Mar 03 2010
The Client’s Pain
Bryn Mawr College was my very first client. The school was and remains one of the great liberal arts colleges. Located outside Philadelphia, it has a stunningly pretty campus and a rigorous curriculum (I remember the first line of the viewbook: “Bryn Mawr is a stern taskmistress.”) My assignment was to design a new admissions publication program. The year was 1982.
The client was the dean of admissions. She had attended Bryn Mawr and served there for decades. She had a regal demeanor and ruled the roost. You didn’t mess with her. She had been the dean since I was 13 years old.
I saw the assignment as the great opportunity it was. They invited a high standard and they were open to new ideas. The photographer was the late Bruce Stromberg (http://search.veer.com/bruce+stromberg?producttype=IMG&category=Image), who had just been featured in Communication Arts, and who I had worked with at the University of Pennsylvania. I worked on the project without regard to time. It was exciting; all the conditions were right.
To my idealistic mind the layouts I presented on a cold winter day were perfect. Every nuance was considered; each type decision, each photo, was in exquisite balance. All the visual elements interlocked to form a spatial universe in two dimensions. (Okay, I might be overdoing this…but just a little.)
I made my presentation. The dean liked it. She was excited. She felt I’d captured the spirit of the place. Then, almost offhandedly, she said, “But make the type on the cover bigger.” What? But it was…perfect. In hindsight, the type—“Bryn Mawr College” set in letterspaced small caps—was really small. I saw this as visually elegant and purposely understated, an indicator of institutional self confidence.
I knew that whatever I said next was critical. A make-it or break-it moment. Plus she was just telling me what to do. I mean, I was the designer, a member of the sacred tribe, the guild. We don’t get bossed around! While feigning a mature composure my mind raced as I considered what Paul Rand or Saul Bass would say (of course they never had to defend themselves…did they?).
I said, “You mean you want the type to have more attention?”
“That’s right,” she replied agreeably. The universe began to regain its equilibrium.
“What if the type were bold, or red, or maybe appeared white against a solid bar?”
“Sure. Great.”
The client voiced a concern, but she expressed it in the form of a solution (make the type bigger). I addressed what she cared about (the type needs more attention). The client suggested the one solution she could think of. As a designer, I was able to think of three. But I was only able to offer them because, instead of responding to a dictate, I stated the problem. It was the classroom example of the client/designer contract: the client states what they care about, the designer gives it form.
I’ve benefited from the lesson of that wintry day ever since.
Rick Landesberg, Landesberg Design
www.landesbergdesign.com
6 Responses to “The Client’s Pain”
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A great lesson. I’ve also heard it expressed this way, “Never give the client what they ask for.” Meaning just what you said. The client describes a solution, but what you need to hear is the problem.
That really is a great piece of advice Rick. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I remember you telling us this story on a AIGA studio tour. You really do bring to light an often over looked point. As graphic artist the visual language is very close to us. To clients it may seem like a foreign language. Thank you for sharing this very helpful bit of knowledge.
The beauty is that it works in other facets of life as well — restating someone’s concerns in a slightly different way (mirroring) expresses empathy, ensures that both of you are on the same page, and opens the door for exploring alternatives. Of course, the hard part is remembering to do that “While feigning a mature composure…” and despite a racing mind. What a great reminder — I’ll try it today.
This story is excellent. It is about listening to the client, not reacting with emotion, (alhtough Rick’s initial thoughts were emotional, he got control of his emotions, and responded to the Owner’s concern rather than her direction!) Listen, remove emotion, clarification. Text book communication skill!
Once again, words of wisdom from Rick. It’s so often the case that as designers and so close to our work that we see only the approach we’ve takes as the right one…much can be learned from the clients fresh eyes as they see something and react. And as Rick says, it’s so important to stay open, listen carefully and be ready to shape a response any number of ways.