1 Make the Logo Bigger.

I agree wholeheartedly with this post. If we can help colleagues and clients better understand our process and techniques, I do think good things will happen. Workflow will go smoother. Sign-offs will happen quicker. World peace will be achieved.

Here’s the rub: In the past, I’ve often found myself spending more time trying to educate my client that actually working on the project. Yes, when they say “make the logo bigger” certainly ask “Why?”. But often times, even after a lengthy explanation of the principles behind the inordinately small placement of their logo, they still want it bigger.

What’s a designer to do?

posted at 07:14 am on September 20, 2011 by cob

2 Food for thought

Thanks for your article. The designer/non-designer separation isn’t something I’ve given too much direct thought, but in reading your article I can see how it could be very easy and beneficial to show the people I work with that they can help in the design process too. Thanks!

posted at 07:59 am on September 20, 2011 by bzell

3 Designer non-Designer

Everyone’s designer inside but not everyone can reproduct their ideas. That’s why some people are called designers and the others are just dreamers. I am a dreamer as well…

posted at 09:32 am on September 20, 2011 by surensos

4 Organ-based decision making

I enjoyed this article, but I have to admit that your statement about how sometimes things just look right to a designer rubs me the wrong way. This statement is full of truth, of course, but when we make decisions with our gut rather than based on some sort of collection of observational data, awareness of human cognition/perception, design patterns, etc. we absolutely MUST test out whether those decisions were the right ones. Now, I know how you work and I know you do that yourself, but I don’t want someone reading this article to come away from it thinking they can just stop when something feels right.

posted at 10:42 am on September 20, 2011 by fredbeecher

5 The problem is NOT mystery

There is certainly some merit to this article. I have found that by bringing in the client into the process early on, such as by asking them to suggest some good imagery or thinking about the relative importance of parts of their message, it increases the likelihood of producing an effective design.

BUT: I really have to disagree with this statement:
“Non-designers often feel unqualified to enter our world and many won’t attempt to participate in the design process.”

That is so completely opposite of my many years of experience as to be laughable.

Non-designers have no problem whatsoever inserting themselves into the design process and turning us into production monkeys. Most non-designers seem to work on the premise that what we do is just ALL FUN ALL THE TIME and we should be happy to do it for free! And the only reason they don’t have our jobs is that they don’t know how to use Photoshop.

I do think it is of value to, as I said, bring the client into the process early on, but in a way that illuminates the design process as problem-solving and engages them to help you solve the problem in an effective way by sharing THEIR expertise of their market/audience.

But to imagine that somehow our issue is that clients feel unqualified to take part in the process is just a head-scratcher. But perhaps that is the case in the world of UX/UI. It is certainly not the case, in my experience, in print and visual web design.

posted at 10:58 am on September 20, 2011 by Chris Raymond

6 Listen to me, I know what looks good!

Sort of like what Chris mentioned, it’s been my experience that non-designers feel more than qualified to handle the design work for no other reason than they have good taste.

As an in-house designer dealing with a half dozen different departments on everything from presentations to convention displays, I have definitely had some great design process discussions with people whom everything just seemed to click. That being said, I’ve actually found that a lot of people don’t care to learn anything about design; they just want what they want. When I find someone that’s genuinely interested in design I am more than happy to help demystify things for them. That, at least for me has been pretty rare though.

posted at 05:49 pm on September 20, 2011 by myquite

7 Making the logo bigger...

@cob – I would recommend including them in the design process more. As the article suggests, have them participate in the ideation phase and ask them to create with you. That simple act alone humanizes the design process. It shows the pains, twists and turns and ultimately the challenges of “getting it right.”

As they make the logo bigger in their sketch, ask them why they did that and how it helps achieve their business and customer goals. It’s not an exercise in humiliation of the client. It’s an exercise of education that can only happen through “doing design.”

posted at 03:49 pm on September 21, 2011 by Jeff Gothelf

8 Testing...

@fredbeecher – completely agree. Validation of our ideas — whether they are born of academic edification or innate intuition — is critical to the success of our work. This is a theme that runs throughout all of design and should not be minimized. Great point.

posted at 03:51 pm on September 21, 2011 by Jeff Gothelf

9 Non-designers...

chris and myquite — excellent point. I would counter that those clients insisting they know better you are not “entering the design process/world” but instead attempting to keep control in an unfamiliar environment. They don’t feel qualified to dictate design. They DO feel qualified to manage. The challenge for us is to illustrate the depth of thought and craft that went into our design decisions. By bringing them in to the process through the methods described in the article you make the unfamiliar, slightly more familiar. With that familiarity comes recognition of the designer’s expertise. You actually increase your value with that client! In time, they will trust that you are doing much more than “making things pretty.”

Now, will this cure ALL clients? Hell,no! But for those willing to take a leap with you, a much stronger client relationship will follow.

posted at 03:56 pm on September 21, 2011 by Jeff Gothelf

10 Buy Facebook Likes

Non-designers have no problem whatsoever inserting themselves into the design process and turning us into production monkeys. Most non-designers seem to work on the premise that what we do is just ALL FUN ALL THE TIME and we should be happy to do it for free! And the only reason they don’t have our jobs is that they don’t know how to use Photoshop.

I do think it is of value to, as I said, bring the client into the process early on, but in a way that illuminates the design process as problem-solving and engages them to help you solve the problem in an effective way by sharing THEIR expertise of their market/audience.

posted at 04:33 pm on September 22, 2011 by fbresults