It costs you MEGA authority to make every change clients ask for without pushback.
Clients hire brand designers because they can’t do it themselves. the good ones aren’t looking for someone to agree with everything they say, they’re looking for guidance.
No one is hiring an electrical company and then questioning their decisions. They trust that they’re in good hands.
Unless your client is educated in brand strategy, you have every right to challenge them on their feedback. Not in an obstinate way, of course, keeping a fully open mind it important.
If it’s a slight change that won’t impact the brand strategy: sure, no biggie! We can brighten the red, why not? But a larger shift, something that could be rooted in a misunderstanding of the strategy, is when you need to take the floor.
A common misunderstanding that I've seen is founders wanting the brand to look like them, not like their audience. Which, (in the case of founder-led brands where the founder is a part of the audience,) is sometimes okay! In the cases that I've aced this problem, that has not been the case.
But guess what?? I challenged the client on their feedback. I explained that we need to design with the consumer in mind, because the product isn't for YOU, it's for THEM.
They understood, and it was a very simple conversation, but sometimes it's not that easy to see where they're coming from.
Here are some questions that I ask when met with emotionally-led, or seemingly nonsensical feedback:
“Do you feel like this design choice is out of alignment with your brand’s heart? why?”
This opens the door to a deeper strategy conversation to find the root of the problem.
"Is this a personal preference, or a brand decision?"
A perfectly valid question to ask. Sometimes it really is as simple as “I like green better than purple” or “circles more than squares.”
This is where you jump in and give a better explanation of your choice. if it makes sense, include their personal preference as a secondary element as an “homage” of sorts- that’s a cool angle.
“from my point of view: [insert what it looks like from your POV]. can you help me understand where you’re coming from?”
This gives an example of why you made the decision, while doubling it up as a “example” answer for them. Often times when working with vague feedback, this method helps the client understand what part of the strategy they’re looking at, and formulate a better rationale to work off of.
Case in point: As the designer, you always have the right to explain your design choices, and give the client the opportunity to understand and appreciate the strategy.
They hired you for a reason! You are the expert. It’s far better to have the uncomfortable conversations now, than to have your brand guideline misused in the future.
Sometimes clients really do have good points! but when it comes down to “make it pop,” it’s time to start asking some questions.
