5 Ways to Deal with Clients (or Bosses) Who Don’t Understand Design Principles

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Every web designer has come up against some of these. A client, or if you’re unlucky, a boss, who is a firm believer in “more is better”. They have a million ideas and want to put all of them onto one page. And they’ve tasked YOU to do it. What do you do?

  1. First of all, as a designer, it is your job to offer your professional opinion on the task at hand. If you disagree with their ideas, offer alternative solutions that incorporate the goal they had in mind. If they are reasonable, they will listen. You are, after all, the expert in this field.
  2. If they don’t agree with your ideas, offer statistical evidence that you are right. Some people might think that it’s merely your opinion you are stating. They don’t have the training you do, so they are likely not aware of the reasoning behind your decisions. Educate them a little, but tactfully. No one wants to be belittled or made to look stupid.
  3. When attempting to educate your client or boss, don’t send them a list of articles. They won’t read them. They won’t make time to help you prove that you’re right. Create a bulleted list yourself summarizing the facts. Quick, to the point, and in smaller digestible morsels.
  4. Find examples of what you’d like to do. Clients don’t see pictures like you do. Most of them can’t visualize what you have in mind. If you can show them existing websites that successfully achieve the goal your client wants, then chances are higher they will agree to do it your way.
  5. You can’t always win. Sometimes a client will be too in love with their ideas to want to try your way. Perhaps you can find a compromise. But in the end you have to remember, it’s not about you. This is their project and they are paying you to do what they want. Do what you can to make it better, but always ensure your client is happy, even if it means being an HTML monkey.