400 Bad request

You don’t necessarily have to do it five times, the point is to keep asking questions until you get down to the root of the problem, and explore various ways to solve that problem. Don’t just accept the first statement or request.

Clients don’t know what they need, that’s why they hired you

As a web designer, you’re a problem solver, and it’s good practice to use this technique on your clients.

Here’s a basic example:

Client: We need a blog.

Designer: Why do you need a blog?

Client: Because our competitor has a blog.

Designer: Why does your competitor have a blog?

Client: So their users have a place to go to read about company announcements.

Designer: Why do users need a place to read about company announcements?

Client: Every so often they add features, like us, and they use the blog to announce those features. We plan to do the same.

Designer: Why do you need to announce new features?

Client: So users can use the new features.

Designer: Why would users want to use the new features?

Client: They’ll enjoy the product more, which should help customer retention.

Designer: Maybe you don’t need a blog. A blog will take quite a lot of effort and money to design, develop and maintain. How about in-app notifications for new features, call-outs that highlight new features, a monthly newsletter, using a Twitter account for announcements, or use a tool like Intercom? Or maybe you don’t need new features at all, and there’s a better way to keep your customers happy?

Client: Never thought of that. Which one can we have up and running by this afternoon?

Get to the root of the problem

Constantly asking why can sound annoying, but it should lead to healthy discussion about how to best solve the underlying issue.

In the end the you may come full circle and implement the initial suggestion, but make sure you understand the root of the problem and explore all possible solutions before time and effort is wasted.

This is the part of the project that I dislike the most. Presenting a new design then waiting for feedback, not knowing what is going to come back at you. Receiving feedback can be uncomfortable, but you know it’s part of the job. Getting useful feedback is the hard part.

Why designers hate feedback

Feedback during the design process is good. Early feedback is even better. It leads to iterations, which should lead to improvements and a better end result for your client and their customers.

The main reason designers hate feedback is because we don’t often get the right kind of feedback.

Why clients don’t give the right kind of feedback

It’s not your client’s fault. Remember, they’re not designers so they don’t know what type of feedback you’re looking for.

If you hand them a design and ask “What do you think?” they’re going to tell you what they think, which will more than likely focus on things like colours they do or don’t like, and whether their company logo stands out enough, instead of what really matters like users being able to find what they’re looking for.

We need to guide clients (and bosses and colleagues) towards giving feedback that will be useful to us as designers.

I’ve put together a few dos and don’ts below that will hopefully be useful to both sides of the party.

How to give feedback as a client

Don’t give subjective feedback

I’m not a big fan of orange!

Subjective feedback is opinionated feedback. There is no logic behind it, just your personal feelings.

Do say why you don’t think something works. If a colour doesn’t work, why not? Does it not stand out enough? Is it against your brand guidelines?

Don’t compare your design to other websites

That’s not how Groupon does it!

The designer should have done their research and gone through iterations of user flows, sitemaps and design guidelines. So at this stage they know your business and users better than any designer at any other company, therefore they should be able to come up with the best designsolutions for you.

Do mention at the start of the project what other sites you like and what you like about them so the designer can take this into account when designing your site. And remember that just because GroupOn, Twitter or Facebook does it that way, doesn’t it’s the best way for you to do it.

Don’t ask for multiple versions

Can we see one with navigation down the left and one along the top and we’ll pick the one we like best?

No, no, no. It’s not about designing multiple mockups and picking the one you like best.

Do let your designer design what they believe will work best for your project, then iterate on that design based on user feedback.

Don’t forget about the user

Can we have input fields for their age, address, email and phone number as well?

Don’t forget about your users, who they are and what their state of mind is when they use your website.

Do keep users in mind when you’re analysing the design and realise that they’re probably in a rush, don’t have time to do everything you want them to do and that they won’t be over analysing every graphic or pixel while doing so.

Don’t be stuck to what you have in your head

I was thinking that would be blue and over here.

If you’ve already designed something in your head then why did you hire a designer?

Do let your designer do their job and come up with the ideas using their own expertise and experience that you hired them for.

Don’t tell designers what your wife thought

My wife is a creative person and she thinks some sort of animation would make the page look really cool.

Your wife, or any other impartial viewer, may be creative at other things but unless they have experience designing websites then their feedback is probably not that useful.

Do keep feedback focused on what your users, your employees and you (the decision maker) think, and listen to what the designer has to say.

Don’t get hung up on what other people say

I showed it to our marketing department and they think everything should be above the fold!

Getting feedback from multiple people, or departments, is good but don’t think that every piece of feedback is gold dust.

Do keep a note of all feedback, highlight any that are important and pass that onto the designer to let them decide what to do with the feedback. Remember if you ask for peoples’ opinions you’ll get a lot of feedback for feedback’s sake. Most of it is probably negligible and you can never please everybody.

Don’t ask to make your logo bigger

Our logo is a bit small, can you make it bigger?

As much as you love your shiny glossy 3D logo, making it bigger isn’t going to help anyone.

Do tell your designer how great the site is looking. We like positive feedback.

How to ask and prepare for feedback as a designer

Ask for specific feedback

Don’t ask “What do you think?”. Ask specific questions. Do you think the call to action will be obvious to your users? Will users know what this input label means? Does the overall mood and tone match your business and branding?

Do as much research into your client, their business and their competitors as possible

Right at the start of the project investigate what matters to your client, what matters to their customers (users) and what they think of competitor sites. Create mood boards of screenshots from different websites to see what they like and don’t like. You’ll be better prepared for feedback if you can relate back to this research.

