The goal of designing for me is to give hope to my clients, to help them grow and achieve! But no matter how much I believe in my ideas and concepts, or how solid the design, or how confident I might be in its ability to communicate, there is one wall for it to break through first. That’s right…. APPROVAL
For it to be effective, it requires no only the qualities of an impacting design, but it HAS TO be backed by the client’s confidence in it. If he isn’t passionate about his logo or sales material, every time he puts people in contact with it, he’ll be ashamed of it. It will fall apart from him not standing behind it boldly, or believing that it’s doing its job, even if it is, he has to believe it, or the fresh box of business cards in his desk might never even see the light of day or the touch of some else’s fingers. It’s a tragedy.
So here is the problem... everyone has opinions! And you can’t help it. When dealing with artwork and design, it’s always a subjective situation.
Love it - Hate it - It’s amazing - Its crap - Not sure what I think – I liked it, but my best friend hated it - I think we should start over - Lets run with it – I don’t like it, but I’m not sure what it needs
So what do we do...? Knowing that the client signs the checks and puts food on our table, do we let our hands be tied and nod politely when they continue to push in a direction you know will fail them? Even after explaining to them why their ideas will not be effective, they continue to defend it to us with even greater passion and ask "See what I mean, I really think it will work." and then even ask "What do you think, I want your input." It’s enough to make your head explode, and thus they end up with a design they confidently stand on, but it falls out from under them.
Or...
Being passionate about what we do, we poor our heart into our designs and when they are challenged, we fight like cornered pit bulls until we make them submit, or drive them away. Then they end up with a design they feel forced into and timid to stand behind it, and will probably feel as though they went to the wrong place to get there artwork done.
Obviously we have to find a middle ground, becoming not only designers, but also salesmen. We must effectively communicate WHY we are passionate about our designs. Show practical reasons why we believe in them, gain their trust and nurture their confidence in our work. It’s hard, no doubt about it! Come prepared to present your ideas in a way that makes since, and is relevant to your client and his target audience, and anticipate questions. The best is learning from experience and other’s experiences. What questions have you heard already, and what have other designers in your social circle encountered before. Any time you get a group of designers together, at least one is bound to start talking about “the one that got away” a design of theirs that got slaughtered by a client, it happens to us all. Learn and never, NEVER stop growing!
Another thing to do… step back from your design and back away from your heart driven passion filled thoughts and ask yourself, “Does this design truly need work, can it be better?” One of the most humbling experiences of my career so far was working on a project that the client was never happy with, it was SO frustrating, and I kept putting more and more into it… and in the end, comparing the first proof and the final, the design was MUCH more effective in the end. I just had to get my big head out of the way and realize it wasn’t perfect when I thought it was.
One more tip on the subject. When we design, and we believe we have the perfect concept and game plan for a project, find the second best that is a 180 in style from the first. Be prepared to have to develop a second approach, it will save you money on pain pills, and keep you from flattening your forehead against the wall.
Leave a comment about how you address the situation, questions you’ve had to deal with, or maybe even some sales tips.
