I’m making an edit to this post to prove a point and hopefully clear somethings up.  I reread this post and maybe I came off a little harsh but I do still believe in what I wrote.  All things aside a good web designer who has experience and knows what they are doing has a responsibility to their client to provide them with the best possible product.  In the past when I would receive requests that I knew would be detrimental to a websites design, functionality or usability I would recommend against it but in the end I would fulfill the request.  (I’ve had requests to add anything from flashing rainbow starbursts, to naked women, to pictures of the family cat on websites, some I completed and others I didn’t.) I’ve seen how these mistakes can ruin a clients ability to retain “stickiness” and worse hurt their business.

You have to realize that in most cases you aren’t selling a website you’re selling a medium for your client to make money.  As the designer you have a responsibility to your client to make sure that medium is successful.  The client is not just paying me to blindly follow orders and just get the job done (being a “yes man”). They are paying me to improve their online marketing capabilities and provide a forum for lead generation, product sales or brand management.  Many of our clients aren’t working in the web industry and they don’t know what’s best for them.  They know what their competitors are doing, so they usually go with that.  Whether they know it or not they are relying on you (the designer) to guide them, even if that means putting your foot down and you have to do it with everything from simple design changes to massive functionality flaws to illegal requests (spamming, or explicit content).

Even putting the clients best interests aside I’m in this for the long haul.  I’m not going to sacrifice my beliefs and integrity to appease a clients wishes when I know it’s a poor decision.  I honestly can’t be apart of a clients self destruction.  Those of you who are disagreeing I want you to know I’m not talking about small design changes or simple revisions.  If you all still disagree that’s fine with me, I’ll be hanging out over here with my happy and successful clients.

The more projects I complete the more often I see my expertise and experience being over looked because of client preferences. None of the websites I’ve designed go live looking the same way they did in the composition and many times it’s the client who’s to blame.

I think it boils down to client expectations not being managed by account reps and designers alike. All too often a client will have an idea that isn’t expressed until it’s too late. Then you’re forced to squeeze it into a design that won’t accommodate it. This is how clients kill their own designs. They ask for a button here, or a star-burst there and it’s too late to redesign the comp so we just make it work.

On top of that we are pressured into taking design advice from individuals who have no design or web experience. It isn’t easy but I have the same conversation with everyone of my new clients. For example a restaurant owner might hire me to build his restaurant a new website. During the first client meeting I will discuss my plans for the website and inform the client that through this process they have to trust me. If they don’t trust me to build them a kick-ass website they shouldn’t be hiring me.  Your client has to understand that they are hiring a professional for a reason and they have to believe in that person to do a good job.

It’s your responsibility as a designer to not fall under temptations to just please the client. In the end it’s better for everyone involved if you ignore their poor recommendations and complete the work you know is best. It’s better for you because you don’t sacrifice your integrity and it’s better for the client because they get a better product (even if they don’t know it).

I’m not saying to ignore the client during the design and development phases. However, I am saying that you should NOT sacrifice a well designed website because a client is asking for something they can’t have, isn’t going to look good or worse isn’t functional. Make sure you segregate your clients needs from their wants so you know what you have to do to create a great product.

P.S. I find that as a web developer it is much easier to get a client to agree with what I recommend. As a web developer you can usually fill the conversation with enough technological jargon to confuse the client enough to get them to give in, haha (it’s not really a “good” tactic but it does work).

I can’t stand seeing companies pigeon hole themselves with a company name that is too specific. It forces them to work to reverse brand their own names. They’re paying to convince customers they offer more than their name suggests.

A good example is Burlington Coat Factory. They do carry a lot of coats but it’s less than 50% of what they sell. Obviously they started off as a coat factory but their company name doesn’t allow for company growth. Infact they have spent countless dollars marketing themselves with “We’re more than just coats”. The idea being to change the consumers mind and inform them that they don’t just sell coats.

At this point you are ensuring yourself more work and money spent to make sure consumers know what you do and sell. Be ready to change your business plan around what your consumers demand.

So many companies are forced to adapt to what their consumers need even if it isn’t what they planned on doing. You could start by selling only office chairs and years later be selling everything from staples to laptops.

When brainstorming your new company name make sure you are flexible and able to adapt to where ever your consumers take you.