Do user tests early on

The best way to prove your design decisions is to base them on scientific feedback. Develop prototypes for user testing, upload your screen designs to sites like Five Second Test and Usabilla to see what other people think and use this to justify your decisions.

Ask “Why?” 5 times

For each piece of feedback continuously ask why to get to the real issue. “Why do you want to change it? Why don’t you like it? Why do you not like red? Why do you not think your customers won’t like red? Why do they think red is evil?”. Once you find the real issue you’ll be able to come up with the best solution.

Include the client throughout the process

Always keep your client in the loop. Show them results of research, show each iteration, and ask for feedback at each stage. This will help avoid a “I don’t think it’s working” email just when you thought you were about to get paid at the end of the project.

Respect each other

Most importantly remember to have respect for one another. Clients know their business better than anyone. Designers know what works well for better experiences and results online. Both parties are experts in their own way so always listen to what one another has to say and try and see it from their point of view as well.

Have you any feedback advice?

This is advice based on my own experience. How do you ask or prepare for feedback? How do you give feedback? This article is designer focused but I’d love to hear any advice from developers also. Share your comments below.

Further reading

• Why design by committee should die
• Give your clients a wee nudge
• How a web design goes straight to hell
• Asking for feedback

Back when I was starting out as a web designer, I undertook some work for a design firm. I too remember at the time being asked to come up with 2 or 3 mockups for each project that went my way, then the sales guy would show them to the client and the client would pick their favourite.

Never supply a client with more than one option

You should have final decision based on your expertise. If you show a client two mockups and one has navigation down the left and one along the top and ask “which is your favourite?” you’re degrading your expertise. You should know what the best option is and be able to back up your design decisions.

Choice paralysis

There’s a good story in Yes! 50 secrets from the science of persuasion about jars of jam for sale in a supermarket. Give the customer too many options, they’ll get confused and walk away. Narrow the options and they’re more likely to buy it.

Same goes with design. Presenting too many options over complicates things and the customer thinks about it too much.

They’ll also pick the option you didn’t want them to pick. Trust me, it’ll happen.

More work for you

Why produce more work for yourself? If you’re spending a number of days researching, wireframing and mocking up for one design, why would you want to do that all over again? Put all your effort and attention into one design, the one that you believe, as a professional, works best for your client.

If you split your workload in two, the outcome is going to be two half-assed efforts, rather than one full-ass.

Client isn’t getting the best

If you have to come up with more than one design it undoubtedly means that your first design isn’t the best, or your second design isn’t the best. If they were the best, there would be no need for another design.

One mockup allows you to focus all your expertise and attention to what you feel is the best solution for your client.

But what if my client doesn’t like it?

You can’t always get it right first time but you can take on board their feedback and reiterate.

Make sure you encourage good feedback. Good feedback includes a good reason as to why they don’t think something will work.

e.g. “I don’t like blue” is not good feedback. “I don’t think the blue works because it’s very corporate and we want to show our customers we’re fun and creative” is a lot better as now you know the reason behind their thinking so you can work with this, plus they’re keeping their users and target market in mind instead of letting personal preferences get in the way.

You can then go and make the necessary amendments to satisfy each of the feedback points.

What do you think?

Some designers can’t help it and are told to produce 2, 3 or 4 mockups. Some maybe prefer to do it this way.

What’s your approach? Do you present more than one mockup? Is it your choice or are you made to?

1. Website Planner

The website planner is sent out to potential clients to gather their requirements. This gives you a quick overview of the project and helps you decide whether you want to take it on or not.

The goal is to find out:

1. Who the client is
2. What the client does
3. What the project is
4. What the client wants (deliverables)
5. An understanding of their market and competitors
6. What they like and don’t like (about their current site and other sites)
7. Budget and time

Examples

• Front
• Buffalo
• Clearleft
• Happy Cog

2. Emails

I have several email templates that I save in a plain text file. This is to save me retyping the same emails over and over. Templates include:

• For when you are interested in a project and attaching a website planner
• For when you don’t have time to take it on and have to decline it (and maybe recommend someone else)
• Sending a proposal to a potential client

Example

Hi Bill,
 
Thanks for your email. I’m afraid I’m booked up with several projects at the moment so don’t have time to take on the redesign of Microsoft.com

You might like to try Steve from Apple.com – another very good designer that I highly recommend.

Best of luck with your project

3. Contract/Proposal

Once you’ve gathered your clients requirements and have a good understanding of what they require, you need to send them a contract and proposal. Things this document should include:

1. Outlines both parties obligations
2. What you are going to produce and the deliverables
3. How much the project will cost
4. Payment plan e.g. 50% up front deposit, 50% on completion
5. Signatures from both parties

Examples

• Andy Clarke has an excellent example of a killer contract
• Freelance contracts: do’s and don’ts

4. Services & Pricing

I personally don’t use this one (so I wouldn’t call this essential) but it’s useful to have. A document outlining your services and prices. This way you can send potential customers a list of what you do and also give them a ballpark figure for how your pricing works.

It’s good to get this out of the way up front in case their budget doesn’t suit your pricing.

Examples

Haystack shows rough pricing costs for studios.

5. Invoice

An invoice template that you can send to clients requesting payment. I highly recommend you use some sort of invoicing system, there are lots to choose from.

Invoices should include:

1. Who the invoice is to (client)
2. Who the invoice is from (you)
3. Date and invoice number
4. Service(s) carried out
5. Total costs
6. Any terms e.g. Payment required on receipt of invoice
7. A little thank you note

Examples

• Freshbooks
• Billings
• The Invoice Machine
• Simply Invoices

What do you have prepared?

Do you have any other documents at the ready? Please share with myself and others below.