6 Painful Things Clients Say to Designers (and How to Respond)

If you're a web designer who has spent any amount of time talking to clients, you have undoubtedly had some uncomfortable, difficult, or even offensive comments made to you by those customers. Typically, these customers are not trying to offend you. There are legitimate reasons for the comments that they make, whether they are born out of ignorance, fear, desperation, or a combination of these factors. How you respond to these comments is important and it can mean the difference between kicking off a successful website project where everyone is on the same page and expectations are properly set or further frustrating what may already be a stressful time for all involved.

The Last Web Designer We Worked With Was a Moron

If a client is looking to hire a new web designer, it is a safe bet that something went wrong with whomever they worked with in the past. While it may be true that their previous designer was a problem, this comment is a red flag that you should be wary of.

If a client tells you their previous designer was a moron, ask them what they did to elicit this opinion. Oftentimes, you will find that the designer was honestly responding to unrealistic demands from the client, but because that client did not hear what they wanted to hear, they labeled that designer as an idiot or unhelpful. The bottom line is that if this client was unrealistic in the demands they made of their previous designer, they will do the same with you. This may be a job you will want to politely pass up.

Even if you find that this client's previous designer made some mistakes, there is no value in trashing that person now. Get the information you need and move on to the project at hand with your new client - helping them to create the best website possible.

We Need This Website Done Yesterday

When a client tells you that they "need this done yesterday", they are likely in panic mode. For one reason or another, a project has been delayed to the point where it is now critical to get it finished immediately.  This is a problem, because a quality website is not something you can just whip up overnight. Creating a website takes time, and you need to explain this to your client, but you also have an opportunity here to save the day.

When a client comes to your with a desperate timeline, you need to be realistic in telling them how long a project will take to design, develop, and deploy. That being said, if you can find ways to shorten the timeline on a project and deliver the final product faster, that will be news that I am sure your client will be happy to hear! Instead of hand coding a website from scratch, a cloud-based web design platform like Webydo can help you create a rich website with powerful features that you can deploy much, much faster than if that same site was hand coded. The time saved by using a platform like this will allow you to get that new site live quicker and at a lower cost, which answer the "need it yesterday" comment and which brings us nicely to our next unfortunate phrase.

Our New Website Needs To Be Like Apple

Everyone wants a successful website. This is why many clients use well known examples like Apple or Amazon when they explain what it is that they want. Many times, however, the aesthetic found in those examples is actually inappropriate for their brand and their needs. This is an opportunity for you to show your value to this web design process.

When a customer tells you that they want their site to be like some other popular website, ask them what it is about that site that they like so much and start a discussion about how you can incorporate similar values in whatever design you will create for them, while still making sure that their site is unique to their company and appropriate for their needs.

I Know This Project Will Be Quick and Easy

Your clients are not web designers - that is why they hired you. They do not have the experience or knowledge necessary to actually determine if a project will, indeed, be quick and easy. When they say this comment to you, what they are really telling you is that they cannot afford to spend a lot of money on this work, so they hope it will be "quick and easy" because that also equates to the work being within their budget.

When a client makes this comment to you, acknowledge that you will take a look at the request and let them know how difficult and time consuming it will be, but also ask them about their budget for the work. Since the cost of this engagement is what is obviously on their mind, ask them about it and get a number out there in the open. If the number is realistic, then all is well. If their budget is wishful thinking, let them know why the work will cost what it does. This is also an opportunity, however, to try to find more efficient ways to deploy their website and meet their budgetary needs. Once again, the benefits of using a platform like Webydo make a lot of sense here.

Can You Present a Concept of Our Site's Redesign Before We Agree on This Contract?

When a client makes this request of you, they are basically asking you to do work, likely for free, before they agree on actually hiring you for a full project. This is known as "spec work" and there is only one response to this request - no.

Remember, a website design project is about so much more than just "whipping up" an attractive design. You need to understand the goals of the business and the needs of their customers.  To do that, you need to do research and follow whatever process you use in your work. Going outside of that process to take a stab at a design that may be a fit is not the right solution for anyone involved.

When clients make this request, it is because they are worried that they will spend money and not receive a design that they like. Counter this fear by showing them work you have done for other clients in the past and explain the process that you used to find the right solution for them - the same process that you will turn to to make sure that their design is the best that it can be.

I Need You To Make This Pretty

Designers do so much more than just "make things pretty", yet many clients minimize the role that those designers will play in the success of their new website. Unfortunately, designers themselves are partly to blame for this misperception. Too often, web design professionals offer a simplistic explanation of their work to make it easier for people to understand what they do. Instead of explaining how their job is to help their clients solve complex issues to meet both the goals of their business and the needs of their customers, they say that their job is to "make things look good." Yes, aesthetics play an important role in a designer's job, but that is only part of what they do and if clients do not understand the true role of a design professional, they will not be able to fully value what they bring to a project.

When a client tells you that they "need you to make this pretty", they are showing that they are misinformed as to the full scope of what you bring to a project. Acknowledge this comment by ensuring them that one of your goals is to absolutely create a design that looks great, but also explain how the design needs to serve a larger purpose to help meet their business goals for the site. This will allow you to segue into a conversation about those goals, showing your client that your skills go far beyond just making things look nice.

About Nir Barlev

Nir Barlev is the product manager at Webydo, a cloud-based platform that allows designers to create professional websites.

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