The article discusses how designers often blame clients for not understanding or appreciating design, but argues that designers need to better understand the client's perspective. It provides 5 tips for bridging the gap: 1) Make clients feel involved in ideas to foster ownership, 2) Simplify complex processes, 3) Learn the client's business before designing, 4) Present ideas in terms the client understands, not just visually, and 5) Show empathy for the client's situation and care about their business goals. The goal is for designers and clients to collaborate as a team rather than see their relationship as an "us vs them."

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Viewpoints
Bridging the designer/client
relationship: It’s not them. It’s us.
Search ... By Mel Lim, Design + Business Consultant, Mel Lim Design
Many designers, including myself, have often blamed clients for
not “understanding design” or not getting “us designers.” We
Subscriptions blame them for everything, from under-paying, under-valuing,
to treating us like third world labor. The list just goes on and
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on. How can we not blame? We hear this all the time, even at
industry conferences where speakers mock clients. Remember the ubiquitous YouTube
music video of Make the Logo Bigger?
The question should not be why don’t they get us, but rather why don’t we get them. In
the last 15 years of my career in design, I’ve heard peers and colleagues complaining how
clients simply don’t appreciate design. I admit I have fallen into that negative rant as well.
But we shouldn’t blame our clients for their “ignorance” in design. It’s our job as
designers, to educate and persuade them. And if we end up with a horrific large logo, then
you know what? It’s our own fault. We’ve failed to communicate, to persuade and convince
our client.
Business people are different from us. We cannot expect them to speak our language. For
us designers to make petty remarks and complain about our clients, is simply useless.
Instead of seeing the differences of “us” and “them” as a problem, we should see that as
an opportunity for growth, collaboration, innovation and productivity.
What are our next steps? How do we take on this challenge of persuasion? How do we
educate our clients on what is great, good, and bad design? How do we show that great
design leads to profitability and growth? How do we prove that design is differentiation?
How do we prove to them that design is not an afterthought, but rather the very crucial
step in innovation? That should be the topic of discussion. We shouldn’t gather around
design events/conferences and poke fun at our clients. Sure, it feels good to know that we
are not the only creatives in the world that feel the same way. I know, it’s a tribal thing,
to want to feel understood and connected. But times are hard enough for a lot of us to
stay competitive and alive in the next five years. Some of us may not even have a five-
month plan, let alone a five-year plan.
So stop complaining. Let’s start having this much-needed serious conversation on how to
bridge the gap.
Here are my 5 top tips:
1. Try to make your clients feel that they came up with the idea, or at least make
them feel like they contributed to the big idea.
I know this is hard for a lot of designers. Many of us have egos the size of
Humvees. We want to be given credit for our hard work. But I think we are missing
the point. The most important element in a designer/client relationship is
collaboration. It’s about “we,” “us,” and “teamwork.” It’s not about me and only me,
the genius. You could be the only designer in the team, but everyone else still

