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Isn’t it just frustrating to hear blunt criticism after weeks of toiling and sweating over a design project? You may be thinking “all the trouble I’ve been through and this is what I get?” But dread not, as criticism is normal and graphic designers are prone to criticism from their clients. And why not? After all, it is the client’s right to express their opinions. But sometimes, client criticism can be harsh, severe and at times downright fuzzy. Right from my very first client, I have encountered about dozens of clients who just love to criticize just for the sake of it. But these are the provoking things that even a logo guru should be responsive of in his career. One must always remember the maxim “client is always right”; and if he isn’t …there are ways of making him understand. |
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1. Keep it cool – Don’t lose it:The first and the foremost thing that graphic designer need to make sure is to stay calm while handling client criticism. Graphic designers need to realize that clients are paying for their work and would demand the best possible result. Hence, when faced with design criticism, never lose your cool and stay focused on the project rather than disputes. |
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2. Talk less – Listen more:Every client wants to be heard. Whenever clients toss out criticism on designers, it is because they want their requirements to be perfectly heard. The best way to handle clients with fussy approach is to listen more and speak less. Hear out what your client wants to convey to you and then clarify your position. |
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3. Cut the jargons - Be simple and sweet:Graphic designers must always remember that their clients may not be graphic designers themselves. Hence it is useless using tough graphic design jargons with them. We may think that using terminologies and graphic design lingos may impress the clients, but it is not always the case. Many clients are layman when it comes to graphic designing and might not like hearing difficult terms such as “filtering”, “saturation”, “Rendering”. Always try to use simple words and try to make sure the client understands. |
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4. Less attitude -more aptitude:Often when graphic designers finish with a project, they feel a sense of pride in the completion. This develops an “I can’t be wrong” attitude within the graphic designer. After showing the design to the client, designers believe they cannot be erroneous and thus head out for a clash of words with the client. One must always remember when dealing with client criticism, that aptitude is more important than attitude. You can never battle criticism with a sore attitude. To persuade the client, aptitude is more useful than attitude. |
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5. Use your head, not heart:The golden principle of handling design criticism is not to take any reproach personally. Graphic designers must remember that the client relationship is a strictly professional one and taking things personally is not a healthy thing to do. When encountering cynicism, designers should use their head more than their hearts. |
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6. Avoid blame game:Playing blame games always lead to aggravating the matter. When a client points out a mistake, graphic designers should acknowledge it rather than blaming the clients for it. This in turn will ignite a blame game and intensify matters even more. So whatever you do, avoid the blame game. |
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Criticism is aprt of this buniess. Ideas get shot down every day. If you’re a professional, the you should accept critique and move on. One thing I ahve found is to get very specific on thigns early on in the design process…find out what colros the clietn does and doesnt like, nail down thigns early on. I don;t use alot of jargon in speaking with a client, but you do have to explain to them why you do what you do and why some things work and why some thigns won’t. I am sure we ahve all presented clients solutions only to ahve them tells us how great it is and how wonderful it is and then say, “But…”