One of the things I’ve learned in my career as a web designer is that a good designer knows how to educate the client, and sell them on a good idea. We have to remember that we’re not just designers, but marketers. We also have an ethical responsibility to not create web sites that are going to hurt the client’s business, even if they want us to. Designers should be up front with clients and let them know that what they want to do (ie. a bad design) will actually hurt their business. Sometimes you have to throw in a statistic or two, but with a little skill, it can be done. If the client is really so hard-headed that they won’t listen to your professional advice, then it’s time to fire the client. :)

I cannot completely agree with this view, although it would be foolish to not acknowledge the reality of such projects. This is where I have to agree with Sam. It is a huge challenge for designers to educate clients about design and its benefits. Sadly, it doesn’t happen as often as it should. We usually face two challenges; 1. clients do not understand design or misunderstand it 2. Designers fail to articulate in much needed clarity, their ideas to the audience and most importantly the design process. Point 2 can be tackled by taking clients through research, including them in brainstorming sessions, showcasing sketches of all ideas, interaction concepts and models, mood boards, the construction of design, etc. If this aspect of client interaction is taken care of well, then it would far easier to surpass the challenge of convincing clients into good design and set benchmarks within the provided boundary, both for clients and designers.

Thanks. I really needed this today when I discovered that animated gifs are not dead and that a client really wants one for a logo. Kill me now.

I think the biggest issue for me and probably many others is – the amount of time spent on coding the visual and it ends up not getting approved.