000 http://www.traceygrady.com/?p=190#comment-254 Design is about communication. The client probably knows the domain better than the designer and the designer probably knows better than the client how to communicate with design. Clients need designers to recognize the problems to be solved with design. Designers need clients to trust them to solve those problems. And when conflict arises, testing with users can melt those issues away. -Addi (respect doesn't hurt) Addi's last blog post ... <a href="http://www.escape.is/2008/10/23/music-and-operating-systems/" rel="nofollow">Music and operating systems</a> Design is about communication. The client probably knows the domain better than the designer and the designer probably knows better than the client how to communicate with design.

Clients need designers to recognize the problems to be solved with design. Designers need clients to trust them to solve those problems.

And when conflict arises, testing with users can melt those issues away.

-Addi

(respect doesn’t hurt)

Addi’s last blog post … Music and operating systems

]]> By: Tracey Grady http://www.traceygrady.com/what-is-the-cost-of-compromising-on-good-design/comment-page-1#comment-253 Tracey Grady Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:29:39 +0000 http://www.traceygrady.com/?p=190#comment-253 Sean: You make a good point about the need to put aside personal preferences when creating a design. Designers can have trouble with this from time to time, so imagine how difficult it may be for someone who isn't trained in design. Thanks for your feedback - it's great to hear from a former classmate on my blog! Aaron: Very well put. If clients can relate directly to what you're saying, there's a much greater chance that they'll feel comfortable to follow your lead. Jon: Very true - it's good to remind yourself from time to time that clients and prospective clients will respect you for having standards and sticking by them. Those who don't respect this aren't worth working for. Ryan: Understanding your clients and knowing what they expect shows you have a good handle on the designer/client relationship, no matter how frustrating your clients can sometimes be! And when it comes to identifying potential pitfalls in the relationship, it's definitely better to do this early on if possible. Jason: Wow, Star Trek and construction - well done for handling that design brief to the client's satisfaction! Educating the client without being pushy or condescending is about showing them the respect you want to be shown in return. It's good to keep this in mind in discussions with all clients. Brian: No problem! Jennifer: It's a shame to hear you're going through such a stressful experience at the moment. Banging your head on a wall in frustration won't help - take some action, preferably finding a way to resolve things if at all possible. Good luck. Sean:
You make a good point about the need to put aside personal preferences when creating a design. Designers can have trouble with this from time to time, so imagine how difficult it may be for someone who isn’t trained in design. Thanks for your feedback – it’s great to hear from a former classmate on my blog!

Aaron:
Very well put. If clients can relate directly to what you’re saying, there’s a much greater chance that they’ll feel comfortable to follow your lead.

Jon:
Very true – it’s good to remind yourself from time to time that clients and prospective clients will respect you for having standards and sticking by them. Those who don’t respect this aren’t worth working for.

Ryan:
Understanding your clients and knowing what they expect shows you have a good handle on the designer/client relationship, no matter how frustrating your clients can sometimes be! And when it comes to identifying potential pitfalls in the relationship, it’s definitely better to do this early on if possible.

Jason:
Wow, Star Trek and construction – well done for handling that design brief to the client’s satisfaction!
Educating the client without being pushy or condescending is about showing them the respect you want to be shown in return. It’s good to keep this in mind in discussions with all clients.

Brian:
No problem!

Jennifer:
It’s a shame to hear you’re going through such a stressful experience at the moment. Banging your head on a wall in frustration won’t help – take some action, preferably finding a way to resolve things if at all possible. Good luck.

]]> By: Jennifer Wingard http://www.traceygrady.com/what-is-the-cost-of-compromising-on-good-design/comment-page-1#comment-252 Jennifer Wingard Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:09:41 +0000 http://www.traceygrady.com/?p=190#comment-252 I'm currently working with a client like this and am about to pull my hair out in frustration. I feel for everyone else that goes through this, but it's nice to know that I'm not the only one with crotchety clients. What do you do when you've tried educating them and tried going along with their wishes only to be told that they don't like their own idea once it's been implemented after all? Bang head on wall repeatedly? I’m currently working with a client like this and am about to pull my hair out in frustration. I feel for everyone else that goes through this, but it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one with crotchety clients.

What do you do when you’ve tried educating them and tried going along with their wishes only to be told that they don’t like their own idea once it’s been implemented after all? Bang head on wall repeatedly?

]]> By: Brian Hoff http://www.traceygrady.com/what-is-the-cost-of-compromising-on-good-design/comment-page-1#comment-251 Brian Hoff Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:39:28 +0000 http://www.traceygrady.com/?p=190#comment-251 Tracey, Great article! In response to the article, I couldn't agree with you more about having confidence in your own work. Confidence helps "sell" your work and professionalism. Lack of confidence will show through to your clients thus causing them to listen thoroughly to your ideas and professional guidance. Thanks for the link back to on my article. Brian Brian Hoff's last blog post ... <a href="http://www.thedesigncubicle.com/2008/12/do-your-clients-need-to-be-educated/" rel="nofollow">Do your clients need to be educated?</a> Tracey,
Great article! In response to the article, I couldn’t agree with you more about having confidence in your own work. Confidence helps “sell” your work and professionalism. Lack of confidence will show through to your clients thus causing them to listen thoroughly to your ideas and professional guidance.

Thanks for the link back to on my article.

Brian

Brian Hoff’s last blog post … Do your clients need to be educated?

