Noah Stokes: State of Web Design Profession
CodeIgniter fanatic (in a good way) Noah Stokes penned an article taking web designers to task on the good, the bad and the ugly of the web design professional’s world. He doesn’t waste any time calling it like he sees it:
First, stop thinking your client is stupid. Your client is not stupid. I don’t care if they want an all Flash site sized at 800x600 with a dancing unicorn for the navigation. You may laugh at them behind their back, just remember, they laugh at you when OMG, your precious Tweeter is down. We are in the services industry. Get used to it. Your client is your lifeline. Show them the respect they deserve, even if they don’t deserve it.
So, basically, be a professional. If you think a client’s decision to have a dancing unicorn for the navigation is a bad idea, tell them why it is a bad idea. Give the client real reasons like: “User testing has shown that having unicorns dancing in your navigation negatively impacts your readers ability to actually navigate the site and find content.” Or you could just complain on Twitter (which I regard as a mark of unprofessionalism) that your client wants a dancing unicorn instead of a Home button.
By explaining the problem with dancing unicorns (and there are, I’m sure, many) you may find out some information about your client and the project that will help you deliver a better website. Every crazy idea is an opportunity to learn.
I don’t think anyone is perfect at this. I would venture to guess that even the most seasoned professionals struggle with off-the-wall client ideas and how to constructively respond.
As a developer, it’s easy for me to dismiss an idea as silly or too involved to be worth the costs to develop it. Sure, I could just blow it off and think they’re crazy for wanting such a thing. Or I could ask why they want that feature or piece of functionality and maybe help them solve it in a way that won’t break their bank or cause development to lose focus and momentum.
And that brings me to another one of Noah’s points:
Educate your clients. Sure, you can educate them about their antiquated browsers, but do it in a respectful way, remember, your client is not stupid. Sit down with your client, explain your processes, walk them through the steps you take to build their site. Help them to realize that there is more that goes into building a site than a Frontpage template and some Ajax. Tell them about Information Architecture, A/B Testing, Accessibility, UX, Project Management, SEO, Web Standards. Educate them.
Act like an advisor. They hired you because they seek your expertise; share it with them!
Posted on Sep 18, 2009 by Ryan Irelan
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Brandon Kelly — 07:29 on 09.18.2009
The backstory here is of course that Kenny Meyers was the unnamed client asking for unicorns.
Ryan Irelan — 07:32 on 09.18.2009
I didn’t bother mentioning it, Brandon, because I figured it was obvious to pretty much everyone.
Nick Husher — 10:01 on 09.18.2009
The only response I have to such posts is that web developers don’t become bitter and misanthropic overnight. More than likely, they complain about their clients because their clients have treated them poorly in the past.
Better advice than “buck up and deal with it,” is to remember that people don’t do what they do because of you, they do it because of themselves. Infinite patience isn’t a virtue and not everyone can be taught; pick your battles and extract yourself from bad client relationships.
Kenny Meyers — 14:05 on 09.18.2009
My disappointment with my hired professional’s ability to create a simple unicorn permeates the post.
Unprofessional.
John Faulds — 16:39 on 09.18.2009
I don’t think it’s as clear cut as that. If they’ve requested something you know is wrong for their site and you’ve taken the time to explain it to them and give examples why, and they still insist on having it, then I think they are showing signs of being stupid, at the very least disrespectful.
Clients hire you for a reason - for the benefit of your expertise in web development. If they then ignore everything you say to them, then they’re being foolish. And unprofessional.
Noah Stokes — 17:04 on 09.18.2009
I respectfully disagree. I’ve found that most clients don’t realize there are so many layers to building an online presence and an expertise at each layer. In most cases, they simply want and end product (which they have visualized in their head to contain a dancing unicorn).
Lest we forget, in the services industry, “the client is always right”. We know they’re wrong, and analytics may very well prove they are wrong; it’s that point in which our respectful education will be resurfaced and perhaps a change order is written. And we task Kenny with the re-work.
John Faulds — 14:51 on 09.21.2009
Maybe we’re getting different sorts of clients then because I’m always being told: “I’ll leave it up to you, you’re the expert.”
Ryan also stated much the same thing:
And whether the client is always right or not, I still maintain that if a client goes against your professional advice, then they’re being disrespectful.
Disrespect may be defined differently by different people, but when I employ someone to do something for me, I don’t presume to know better than them and tell them how to do things. Sure I might put ideas forward, but if when presented with a compelling argument why something shouldn’t be done a certain way, I’ll listen to the ‘professional’.
I will for the duration of project. I won’t bitch or moan about them in public, and I’ll complete the job as per the original proposal and keep dealings with them on a professional level. But I’ll certainly think twice about providing the same level of service for future projects or ongoing work for anyone who I believe has shown a certain level of disrespect.