August 19, 20245 min read

🧠 How to get better results as a client when working with designers · The Bunker #97

Hi friend 👋🏻!

A Newsletter in which we talk about UX Design and the Freelance Journey, dedicated to those who are starting out in both worlds and who feel identified.

From The Bunker, we accompany you on the way.

How to Achieve Better Results as Clients When Working with Designers

When a client seeks collaboration with a designer, several challenges often arise. The most common ones are:

The client has a problem that needs solving.
The client is unsure if the designer can deliver exactly what they want, even if they believe the designer has the ability to do so.
In some cases, the client isn't even clear about what they want. Although this third point is crucial, we'll leave it out of this article for now.

In today’s post, we’ll explore what actions a client can take to maximize the chances of getting satisfactory results when working with a designer. The key lies in effective communication, precision in details, and thorough documentation. Let's dive into each of these aspects in detail:

1. Clear and transparent communication

Communication is the cornerstone of any successful client-designer relationship. From the beginning, it’s essential for the client to be completely honest and straightforward with the designer. It’s not just about expressing what they want, but also about communicating doubts, insecurities, and even the lack of clarity in their own ideas. Some examples of how a client can express this include:

"I’m not exactly sure what I want."
"I’m open to hearing your suggestions."
"I have this idea, but I’m not sure if it can be improved with your expertise."

Being transparent from the start reduces misunderstandings and prevents the project from going in undesired directions. This is similar to visiting a doctor: if you only describe half the symptoms, it will be difficult to get an accurate diagnosis. Likewise, in design, sharing all thoughts, expectations, and concerns is essential for achieving a result aligned with what’s expected.

2. Be precise and detail-oriented

It’s common for a client to have a clear idea in mind, but the designer may not always interpret the information the same way. To avoid this, it’s crucial to break down every aspect of the project in detail, especially when transitioning from the design phase to the development phase.

A superficial design leads to poor development; conversely, a meticulously crafted design allows for much more accurate development. Therefore, the effort invested in detailing each point is key to the project’s success.

One strategy that can be very useful is creating a video where the design is explained, walking through each part of the project and clarifying possible interactions or behaviors that aren’t obvious in a static image. This virtual “tour” not only enhances the understanding of the design but also helps estimate development time and costs more realistically. Eliminating doubts at this early stage prevents future issues that could drive up costs or delay delivery.

It’s important to remember that developers generally don’t have a broad context of the project from the start. Their ability to understand the logic and purpose of the project based on the information provided depends on how clearly and precisely that information is delivered.

3. Documentation is never too much

Documentation isn’t a waste of time; on the contrary, it’s an investment that makes the process easier for both the designer and the client. Documenting not only organizes ideas and requirements but also forces the client to reflect on every detail and make more informed decisions:

"Do I really need this?"
"How will this feature work in a real scenario?"

An effective technique is generating scenarios or use cases that allow you to visualize how a user would interact with the product:

"How would a user create a task?"
"How would a user delete a tag?"

By putting yourself in the shoes of the end user, you can identify aspects that might have been overlooked while also defining functionalities and expectations more clearly.

Conclusion

To achieve the best results when working with a designer, clients should adopt a proactive approach based on open communication, precision in details, and solid documentation. These practices not only better align expectations between both parties but also ensure that the project is executed efficiently, minimizing errors and maximizing the quality of the final outcome. After all, a successful design is one that meets expectations and solves the problems it was created for, and this is only possible when the client and designer work in harmony from the start.

And a tip for all dear clients: Don’t be afraid to say “I’m not really sure what I want.” You won’t be wasting our time at all. In fact, quite the opposite: if you confuse us with assumptions, we’ll go in circles.

If you say from the start “I’m not clear on this,” we can help you with examples and references to narrow down your decision-making path, and you might even see things in a way you hadn’t considered before.

Until next time,

Jordi Espinosa.

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