When it comes to how much design involvement you’d like a client to have in a project, there tends to be two schools of thought. There are those who insist that ‘they’re the experts’ and that ‘you’ve paid for that expertise’ and prefer the client kept at arms length.
For me though, client involvement is something that should be embraced with open arms. Yes OK, I do have a harrowing story of a particularly high-maintenance guy who was on the phone with ‘thoughts’ on an hourly basis, but these are few and far between - most people are thankfully more normal!
My approach has always been that the client is king. I will always give the benefit of my professional judgement and experience as to how something should look and feel, but ultimately the client will want what the client wants. You can’t ignore that - and let’s not forget, they’re paying! It’s ultimately their project, not mine. I’m a service industry, brought in to facilitate. Let’s not pretentiously pretend otherwise.
If a clients’ suggestions are unworkable, then yes, that will have to be addressed, but at least let’s hear them. The more you understand about their mindset, the quicker the desired solution will be achieved. Embrace the collaboration of ideas, don’t resent it.
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