2. matters. When you remove the “I” out of the equation and replace it with the “we,”
you are no longer a vendor but an important partner in your client’s organization.
“It wasn’t 'my idea' or 'your idea.' The true collaboration happens when you
stimulate each other and put thoughts in each other’s minds.” —Sohrab Voussoughi,
Founder & President, Ziba Design.
The more we include our client in the creative process, the more they feel like they
own the design. And the more they own the design, the more pride they have.
2. Turning complexity into simplicity.
Our job as a designer is to make the entire collaborative creative process look easy
and simple even though it maybe extremely complex. When we lose sight of our
responsibility, we are putting that work back onto our clients. They will feel
burdened, heavy, and wonder why they hired you in the first place. 11 years ago, I
worked on a logo design with almost 40 revisions. It drove me nuts. I hated the
project and my client because she made me feel like I was worth a dollar an hour.
Well, I came to realize that I was part of the problem. I thought I could impress my
client by showing her many choices in the schematic phase. I thought she would
“appreciate” my hard work. I was naïve and quite immature. I realized now that as
a designer, I am supposed to be the one doing the “editing.” I am the one who’s
supposed to make it simple.
Which leads me to #3.
3. Strategy before design. Get to know your clients.
Great design comes from good understanding of business goals and strategies.
Without that, you can show a hundred color palettes/design options and still fail to
please your client. Because those hundreds of options make your client feel
confused, and in return, they feel that you are confused. At that point, it’s better to
take a break. Perhaps, go back to the very initial meeting and look at your notes
and truly understand your client’s objectives.
I understand that certain factors cannot be avoided such as the politics of
management, clash of ideas, or the owner simply hates purple. But by building a
strong framework, you can go back to it and see why certain design elements work
and didn’t work. You will have some sort of metric to measure against.
So do your homework first. Don’t be too eager to hop onto the computer.
4. Not everyone can draw.
I admit. I am not an MBA holder. I don’t have any formal business education. I don’t
take lightly what my corporate clients and their teams do daily. When my clients
don’t understand my designs, instead of forcing them to understand design, I turn on
my analytical brain. I learn their lingo. And if I don’t know, I ask! (Just don’t
bullshit.) If they speak in numbers and graph charts, I show them numbers and
graph charts. If I don’t have compatible case studies from my own projects, I seek
outside resources, showcasing how Fortune 100 companies have been using design
as differentiation. If they want to see proof of how being green can save them
money in the long run, I show them Nike’s Considered Design.
When my clients need more than proven case studies, I take the extra step by
mocking designs up. We cannot be afraid to do the work. I have seen great design
companies competing for projects where they spent a great deal of resources to win
the accounts. Some win and most of them lose but don’t be afraid to do the work.
Your competitor is already out there trying to win their next project.
5. You have to really care.
How can we make our clients appreciate and care about design if we don’t care
about their business? If you want them to get you, you have to also get them. Most
of my clients have already used other designers in the past. Their biggest complaint
was that the creative assets the past designer created did not have long lasting

3. effect. It was either too trendy, or the solutions had an early expiration date.
In my opinion, it wasn’t that the designs were bad or ugly. Some were actually quite
beautiful. It was because clients had spent a lot of money for something they really
didn’t need in the first place, or clients have changed their business goals. While no
one is to be blamed for this, it merely creates a whole new set of challenges for the
new designer, because now the client no longer believes in design and thinks design
is a bad investment.
My take on this is to have empathy on the client’s situation. Put yourself in his/her
shoes. If you had spent $50K on a design project that you have to redo again within
a year, how would you feel? What would it take for you to make that change again?
Once you become your client, you maybe able to give your most sound, honest
advice that your client will truly appreciate.
I’ll conclude by saying that we can’t always want to win and want to be right, because
when we do win, we actually lose. We stand the chance of losing our self-worth, dignity
and professionalism. Let’s truly be problem solvers and continue this important discussion
today, on a positive productive note.
“Convince them (clients) that your solution is as conservative as they are—
because it saves money, it’s more efficient, it has fewer unintended
consequences, change is actually the lower-risk road to take, and it actually
works.” —Alan Webber, Founder of Fast Company, Author of Rules of Thumb.
About Mel Lim
Mel Lim is an award-winning design and business consultant with 15 years of international
and domestic experience in project management, commercial spatial design, brand &
product development. Mel Lim’s career in design started at the young age of 13, where
she drafted architectural plans using her sets of Rotring Rapidograph pens, in her mother’s
ID shop, in Penang, Malaysia, designing corporate interiors and hotels. She moved to the
US at the age of 19 in pursuit of designing beautiful spaces, products and patterns.
After receiving her foundation design diploma from Central Saint Martins, Mel graduated
with Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Design from Art Center College of Design with
the highest distinction. Mel is extremely honored to have worked with top architectural
and design firms in the US, including Ellerbe Becket, Kiku Obata & Co., Sussman Prejza.
Her inquisitive nature drives her to explore many disciplines, giving her rich insights to
different perspectives and human experiences, generating strong ideas that can be
plugged into competitive marketplace. Mel Lim’s work can be seen in London, Tokyo, and
Copenhagen, all the way to the UAE, and has been recognized by numerous prestigious
accolades including Creativity Annual, PRINT, GD USA and AIA LA.
Today, she writes and frequents organizations giving seminars/workshops covering topics
from design, innovation, strategy to culture and travel. She loves sharing insights and
having an open dialogue.
This article appeared in the May 2010 edition of the DMI News & Views.
Copyright © 2010 Design Management Institute All Rights Reserved. No part of this
work may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the copyright
holder.
Feedback on DMI Viewpoints and article proposals are always welcome! Please email
jtobin(at)dmi.org.
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