9 Things That Frustrate Design Clients (And How To Deal With Them)
Those who have worked with designers before know that not every design project goes as smoothly as expected.
Sometimes the reason is a lack of skills and experience on the designer’s part, other times it’s a lack of proper management of the designer’s role in the project.
Occasionally, the client and the designer just aren’t a great match.
But for the most part, the issue is the absence of effective communication and clarity on project scope, deadlines, and quality standards.
In this article, we’ll discuss the top 9 things that frustrate design clients and how you can deal with them proactively and effectively in your next design project.
Low-Quality Work
Imagine this...
You want to brand your business and decide to elicit the help of a talented freelance designer.
After hours of searching for the right one, you get overwhelmed and lost in the sheer number of options. So you pick a designer based on approachability, affordability, and availability.
But end up with a designer that...
Yikes!!
On the flip side, a good designer is a researcher and a problem solver. He or she sees aesthetics as a means to an end, understands human psychology, and accommodates clients’ creative needs.
Finding a great designer for your project can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Here are a couple of tips to make the process easier:
If you’re a designer struggling to produce high-quality work, I say go back to the basics.
Leverage the vast number of free and paid resources both online and offline to learn about the fundamentals of design and get familiar with design history. Then start experimenting with different styles and approaches while getting to know your preferred software inside and out.
Work on passion projects, participate in design challenges or contests and find an internship or a design mentor.
Most importantly - take inspiration from everywhere, and never stop learning.
Practice. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Unoriginality
Bad designers use common derivative concepts. They don’t bring original ideas to the table. Some outright copy the works of others. Others recycle old designs, rushing to get the job done.
Wannabe designers are the most active plagiarists. They lack a creative drive and avoid the effort. Because of this, they often cross the line between inspiration and imitation.
Mark Twain said: „There are no original ideas. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope.”
And that’s true. It's human nature to reproduce good ideas.
Actually, if an idea is worth anything at all, it will be copied. But if you are using the ideas of others, you have to do it with ethics in mind.
If you’re a designer, remember: posting your work online comes with the risk of it being used without your permission. Don't let that discourage you, thought!
If you’re a client worried about plagiarism, use Google Image Search to check the originality of the designs you’re presented with. And if you’re dissatisfied with generic work, find a designer that will develop unique concepts - just for you!
Divided Focus
Lack of commitment is frequently an issue when working with freelancers.
Most of the time, you’re just one of many clients a designer has so you can’t be sure you’re their first priority - or even their second or third. In these cases, late email responses, pushed timelines, and missed deadlines are all common.
What happens?
The designer overcommits, another client has an emergency so they’re forced to deprioritize your project, or they face unforeseen events in their personal life.
Fortunately, there are ways to prevent divided focus in design projects!
Unpredictability
Is your designer not following the brief? Not asking any clarifying questions?
Are they mixing up project details and forgetting important elements? Or letting their individuality come before the actual project goal?
This leads to unpredictable results. And no surprises is a golden rule in business.
Not knowing what to expect can be an almighty trigger for anxiety. This is the complete opposite of building trusting client-designer relationships.
If you’re a client:
Collaborating with designers doesn't always work out so find one you can trust to share creative control!
If you’re a designer, please keep in mind that client projects are not mere opportunities to add cool designs to your portfolio. Do your best to separate personal aesthetic preferences from the brand’s and business’s needs.
Price & Extra Costs
Nobody wants to pay good money for something if they’re not convinced it’s worth it. It’s human nature.
So how can we communicate the value of good design?
Still, some people are never going to appreciate that good design is an investment, not a cost. Don’t take it to heart and wish them well.
There are plenty of other clients out there.
On the flip side, some design projects are plagued by cost overruns from the start. That happens for a number of reasons:
If you’re a designer, do your research and describe the project scope as precisely as possible to avoid misunderstandings. Be clear about the terms the quote is based on, ex. the number of revisions, and communicate that if these specs change, the price will change as well.
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If you’re a client, ask ahead about revisions and possible hidden costs. Be upfront about the schedule, respect the original project scope, and consider the implications of a change order.
Missing Deadlines
Every designer misses a deadline at some point in their career - and that’s ok.
But it’s not okay to do it all the time or let clients know only when the deadline has passed. This is unprofessional, rude and damages your credibility as a service provider.
If you’re a designer:
If you miss a deadline due to an unforeseen event - take responsibility. Don’t make excuses or blame the client for not clarifying the project scope or having unrealistic expectations.
It’s our duty to understand the brief and project specs before jumping into a project. We are also accountable for informing the client about any setbacks we encounter along the way.
If you're a client:
The key is to keep deadlines achievable and lines of communication open!
Poor Communication
Communication with designers often comes with obstacles.
Issues arise because of three main things:
Apart from that, some designers just don’t communicate effectively. They’re aloof, don’t practice active listening, and ask relevant questions. Instead, they make assumptions and decisions irrationally.
The problem here is: communication for designers isn’t just a soft skill - it’s a core part of the craft.
Designers communicate ideas, emotions, and functionality through form, figure, color, composition, and typography.
So if you’re a designer who wants to improve client communication:
If you’re a client, remember: Your involvement is critical. Be a part of the journey and avoid giving generalized feedback.
Seeing The Vision
Imagine this…
You have a marvelous vision for your brand’s identity. It almost feels like you could create it yourself if you had the right tools and knew how to use them.
But, you don’t. So you hire a graphic designer.
You communicate the vision to them as clearly and in more detail as you can and it seems like they got a solid grasp of it.
But you wind up with a design you hate. It isn’t what you imagined, not by a long shot. You feel disappointed and frustrated.
Why does this happen?
Amongst other things, the culprits may be the lack of clarity coupled with poor communication or the lack of design skills coupled with the lack of respect.
Thankfully, there are ways to prevent this.
Still, sometimes what we imagine as a magical unicorn in our minds looks like a children’s drawing of a pony on paper.
If your designer presents a solution that’s not nearly what you imagined, please take a breather first. Chances are they worked hard on that design. It wouldn’t be fair to scold them for not getting it right the first time around.
The constructive way to move forward is the following:
You’ll be surprised at how quickly your designer improves once they get some more guidance and creative direction!
Understanding The Process
Some clients expect to play a bit part in the design process. They’ve got plenty of other things to do and rely on the designer to come up with a brilliant solution.
After all, that’s our job. We’re the experts, right?
To some extent – yes - designers lead the design process. But the best results come from close collaboration between both parties.
Clients know their own businesses. Designers know design principles.
When you combine the two, you start to see the good stuff!
If you’re a designer:
And if you’re a client:
For more graphic design tips and insights, click the "follow" button below!
If you have a project I can help with, feel free to message me or shoot an email at damjan@coric.design
Damjan Ćorić is a freelance designer specializing in logo & visual identity for small businesses. Over the course of 10 years, he has helped hundreds of brands share their story, build awareness, and establish trust by delivering effective graphic solutions across branding, packaging, print, and digital media. In 2021, he received the 99designs award for Best Branding Design.
Logo & Brand Identity Designer | Founder and Art Director at Creeventer | Helping businesses build authentic brands globally.
1yWell Insights. What about when clients reject new concepts and opt for generic ones instead? Even giant companies often choose familiar ideas over innovative ones. In some cases, they copy what's already available, as exemplified by Meta, Daraz, Pathao, and others. (Using copy logo)