» Why Giving Clients What They Want is a Bad Idea

Ok I admit the title of this article may be a little misleading, however I am hard pressed to think of a better one (and I thought about it for a long time). What I am actually talking about is during the creative process. I no longer will be supplying my client’s with what they are expecting, and for a number of good reasons.

It’s expected
Since when has doing what is expected ever been enough? Our culture is obsessed with those who go “outside the box” or “above and beyond”. The existence of these common phrases is proof that doing what is expected is the same as not doing enough.

It undervalues what you do
Just as it is expected, giving the client exactly what they asked for also makes your job seem easy. In reality this may not be the case, but the client won’t see it that way. They do not see a creative solution, only what they have given you. In this situation you are no more than a tool, not a valued team member.

It’s safe and easy
Frankly, it is easy to give a client exactly what they asked for. Instead of taking the time to think the problem at hand through and develop a solution you can give the client the solution they supplied you. This however is not the road to innovation and creativity. Critical thinking is something that takes effort and skill, avoiding it only leads to complacent and risk-free solutions. One of my favorite quotes that summarizes this idea is by Carlos Segura, who says, “Communication that doesn’t take a chance, doesn’t stand a chance.”

They are going to pick it apart anyways
When is the last time that you have shown something to a client that they just blindly accepted without mentioning revisions? If you are lucky enough to have this happen, then I am in envy. Most likely though a client will make you “adjust” your work, so by avoiding giving them something that may already be water down in anticipation you ensure that as much creativity and passion is present as is possible in the final product.

Don’t get me wrong…
I am not saying that you shouldn’t listen to the demands of your clients that would make for a very quick trip to the unemployment office. What I am saying is that you should present the most well thought out and effective solution you are capable of. If this does not exactly fall in line with what your client has asked for, then you have a responsibility to propose what you believe is the most effective. If they don’t agree then that can be addressed, however selling the project short upfront only leads to bland and expected work, something you client won’t benefit from.

04/24

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21 Responses to “Why Giving Clients What They Want is a Bad Idea”

Rafael Masoni
April 25th, 2008 at 2:25 am

One hundred percent agreed.

You know, coincidentally, I was talking to a friend about that and she said it’s not worth not to follow what the client asks because of the money. So she just does what the client asks and that’s the end of story. But I don’t see it that way.

Oh, you just forgot to say that websites are made for the users, not for the client’s vanity.
Fred Boyle
April 25th, 2008 at 5:28 am

The major reason a client hires a professional is because they aren’t capable of doing it themselves. They come to us as the experts.

We’re not Kinko’s just churning out copies, or as the author stated just a tool in the client work kit.

It’s our responsibility as experts to listen to the client’s knowledge and expertise in their industry, understand their goal and message, to then create the most effective and compelling creative work possible.

Design speaks to the audience. It’s message should be understood by it’s intended audience. It’s not about what the client wants, it’s about what the audience needs in order to understand the client’s message.
liam
April 25th, 2008 at 5:28 am

Very good post and I agree completely. I think it’s important to remember that you are the creative one, not the client. You should be offering the client something different, something they didn’t ask for. Because they may not be aware of the capabilities of design, or you as a designer.

It’s hard, but sometimes you might have to turn down a client who doesn’t want to listen. But in the long run learning to spot clients who don’t want to take your opinions on board will probably save you a lot of hassle, and make you a better designer.
Zinni
April 25th, 2008 at 5:55 am

@Rafael - No matter what the medium, the message is most likely never intended for the client. Knowing your audience is a part of the project that most clients overlook, unfortunately they never seem to realize it. But totally a spot on point!

@Fred - great insight, I agree 100%

@liam - I totally agree about turning down the clients who don’t see the larger picture. Firing clients is one of the hardest things to do, but sometimes its necessary.
Jim Knight
April 25th, 2008 at 6:36 am

I always say giving your design over to your customers is putting the design into the hands of amateurs. They are hiring you to be the expert so be the expert. Would a surgeon ask their patient how to perform the operation?
Dominik
April 25th, 2008 at 6:53 am

The biggest thing out of this for me is that by giving in to the easy solution and by doing what the client wants you to do, you simply don’t gain any respect as a creative, rather, you are just seen as a tool used to achieve a result… and once you give in it’ll be hard to change that perception and you will be seen as just that.
Alex
April 25th, 2008 at 10:42 am

On the subject, just for fun : http://geekybits.blogspot.com/2007/09/giving-customer-what-they-want.html

Being both customer and contractor for quite a long time, I can only say that it solely depends on the customer. For instance some people have, first of all, no idea what they want, and secondly no meaningful way of describing that what they want. In this case - yes, you have to turn on your creativity, innovate, think, solve and deliver on time. However still, many customer know EXACTLY what they want. Especially if you deal with ‘creative’ customers Like media companies, designers, architects… Oh, they often have(and sometimes haven’t) the clearest idea of what they want and they will be utterly upset if they will see ‘creative’ solution that put a bold cross on what they wanted… sometimes you think you know what the audience want, but many times customer may know much better… So long story short - IMHO it’s about being flexible, listening and thinking…
Zinni
April 25th, 2008 at 12:17 pm

Alex,

Great comment, listening and thinking are definitely tools that designers must have. (being flexible is a little harder, but I agree with that too…)

If you are working directly with another creative firm then I would consider that to be different. In that situation, I think that this article would not apply as much.

I do agree that the client knows their audience better, however they most likely do not know how to effectively reach that same audience. That is why design is 75% up-front in the learning / concepting / brainstorming phases. Anyone who jumps straight into production without first understanding the problem at hand is doing a disservice to their clients.
Megan
April 25th, 2008 at 1:59 pm

I just recently found this blog, and have already gone through TONS of the articles. Very good stuff!!

This one really applies to me at the moment, we have had a few clients lately that just don’t seem to listen to the advice our company gives them. Unfortunately these are our bigger clients and we couldn’t afford to lose them at this point.

Mostly it’s simple things like not using 6 different fonts on one page, or not trying to cram an advanced search into the header of a website… but sometimes it’s a losing battle.

Thanks for the great articles! Good luck with the potential redesign I’ve seen you mention a few times. I like the site, but re-evaluating and improving can never hurt.
Zinni
April 25th, 2008 at 5:34 pm

Megan,

Thanks for the compliment, I am glad that you have enjoyed my articles. Currently the redesign is about 75% done, and should be a huge improvement. It would have been done already, however I am scope creeping myself. (I guess that is the benefit of being the client/designer :) )
Alex
April 28th, 2008 at 10:18 am

Zinni,

I can’t but agree with you there :)
Mikko
May 18th, 2008 at 4:00 pm

I share the same dilemma with you.

The project I am currently doing has a middleman involved. I always tell the middleman to ask the org he is associated to ask permission for me to alter the design cause it was a crap. Mr. Middleman told me to retain the original design to play safe.

I don’t want to do it now! I’m not even willing to put it in my ‘folio, it’ll just ruin my career.
Mikko’s latest post: A Small Orange Rocks