]]> By: Jason Lengstorf http://www.traceygrady.com/what-is-the-cost-of-compromising-on-good-design/comment-page-1#comment-250 Jason Lengstorf Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:49:46 +0000 http://www.traceygrady.com/?p=190#comment-250 I agree that it's really tempting to just give in when a client has terrible ideas that they're dead-set on. I was definitely guilty of it early in my freelance career, and I now have a couple sites floating around that I don't want connected to me in any capacity. I think that it's really important that we, as designers, learn how to effectively "teach" our clients about the fundamentals of good design, and that we learn how to word things in such a way that we can make our point without being condescending or pushy. It needs to be communicated, in effect, that we get paid to do this for a reason, and that the client is paying us for exactly that reason. We also need to be open to incorporate our clients' bad ideas into designs in a less destructive/detrimental fashion. For instance, I have a client that wanted his site to look like Star Trek ("I'm a lifelong Trekkie!"). His site was for a construction company. Ouch. So our compromise was that I used the Star Trek font "Crillee" on a non-Trekkie layout, which made both of us happy. Great article! -Jason Jason Lengstorf's last blog post ... <a href="http://ennuidesign.com/blog/What+I%27ve+Learned" rel="nofollow">What I've Learned</a> I agree that it’s really tempting to just give in when a client has terrible ideas that they’re dead-set on. I was definitely guilty of it early in my freelance career, and I now have a couple sites floating around that I don’t want connected to me in any capacity.

I think that it’s really important that we, as designers, learn how to effectively “teach” our clients about the fundamentals of good design, and that we learn how to word things in such a way that we can make our point without being condescending or pushy.

It needs to be communicated, in effect, that we get paid to do this for a reason, and that the client is paying us for exactly that reason.

We also need to be open to incorporate our clients’ bad ideas into designs in a less destructive/detrimental fashion. For instance, I have a client that wanted his site to look like Star Trek (“I’m a lifelong Trekkie!”). His site was for a construction company. Ouch. So our compromise was that I used the Star Trek font “Crillee” on a non-Trekkie layout, which made both of us happy.

Great article!

-Jason

Jason Lengstorf’s last blog post … What I’ve Learned

]]> By: Ryan Nicholson http://www.traceygrady.com/what-is-the-cost-of-compromising-on-good-design/comment-page-1#comment-249 Ryan Nicholson Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:17:55 +0000 http://www.traceygrady.com/?p=190#comment-249 The age old story of designer vs. client seems to be the hardest situation I've ever come across. Most of my clients are large private preparatory schools that are very conservative and political committees. I run into this situation with many of them. I certainly agree with you. However with some clients and projects you can only stand up for good design practices for so long before the client completely loses trust and confidence in you...making the rest of the project torturous. This of course is an oxy-moron, because its our judgment and design skills they're paying for in the first place! Sometimes I try to educate certain clients early in the process so they can better understand what I show them down the road. This seems to help minimize conflict and gain more trust right from the get go. Ryan Nicholson's last blog post ... <a href="http://www.aestheticrain.com/inspiration/8-truly-inspiring-youtube-videos" rel="nofollow">8 Truly Inspiring YouTube Videos</a> The age old story of designer vs. client seems to be the hardest situation I’ve ever come across. Most of my clients are large private preparatory schools that are very conservative and political committees. I run into this situation with many of them.

I certainly agree with you. However with some clients and projects you can only stand up for good design practices for so long before the client completely loses trust and confidence in you…making the rest of the project torturous. This of course is an oxy-moron, because its our judgment and design skills they’re paying for in the first place!

Sometimes I try to educate certain clients early in the process so they can better understand what I show them down the road. This seems to help minimize conflict and gain more trust right from the get go.

Ryan Nicholson’s last blog post … 8 Truly Inspiring YouTube Videos

]]> By: Jon Norris http://www.traceygrady.com/what-is-the-cost-of-compromising-on-good-design/comment-page-1#comment-248 Jon Norris Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:12:49 +0000 http://www.traceygrady.com/?p=190#comment-248 Great article. As one of our clients said in a meeting yesterday, you are only as good as your last project. If it turns out great, you'll keep getting work. If it's a flop, you're going to have a tough time landing the next gig. To start with, be careful of the clients you choose to work with and the projects you choose to take on. Don't take every single deal that comes along. Be about more than just making a quick buck. Have some standards. Next, in many cases, you have to educate your client. You have to teach them why white space is necessary or why they shouldn't have a big heinous flash intro. Do your job and share your knowledge. In my experiences, many clients will back down once they understand your rationale for doing something. Yeah, there are times when clients are stubborn, but hopefully you can reach some sort of compromise. It may not be exactly what you had in mind, but hopefully it doesn't suck too much. As a last resort, don't be afraid to fire a client. It isn't fun, but sometimes it's necessary. Great article. As one of our clients said in a meeting yesterday, you are only as good as your last project. If it turns out great, you’ll keep getting work. If it’s a flop, you’re going to have a tough time landing the next gig.

To start with, be careful of the clients you choose to work with and the projects you choose to take on. Don’t take every single deal that comes along. Be about more than just making a quick buck. Have some standards.

Next, in many cases, you have to educate your client. You have to teach them why white space is necessary or why they shouldn’t have a big heinous flash intro. Do your job and share your knowledge. In my experiences, many clients will back down once they understand your rationale for doing something.

Yeah, there are times when clients are stubborn, but hopefully you can reach some sort of compromise. It may not be exactly what you had in mind, but hopefully it doesn’t suck too much. As a last resort, don’t be afraid to fire a client. It isn’t fun, but sometimes it’s necessary.

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