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On educating non-designers about your work
If you’re a designer, there may be a possibility that you’d occasionally find yourself in challenging situations when it comes to working with non-creative individuals because they “just don’t understand”. The non-designers mentioned could be your freelance client, your co-worker, your supervisor or even your stakeholder. At times like these, you may wonder, “why did they hire an expert, only to tell the expert what to do?” It’s frustrating, and I completely understand. However, just like every other job, communication plays an incredibly important role when it comes to solving problems — be it as trivial or major as it seems.
However, in a designer’s world, things are a little different. Communication within the creative world also includes educating your clients on certain matters because when they understand your expertise, the scope and exact range of your workflow, and the reasons you conclude and reach your decisions, it’s much easier to reach an overall agreement and finalize the design solutions.
Here are a few things you can educate your clients on:
Your role
The term “designer” is an extremely broad-spectrum to a non-designer. Your clients may not understand the differences between a designer, an illustrator, a UX designer, an interaction designer…etc. For people who’re not in the field, it’s common for them to assume that a designer is a magician who’s able to turn anything and everything into beautiful graphics. Thus, you can and perhaps should always politely remind them of your specific role and tasks per job covered in the description or initial agreement. For example, not all designers can animate. If your client needs something animated, they would have to reach out to an animator.
“Make the logo bigger”
When a client demands an unreasonable design change, it could get frustrating. You’re trying to offer them the best recommendation in their best…
