by Aaron Mahnke

A few months ago I stumbled upon a bog called Clients from Hell. As a freelance graphic designer, I had a good chuckle at the various stories from designers that detailed some of the frustrating and forehead-slapping things their clients have said or done. But the honeymoon period ended rather quickly for me. After a long string of “lorem ipsum”-based stories, I think I had finally had enough of the elitist tone and petty complaints of the contributors to the blog. While a handful each week are truly entertaining, the vast majority of the posts are simply rehashed complaints about things we as designers have no right to bemoan. Worse, many are things that the designers themselves are to blame for, not the clients.

I get it. Your client doesn’t have a good color sense. They don’t understand filler text or placeholder images. They don’t know how to calibrate their monitors or use the correct language in their feedback. I understand how frustrating that can be. But it’s not their fault. You are the designer. They aren’t. That’s why they hired you, right? Grow up and be a professional.

You have a choice as a designer: you can set unrealistic expectations and complain about how the process unfolds, or educate your clients from Day One in order to give them the tools and skills to help you in your creative process. You aren’t just a creative-for-hire. You are a teacher. You have to be. Because if you don’t help the client understand what’s happening, you will work twice as hard. Maybe more.

Before you complain about a client and the frustrating things they have requested or said, ask yourself if you ever took the time to guide the client. Yes, you are the expert and they aren’t. But they have the money and vision, and it is your responsibility to teach them what is possible and what is not, and you have to earn their trust. Don’t expect it. Set aside your pride and become a servant of your client. Earn that trust.

I’m learning this with each job I take on. I’m not perfect, but I’m getting better. I teach my clients, in simple non-designer language, that color looks different on a monitor. I explain to them why I make the design choices I make. I have learned to say “no” to requests that don’t work, and I take the time to explain why. If the format of the project has certain “rules” that you know of, make them clear to the client at the beginning before they build their expectations on unrealistic ground.

Your client didn’t pay you for the design work? They expected the work upfront and will pay you once they turn a profit? I’m sorry, but that’s your fault, not theirs. You should have established a rigid contract and job process that you present to the potential client on Day One. My terms are not negotiable, and there are no exceptions. And the clients don’t see this as limiting or bad. It’s the way a business operates. You can’t have services for free, sorry. And if you are a designer who fails to make that clear, you need to learn from that mistake and fix it in the future. But don’t blame the client for your incompetence.

Yes, there are a few “clients from hell” out there. There are also terrible, misbehaving children who don’t seem to know how to behave. For the latter, this is a result of parents who fail to raise their children properly. And as a designer, you have that same calling. Weed out the bad seeds at the beginning, and nurture the rest. Do that enough, and you’re bound to be bragging about your “clients from heaven”.

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About the Author

I’m a freelance graphic designer from the Boston area where I live with my wife and daughter. You can see my work here, and follow me on twitter here.