Creative Clients

Probably almost every designer has experienced this - a client watching beside you while you work on their project. It might not be the most comfortable feeling ever for starting designers, but it's one of the most important lessons you need to learn.

Learn to engage with clients during brand creation

While you can let your design visually speak for you, design is still work and not a personal expression - you need to explain as rationale as to why you are doing certain things, mixing certain colors or utilizing a certain style. Everything has a reason, and that reason should be about solving the right problems.

You're now probably thinking, "So how do we handle this, Einstein?"

Keep an Open Mind

While alot of designers would cringe everytime a non-designing client would present a couple of directions or would even personally draw the mockups. It's perfectly okay. It's okay, even if it looks like something drawn on MS Paint. It's okay, even if its a collage they made using collected stock vectors with their watermark on. Client ideas are very valuable. It shows that the client is engaged and serious about the project. But it also doesn't mean you should follow it .

That said, you should always respect your client's ideas.

Listen Carefully

Ask them why they think it's a good solution. Even if you think it's a stupid idea, you need to listen and assure them that you would take their commend into consideration. The keyword is consideration, it is up to you as the designer to decide if it is good or detrimental to the brand. And after which, you'll need to objectively explain why.

The Quick Remedy

• You can opt to find clues within the client's suggestion and understand it like a set of keywords to doing your next iteration

• Or just use this phrase:

  “I really like your idea, but it won’t work for your business. Here’s why…”

And you better be ready to take on constructive arguments in defending it.