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Have you ever seen the television show “Trading Spaces?” It’s based on a simple idea. Two sets of homeowners switch houses for a few days. Then they work with a professional designer to make over a room in the other couple’s home. They usually do outrageous stuff, like glue hay to the walls or paint antique furniture a weird color. Later, you get to see the owners moan and whine and complain about how awful it is and how it is not at all what they wanted.

Have you ever had a web design experience like that? Not that you would build anything weird or tasteless. But sometimes, like in that television show, owners have a very different vision of what they thought their site would look like. Maybe they thought white text on a light pink background would be perfect. Or, perhaps they sent you content that is a nightmare. Frankly, I have designed sites that I try to keep secret because I just don’t like them. In web design, the old adage “the customer is always right” is not the rule. Part of being a “professional” is learning how to influence a client so that he gets a great looking site and is pleased with the design. Here are some hints for more successful client interaction.

Involve the client in the creative process

OK. So we have designed a few sites and we think we pretty much have a handle on what a client needs. That may be true, however both you and the client will benefit if you let the client put in a little sweat too. I have a lengthy checklist that clients must complete. It tells me practical things like the name of the company and contact info, but also gives the client a chance to indicate their preferences and concerns. Things like:

1. Tell me the nature of your business.
2. Who is your target audience?
3. What keyword or phrase do you think people would use to search for your site?
4. List websites of your top competitors. Indicate what you like and dislike about their site.
5. Is there anything that you just have to use in your design? (logo etc..)
6. Do you have a certain picture or color scheme in mind? Think of websites you have visited and tell me what colors you like and what colors you dislike.
7. Do you want a shopping cart, Content Management System, message board, guestbook, or form?

Using this design aide helps me as I design the site, and also gives the client some “sweat equity.” He feels he has had the chance to “work” on the site, too. Then he is more likely to step back and let me do my thing. It’s kind of like he is putting the ball in my court and is waiting for me to make my play. That way, he is not continually pestering me about how it’s going and “maybe now I want this or that”. He already has thought it out and has his input down on paper. This is also helpful later, if one of those dreaded “But I told you I wanted” situation arises.

Give them choices

I usually make a few design drafts. Suppose I am designing a website for an attorney’s office. I might design one around the classic “blind justice” statute and another around a photo of the law partners. Either one would look professional, and I would be content with either selection. So, I might take those two ideas and play some with the placement of the link menu, pictures… etc, and then send the client a link to the development area of their website and ask the client to select one of these “drafts” or make suggestions. It is standard practice to make a development area so that the client can view the progress of their website. Although, you have to consider that clients aren’t always honest, and may try to steal your edit files. So it is important if you are doing work for the client that either you have control over the server, or you don’t publish the edit files online. By control of the server, I mean that you have full access to the domain control panel. You know that the client can’t sneak in and create an FTP account to get those edit files, because only you have access to that domain during the development process. If you can’t get full control, don’t fret! Just make a development area for the client on your portfolio website and send them a link to this area.

Many designers build in some sort of step process that requires the client to “sign off” at various stages of the design. For example, the first step might be to approve the design/layout of the site, the second to approve the graphics or animation, third the content, and then the final completed site. This allows the client to make choices at several points along the way and voice any concerns while changes are more easily made.

Watch your verbiage

Sometimes I have preferences on how I want a client’s site to look. In the above example, maybe I want to go with the blind justice background. I’d tell my client, “you probably want” to go with this design because of blah blah blah. That way the client gets some subliminal messages. First of all, he is reminded that he is playing a part and partially responsible for the final results. Thus, he is a lot easier to work with later if the site needs some tweaking. Plus, “you probably want” subtly gets a message to him that this is what he wants. It’s all in how you say it. Here are some more persuasive phrases to remember:

• This is much stronger…
• This would be more user friendly if…
• This looks/sounds more professional…
• This is “cutting-edge” design…
• This makes a bolder statement…
• This may be better because…

And my favorite:

• If it were me, I might?

Remember to keep your sentences short and easy to understand. Don’t overwhelm your client with too much web tech babble.

Get a good contract

There can be times when all your efforts are not enough. Some clients are impossible to please and chances are you’ll eventually meet one. When you reach an impasse how do you get out? That’s when you are glad you have a good contract. What do you do if your client doesn’t send you their content? What if you don’t finish the site on time? What happens if they reject the site you design? All these situations should be covered in your contract.

A good contract covers common problems encountered in the web design business and spells out what the parties will do in these cases. At some point you probably want to pay to have an attorney help you draw up a design contract. Since we are designers and not lawyers we can’t possibly be experts on the nuances of contract law. Nevertheless, many designers choose to create their own contracts. There are lots of sites on the web that have sample contracts. You could use those as starting points. Remember, your contract will probably change over time. Every time I run into a problem I amend my contract in order to cover that trouble point more clearly next time. Keep in mind that if you present the contract, then it is strictly construed against you if you ever have to go to court to sue a client or if the client sues you.

One important thing to remember is that your contract should state that the contract is your complete agreement and that no verbal agreements will be honored. Always protect yourself by writing down any agreed upon changes. I have some blank “amendment” lines at the end of my contract for just that purpose. Other things to consider when writing your contract are:

• How much deposit money is required and when deposit is forfeited?
• What are my other payment terms?
• Who controls the source files?
• How much technical support and maintenance is included?

It is also very important to include indemnification clauses and liability limits. You might think that you couldn’t get sued for anything other than “failure to perform” (finish the site) but there are many other concerns that a web designer may have. For example, suppose you designed a site for an upscale specialty store and were supposed to put in a link so that customers could get directions. Instead of listing the directions to the store, you inadvertently listed directions to your other client’s office – a discount warehouse. During that time maybe the client had a big sale on and customers from the web couldn’t find his store. Maybe they just made their purchases at the discount store. You client may want to sue you for resulting loss of business.

I am not going to go into more detail on contracts here. Many good articles have been written on contract development, and that point really does deserve its own article. Suffice it to say that you need a good contract. Too many designers start out on a handshake and learn the hard way that they should have “put it in writing”.

Conclusion

We may laugh at television shows when everyone hates the designer’s work. But in web design, an unhappy client can ruin your reputation and your self-confidence. Many design geeks are great at the computer, but are clueless on how to effectively communicate with a client during the design process. Following these few simple guidelines will put you on the road to more successful client interaction.

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About The Author

Jacob Haug

My name is Jacob Haug, and I spend the majority of my time in website development. I donate many hours each day helping the web community with technical aspects of website design and development. My current project is The Web Squeeze. A “NEW”, “FRESH”, Web Design and Development community dedicated to helping make the internet a better place! @JacobHaug