The Things That Hold a Designer Back from Client Success

Bad clients are the worse. I know because I used to complain about them all the time.

They make you despise answering the phone, fear opening emails, and dread the awkward Zoom calls that ruin your mood for the rest of the day. They nitpick over fonts, unapologetically change the scope, respect no boundaries, and undeniably wake up thinking about ways in which to torture their lowly designers. And there are probably hundreds, maybe even thousands, of online groups and forums where designers could endlessly compare stories about the most egregious experiences created by these terrible people.

No doubt, bad clients do exist, but what if they don’t own all the responsibility of the experience? What if bad behavior was only a result of processes and boundaries not being in place? What if some of these would-be villains aren’t even “bad” people, but have just been led astray by lackluster onboarding and guidance through what should be a pleasurable, informative and collaborative process? Dare I say, what if your design clients are only matching the level of energy (keep that same energy, as the young folks say) that you are giving them? If the majority of your client experiences have been negative or deemed unsuccessful, it may be time to look in the mirror and examine if your actions as the service provider are driving these…