Clients don’t have to be scary monsters!

Clients often get a bad rap. They can drive you crazy with all their bad briefs, late payments and unattainable expectations. But often these problems are actually our own doing!

Early on in my design career I pretty much blamed all the stress I experienced in my job on my clients. I often felt their disorganisation and unrealistic deadlines were the cause of all my woes. But the older and wiser I got, I realised a lot of the problems started with my lack of boundary setting and clear communication regarding what I was willing to do and not to do. I also failed to let them know what was expected of them in order for the project to go smoothly and according to plan.

Don’t get me wrong, I know there are clients out there that can be real ogres and some can even be unworkable. But I think those are rare. If you are clear up front with what you can offer them realistically and educate them on how you work, your general timelines and procedures, most clients are open to listening and working around that. Especially if you add that designing under consistently pressurised timelines will eventually result in poorer work. Happy designer = Happy client.

In the Episode 8 of The Honest Designers Show we chat about developing happy and healthy relationships with your clients and give tips on setting boundaries and understanding their needs for a good experience all round. If you work with clients daily, this is a definite listen!