Finding a Good Fit

Finding a Good fit. The Designer Client Relationship.

This one is deep so get your shovel. Beware of the designer ego. The "I'm the designer" ego can kill a project and alienate the client. Pretend you don't know anything, imagine your client knows it all. Listen, don't wait to talk. If your client is talking to you and all you are thinking is... I can't wait to tell them my awesome idea that is so great! How can you hear what they truly need? How can you hear what they are saying? Listening and hearing are very different. If you can hear you are always listening, you can't shut your ears. But you can't be talking to yourself, preparing what you are about to say, and be able to hear what your client is telling you.

For example:

"I love purple pansies and bunny rabbits. What if we painted a mural? Ya! Of little dancing bunnies in a field of purple pansies." Says the client

"Well, what I have been thinking, is that we could use alot of grey tones with white accents. And maybe incorporate hard finishes." Says the designer (aka bunny hater)

Not listening to the client is even more dangerous in a large firm. The game of telephone is set to fail from the begining. The design team never hears of the purple pansies, they only hear shades of grey. So much time waisted, if only there hadn't had been static on the other line.

Now, if the designer had been listening from the begining the answer would have been more like this.

"Oh, how wonderful, we could use shades of purple and green with fluffy textures just like a bunny. I also know a great artist who could create that mural for you."

Ah, positve forward progress. Amazing!

This is a simple example, but my advice is, if your designer can't listen to you, positive forward progress maybe impossible. The designer needs the client. Clients remember why you hired the designer. It was for thier vision. Be sure to reign us in at the first sign we get off track. If you are working with a designer make sure you are consitent in what you want. You may have to tell us purple pansies and bunny rabbits untill we give in. It will keep the cost down and the project moving forward.