The Client Is Not Your Enemy: Redefining Your Client Relationship

Designer / Artist

• As Chris Do explains, a designer’s role isn’t to fulfil creative ego, it’s to solve a client’s problem.
• Being a “hero designer” can clash with client needs, our priority is their goals, not what looks cool to us.

Clients Are Allies

• The relationship should be collaborative: you’re on the same team.
• Instead of seeing “difficult clients” as villains, we need to uncover what they truly need, beyond what they say .

Manage Time, Money, Quality

• Understand the three constraints: time, budget, and quality.
• Clients often want tigers but can only afford kittens, so guide them by outlining realistic deliverables and costs upfront .
• Be upfront about scope: e.g., “I can’t do 5 logo options in 7 days, but I can do 2–3.”

Clarify

• Never assume you’ve understood. Regularly ask, paraphrase, and recap.
• Use emails to confirm key decisions, written clarity helps avoid confusion .

What the Client Really Wants

“What the client wants isn’t always what they say, and it isn’t what you think, they want what you both clarify together.”

• Design is part service, part tangible outcome, so clarify expectations every step of the way.

Effective Expectation Management

• The toughest skill? Managing client expectations.
• Process matters: design steps exist to make sure everyone stays aligned and avoids last-minute disappointment.