Keeping design clients happy: The art of balancing preferences

You might say I’ve worked with a handful of clients, but that would really be an understatement.

Our design team works with hundreds of brands on a daily basis.

Making clients happy is essential to our work.

To keep these clients happy, I’ve seen how important it is to juggle what our clients want with what makes for great design.

What the client wants may not always look good, but we still have to maintain our quality standards as a company.

It’s like walking a tightrope sometimes, but I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve to keep everyone happy.

Understanding what your design client wants when they request new designs

First things first: we’ve got to get inside our client’s head.

Whether they’re after a logo, a website, or something else, we need to know what they’re picturing.

So, I prompt them to figure out their goals, what they like, and what they don’t.

It’s all about getting on the same page.

If you don’t have the time to talk to each client every time they request a design, you could have a set checklist of items you need from them in the design brief.

For example, you can have a form with questions ready for them to answer to help you understand what they want, or even an upload link for them to send you any of their existing design assets, past work, and more.

You can have these sent over email or instant messaging for faster communication.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions to make sure you are getting their concept right.

This will also help make your client feel more involved and assure them that you have the same idea for their design.

Talking about graphic design and design trends with clients

Not everyone speaks “design,” and that’s okay!

Not everyone has the design skills and know-how, and that’s why they end up hiring us in the first place.

At times, clients may not understand what you mean if you are using too many design terms or jargon.

Part of my job is to help our clients understand why we make certain choices.

This may mean simplifying or explaining the terms we use.

We find that visuals also help clients understand things better.

For instance, if we’re talking about negative space in a design, I’ll show a visual comparison of a design with and without it.

When it comes to design trends, it helps to show businesses that successfully used the trend in their field and how they executed the design.

People always understand things better when they see the results visualized.

It’s all about making design less intimidating and more relatable.

Keeping design clients happy with compromises

Once we’ve got an idea of what our client wants, we’ve got to blend it with our design know-how.

Sometimes, that means making compromises.

Say a client wants a super simple logo for their clothing store, so we come up with something sleek and minimal.

But when we send it for approval, they tell us they want a bit more pizzazz!

This happens more often than you think.

We, of course, have to follow what the client wants while still maintaining their initial request for a simple logo.

So, we talk it out.

We’ll ask what part of the logo they find lacking and what changes they want to add.

After all, their “bit more pizzazz” might just mean a color change, adding certain elements, or moving things around.

It doesn’t necessarily mean a massive change in the design.

We’ll tweak things here and there until we find a middle ground that everyone loves.

Maintaining open communication throughout the design project

Throughout the design process, we’re all about keeping things transparent and chatting with our clients.

If we hit a snag or need to change something up, we’re quick to let the client know.

Even before the deadline, we’re always asking for feedback and tweaking our designs until they’re just right.

Without good communication, your clients may not know what you’re doing and may even assume that you aren’t working on their requests.

Never let your client feel left out or unheard. That’s how you lose them!

Keeping happy graphic design clients

Finding the sweet spot between what clients want and what makes for killer design isn’t always easy, but it’s what we do best at Deer Designer.

By listening to our clients, making compromises when needed, teaching them a bit about design, and keeping the conversation flowing, we’re able to create designs that everyone’s proud of.

At the end of the day, it’s not just about making something pretty—it’s about making something that works for our clients and their audience.

This is how we keep good relationships with our clients and convert them from new clients to lasting clients. I hope that’s useful to you too!

Key takeaways

• The client, though they want to be, may not always be right when it comes to design work. It is important to compromise to keep them happy and satisfied while still maintaining your design standards.
• The client may not know what you need from them every time they request a design. Make sure to have a chat with them, ask questions, and get the design references you’ll need to make their design.
• Not everyone speaks design, so it helps to tell your clients why you made certain design choices in simpler terms if not visuals.
• More often than not, you will have to tweak designs to match your client’s needs and wants.
• Always keep your clients updated on the progress of your design project.