Remember; you were hired for a reason

I read an article a while back that said during the design pitch for the Apple logo, Steve Jobs made a suggestion to the designer, and the designer said, “No, that’s not the way I designed it…” and Steve Jobs left it at that! That takes confidence. Also, it shows that the designer knew his worth.

In today’s world you’re probably not the only person someone knows, who does design. So why did they choose to hire you? Simple. They like your style, your insight and your vision. As a young designer, it’s easy to forget that you are in the driver’s seat of the design, especially when confronted by someone who is writing your paycheck.

Your client hired you for a reason. They want you to make your mark on their business. It’s your job to take their name, business and history and present it in a simple, complete, beautiful package. You do have to do is listen to what they say (everyone of your clients will have suggestions) but then its your job to take their suggestions and, like a gardener, keep the healthy good ideas and prune the dead or bad ones. As you’re going through the ideation phase, keep their suggestions in the forefront of your mind, but more importantly let your vision and expertise flow through their vision.

As you receive feedback from them, don’t be afraid to reject some of their ideas (make it red/can we add a shine to it/lets make it pop/my dog is always in the office can we have her in there?) Own your design and decisions.

In the end, if you’re in control on the design rather than the client. You’ll be happier, they’ll be happier with their design and they will have more confidence in your skills (as will you!)

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