How to be a great client

I try to pick my words carefully when tackling this topic. I don’t want to come off as a snobby designer or give the impression that your opinion of design isn’t important.

But experience has shown me that some clients get a little too involved in minor aspects of their marketing material layout.

I ran across an article that Seth Godin wrote called, How to be a great client. I’ve linked to that article so you can read the whole thing if you’re interested.

One item that stood out is one that designers face a lot:

Cede all issues of irrelevant personal taste to the innovator. I don’t care if you hate the curves on the new logo. Just because you write the check doesn’t mean your personal aesthetic sense is relevant.

Personally, I never dismiss a client’s comment. However, I can tell you that some clients forget that they’re not selling to themselves, they’re selling to other people.

So, for example, the fact that you may not like blue for personal reasons doesn’t really matter unless you have data that says your target audience also dislikes blue.

Again, your marketing material isn’t designed to sell you something.

Good designers can explain why they made certain choices. And especially in direct marketing, certain techniques, colors or design choices are proven to work really well.

So if there’s a reason that something was done, even if you don’t like it on a personal level, at least consider whether your personal preference is really important.

If it’s not, go with the designer’s choice.