Try not to turn it into a ‘client vs designer’ battle as this will only end in tears. Try to get them to justify their requests by asking them ‘is this something your users would like?’. If there’s still resistance then test out different designs …

Needless to say, I have sent him this link. Cheers!

I think the web design goes to hell joke applies more readily to inexperienced web developers and designers. I know that I am generalizing, but as a professional, you need to learn to put your best foot forward by clearly communicating your service and abilities.

Once mutual respect is achieved with the client, you tend to get better results and your opinion is valued. If it’s not, I guess you can either choose to get paid and omit the site from your mind or you can choose not to deal with the stress of a tough to work with client.

Persuasion requires communication skills, and appealing to the intellect as much as the emotions of the client. And much of that is essentially explanation: articulating *why* a particular design is right. Too many designers don’t have the ability to articulate why a design is good. When I’m in design pitches, I always hear nebulous words like “sophisticated”, “contemporary”, “minimal”, “single-minded”, “balance”, “fun”, “stylish”, and so on. Rarely do I hear designers use the language of usability, information architecture and accessibility. (And I don’t mean just name-checking things like “intuitive” or “simple”, and I certainly don’t mean obscure UX jargon either.) These designers probably don’t read the same books, blogs, or go to the same conferences, as us.

Please note: I don’t want to tar all designers with the same brush. I know not all are like this. The user experience profession is partially to blame, and the way agencies are structured, both of which have often driven a wedge between graphic design (“creative”) and interaction design / IA / usability. That’s why I embrace the term “user experience” as it clearly straddles both.

That said, I have also experienced clients who, after expressing satisfaction with the designs throughout the specification process, will abruptly start backseat-driving at a very late stage. When impending deadlines can make it very hard not to agree. Which can be very demoralising. (And is probably not among “How to get the most out of your agency” tips in MBA courses.) So I couldn’t help but also enjoy the cartoon on that level.

“Those colors make my teeth hurt.” — that’s solid communication skills. i like that in a client.

“Can we just start over? Like, I mean, I’ll just pay you for new stuff?” — as long as the client is willing to pay for the new stuff (and one would assume adjust any relevant dates in the contract), why the hell not?

“We have figured out why only a few shop visitors buy: they have to agree to the terms and conditions during checkout. Please remove that.” — they’ve identified a problem, done some research, and suggested an improvement based on their understanding of user needs. the suggestion may be a bit short sighted (or maybe not, we lack the context to know if the terms and conditions are actually needed in this situation) but i bet a talented designer could convince this client to do a bit more research into the root cause of the problem and follow that up with some A/B testing to find an effective solution. within a few weeks you’ve shown a client how user centered design can translate into a fatter bottom line and the world is a better place.

“…He didn’t provide the force of argument required, couldn’t handle the politics, or couldn’t convince the client of the value of good design.”

I like design work, but don’t spend the time needed to build a case strong enough to overcome the politics and win the argument – I want to make stuff, not be a lawyer. Also, “business people” are better at wrangling than me. I am quite good at ineffectual seething though…

I’d love to see that. Anyone fancy taking it on?