Deep Breath: Taking The Client Committee Head On

It’s really not that bad.

Its frustrating. It sucks, and more over just plain confusing. Every designer with a portfolio has witnessed their work be picked apart in the corporate hierarchy, only to receive mixed messages and confusion from far too many people [who aren’t even the final decision makers].

Whether you’re a freelance designer or in-house designer, you probably have experience dealing with a client committee. Its when you’re designing a project that has to get approved by numerous people, all with different visions about how the final product should look. This is a poor way to do business and partially the reason Peter Gibbons had a meltdown at Initech.

Does this look familiar?

You end up finishing Draft 1, only to have that reviewed and edited by Client 1. Draft 2 has the approval of Client 1, but now has to be sent to Client 2. He reviews your work and sends his own revisions. Draft 3 is now sent back to him, but before approval, he then must send it to Client 3 who, of course, has her own minor revisions that creates the final Draft 4 (Hopefully).

Did you even follow that?

When comparing Draft 1 and Draft 4, they almost look nothing alike. Which begs the question, why was I dealing with Client 1?

Before Brandisty, we learned to breathe more. Because, is this constant barrage of changes something that needs to be that bad? Absolutely not. In time you will learn when one these projects is coming. Usually the best indicator is the size of the company and how much bureaucracy there is within the organization. If you can see it coming, either avoid it or just do it. If you don’t have the ability to pass on projects, just understand that this project is for someone else, and won’t be your personal Mona Lisa.

If your an in-house designer, you should have some kind of relationship with the superior who’s sending you conflicting messages and be honest with them. Don’t point out why they’re wrong or why they don’t understand design. Most importantly, show them how important the brand is to you and why your genius came up with that design. Show them why being a professional designer is more than the final version of what they see.

You won’t lose points for being expressive about your role in the development of the project. And if all that still doesn’t work, don’t be discouraged. It will happen, but don’t let frustration drown your taste and talent. Not everyone can be in design, and deep down clients know it or they wouldn’t have hired you.

Breathe easier. Get though these projects and hone your skills that aren’t directly related to design. This will help you become a better professional and give you the opportunity to create your Mona Lisa. It worked for us, we’re building Brandisty.

If you would like an opportunity to private beta test our product, enter your email at www.brandisty.com.