Suppose your client imposed unconvincing ideas on your design and interfered in an annoying way, will you go with him or will you stick to your design?
P.S: By implementing his ugly ideas you will win your client's satisfaction, however, sticking to your attitude may jeopardize having the project..
This is the life long struggle of the designer. Do you act professional and give the client what he wants or do you stand your ground and let them go to another agency.
There are many ways around this problem. Some agencies are very good at manipulating their clients and what they do is a very simple trick. All you need to do is create a brilliant design and put something terribly ugly in the middle (on top) of the good design. The Client comes in and says... that is a nice design but why is there this awful thing on top of it.
The agency will act surprised and remove it... and the client will say... see... isn't that much better. And the client management will clap him on his back and say... you are brilliant! why didn't we think of this.
By playing this little game with them you make the client believe that they actually contributed to the final result ... and you get what you wanted.
But having said that I have also developed very very tough skin over my18 years of Professional Creative work. Meaning I believe that the client should get what they want and that my work isn't set in stone I believe that Stephen King was very truthful in his saying "Only God Gets It Right The First Time Around" so since I am not God (Ta3aala Allah) I can say that I make mistakes like anyone else and these designs are not pieces of me though I came up with them.
Now this does not mean that you should not fight for your design if you believe that what you are suggesting is far superior to what they want. What I usually do is that I tell them I would put this design (the one I prefer) in my portfolio, but the one you are suggesting I would not want to attribute it to myself.
Since I also worked as a Creative Director and A Designer at different times in my career I know the frustrations of dealing with a client and trying to convince him that he is not qualified as a designer to make design adjustments... In my position as the CD I was able to convince many clients to follow through with my suggestion ... but since the Designer usually does not have direct contact with the client the bulk of the frustration lies on their shoulder.
Finally one of your best allies when it comes to the client is the Account Management. If you can convince them with your design then you can easily convince the client to come around to your view... because it won't be just you in the room trying to convince him that the design is good... you'll have the AM helping you as well.
I hope that helps.
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Laila Osama , Junior Architect. , Dimensions Engineering Consultant.
If I'm allowed to answer, Id say I have to satisfy my client! sometimes they suggest absurd ideas But the design success highly depends on the owner's satisfaction and how much I could carry out their demands in my design. We wouldn't satisfy them100% for sure but we must please them to maintain the good reputation. In a way I'd try to tell them the reasons why I made the design like this, and tell them the advantages and disadvantages of their suggestions and Why I would refuse to do what they want, what's negative about it I mean my future vision for their demands. If they listen to me, that's okay. If they don't, I'll try to emerge my design with their ideas and give the best design I can get to. I've done my best and they'll have to bear the results. Thanks for this useful question. Regards.
هناك طريقة لمعالجة هذا الأمر على مرحلتين :
-المرحلة الأولى هي محاولة اكتشاف قصد العميل بدقة عالية لأن أحيانا يكون في ذهن العميل فكرة و يعبر عنها بشكل خاطئ مما يجعل تطوير النظرية يذهب في الإتجاه المعاكس, و هناك العميل الذي يريد أن يختبر مهاراتك قبل أي التزام مهني فيحاول أن يرهقك بكل فكرة أثرت في نفسه -أحيانا بطريقة غير مباشرة- و هذا النوع تجده غالبا يتربص كل ردود الأفعال الصادرة منكي من أجل تصنيفك حسب درجة استيعابه و حسب المعايير التي يضعها مسبقا لاختياراته. و هذا النوع الثاني من العملاء فيه الصادق المتفيهق أي الذي ينوي فعلا العمل لكنه فيلسوف نوعا ما في اختيار المصمم الذي يناسبه, كما يوجد فيهم المثقف الماكر الي يلم أنصاف الأفكار من هنا و هناك دون نية التعاقد أو حتى أداء مصاريف الإستشارة ظانا بأن بعض الإلتفافات على هذا و ذاك ستكون كافية له لتنفيذ مشروعه مع مقاولة الأشغال..
المرحلة التالية بعد اكتشاف نوع العميل الذي تواجهه يتم تحديد الطريقة التي يجب نهجها :
فإذا كان جديا و يريد فقط فرض أفكاركه المزعجة أحيانا , يجب فهم ملامح الأسلوب الذي يبتغيه دون التحدث كثيرا فيم ستقدمينه له ثم تقومين بمحاولة صياغة أفكارك في قالب الأسلوب الذي يفضله و هنا يبرز الدور الإبداعي للمصمم بحيث يمكن اختراق مختلف الأساليب بأفكاركه عن طريق المهارة و بالتالي يجد العميل نفسه أمام نتائج و اقتراحات مدهشة و رائعة تفوق توقعاته و هنا تولد نقطة الإتفاق و التراضي التي هي أيضا تعتبر من ابتكارك. و هذا يمكنكي من متابعة المشروع مع العميل بارتياحية و موضوعية أفضل.
أما إذا اكتشفتي عدم الجدية و الأسباب الغير المنطقية في فرض بعض الأفكار من طرف شبه عميل ما , فوافقي على طلبه دون مناقشته و دون إهدائه ما يريده من أفكار مجانا , مع مضاعفة السعر مرتين أو ثلاثة مرات كي ينصرف سريعا لأن في أغلب الحالات هذا النوع لن يعود مجددا.. إلا ناذرا و في بذلة عميل آخر.
---شكرا و أعتذر عن التأخر---
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Roshan Thapa , Database and Communication Manager , Finaccess Private Limited
I also face similar situations and there is a saying "Dont argue with an idiot or he will drag you down to his level and beat you up with his experience". Therefore, I do this "Implement both and show him compared results of both". This is because some people dont understand your ideas unless you prove 'em.
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Gustavo Arzich da Gama , CEO - Director & Photographer - Architect, Creative, Marketeer , Arzich Da Gama Photography
Always advice for the better solution, present the pro and cons of the solution. If he wants his solution, unless it will ruin the architectural project, accept and try at same time proof that with your knowledge that both can get to a better end.
Its the client who will be using your work, he will know better than us , how he will feel there. Maybe the reason for his absurd proposal is just because he wants the best for him. Have patience my friend.
Unfortunately, in our profession we have to abide to what our clients want even if it doesnt go well with us...the only thing we can argue about is that if the client wants something that would breach safety laws or very critical regulations.....
If you want really to abide to your design, it's90% certain you'll loose the project &10% you might have a chance to convince him/her otherwise....
He came to me because he was convinced that I know the job better.
To prove that, it is my duty to advice and guide my cliants and not to argue
or impose ideas on them. If they bluntly refuse my ideas and guide, and "impose"
their ideas on me, I will satistify them in so far as it will not breach relivent
laws, rules and regulations.
HELLO
Architect designed for others and not for himself. Should have to accept everything that we seek for the better, whatever the obstacles and challenges.
Thank you.
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Ahmed Saeed , Senior Architect grae-A , Dimensions Engineering Consultant
Thank you Sherein for this invitation :
That is a good question, because this problem always happens from client who listen too much to other people suggestions, sometimes I refuse to work in his ideas and my manager agree with me, but also sometimes my manager forces me to stay on his bad ideas .
If the matter in my hand, I will refuse every wrong suggestions from any client or my manager , because when I agree with them I feel like I am not making my own decision.
by the way this problem just happened to me yesterday with a client who needed to finish the building facades using aluminum cladding but the building regulations refuse this in this areas.
No, one of the principles specifics of architect is trying to convince the client...you can listen to him but take the good things which helps you....not everything.
