Lessons from the Hair Stylist:
Fostering Effective Client / Designer Relationships

By Serena Howeth

I recently went to get my haircut for the first time in many months. My hair and I were in dire need. I knew I wanted the hairdresser to make me look sassy and stylish. I suppose that's a bit vague, but it was the best I could do, not being a professional and unable to describe the perfect cut that would bring out my best features while playing down my less appealing ones. I felt I was paying the stylist a good chunk of change to tell me what I needed. I also wanted to let her "do her thing." She was the expert after all and I didn't want to interfere with her creative process. When I left the salon and glanced at my image in a car window, I realized that instead of "sassy & stylish", I was "soccer mom". I wondered where it had all gone awry.

This type of miscommunication is a common problem when clients and designers work together, and not just in hair design. Leaving assumptions at the door, opening up communication and having a transparent process goes a long way in fostering an effective working relationship and a good, finished product. The tips below are a starting point in helping clients and designers work together more successfully.

Walk a mile...
It is valuable for both clients and designers to put themselves in the shoes of the other. As the client, if you feel the urge to tell the designer exactly how a design should look, check it. It's the equivalent of having a higher up tell you in minute detail how to perform your duties. As the designer, try to keep in mind the client does not have the benefit of years of schooling and/or design practice. He or she is looking to you for your expertise. While it's important to understand the client's problem, don't expect them to solve it (i.e., you would not expect your dentist to ask you which tooth to drill.)

Tips for clients

As the client, you know you have a problem that requires fixing. While you have some specific goals that need to be met, you may not be sure why the problem has occurred or what the best solution is. So, you hire a professional with the experience and expertise to devise and execute a solution.

• Enter the process with an open mind
  You will have a more creative and successful finished product if you enter the process with an open mind and are prepared for change. While outlining goals at the outset is both expected and needed, try to avoid making decisions based on emotional attachment. Clarify upfront what can and cannot be changed and why. I recently worked on a project in which our team presented three successful designs to the client. Each of the designs was rejected. The client chose to stay with the existing design simply because they were not emotionally prepared for change. The creative process was squandered - and so was a good portion of the client's budget.
• Hire an expert you trust
  Get recommendations, diligently review portfolios and thoroughly interview candidates and companies you are considering hiring for your design work. Do all that you can to ensure the person or company you hire is the right fit for your needs and will generate a desirable and appropriate solution. Ask to be educated about the process and kept informed throughout. Taking these steps will give you the comfort level needed to allow them to problem solve and allow you to have an open mind to the creative process.
• Give the expert the opportunity to solve the problem
  Explain the problem as comprehensively as possible, provide background materials, and define your parameters and goals up front. Try not to offer solutions - at least not at the project start. This approach does not preclude collaboration; rather it allows the designer the room to propose creative solutions based on the information you have provided. Micro-managing the designer does a disservice to both parties and is a money waster for you. Some helpful information to give to the designer includes project objectives, who the target audience is and the desired audience perception.

Tips for Designers

As the expert, we must understand the client doesn't always know the right questions to ask. Clients are not often aware of all the possibilities. It is the designer's job to address the client's needs and business objectives while offering solutions they could not have devised on their own.

• Keep the client informed and involved
  A client who has been involved throughout the process will more likely understand and buy into the final solution. Explain your process upfront and include the client in milestone reviews. It's easy to mistake an uninformed client for a difficult one. I recently worked on a project that cycled through several project leads on the client side. The last project lead came in towards the end of the process and questioned every decision that had been made. It was frustrating on both sides since she didn't understand the rationale behind our decisions, while we felt we had followed a very directed path to arrive at the solution. Because she was part of the process and decision-making on the second phase of the project, however, she bought into the solution and ended up as our advocate to the rest of her company.
• Uncover and discover
  Before even thinking about solutions (the design phase), conduct a thorough "archeology" phase. Dig for information, both obvious and obscure. Collect anything the client has on hand including collateral, annual reports, business plans and marketing materials. Conduct interviews with key stakeholders. Take photographs of the offices and employees. This source material will be the foundation of your design work. In addition, ask your client a set of pre-determined questions that will elicit the kind of information that will truly help inform your creative process. Often clients use phrases like "I want it to look cool", which are easy to misinterpret. Countering with more specific questions about project goals and desired audience perception will help keep the project on track.
• Offer genuinely creative solutions
  It is sometimes difficult to balance client requests with innovative solutions. As the designer, it is your job to listen. However, listening should not impede the creative process or hinder innovative solutions. I once had a client ask for a design that was primarily black, with large yellow type. After further questioning and a thorough "archeology phase", it was revealed that they really wanted a very masculine design to appeal to their target audience of males from 19-35. The finished piece was quite different since we were able to focus on objectives rather than allowing the client to solve the problem. One way to balance the objectives of listening and innovation is to present multiple designs. The first design should attempt to convey exactly what the client asked for. The other designs can then offer more unexpected solutions. Using this approach ensures the client feels "heard" and the design team maintains some creative freedom.

From soccer mom to style maven - the perfect synergy
I went to a different hair stylist this month. I first approached a woman at a café with a great haircut and asked her for the name of her stylist. When I went to the new hairdresser, I told her that I felt my face was too round and I wanted to highlight one of my better features - my eyes. She asked me a series of detailed questions about my likes and dislikes. She even showed me a selection of photos of different hairstyles. Together, we created the perfect synergy - an articulate yet trusting client and a conscientious yet creative designer. Subsequently, I left the salon with a haircut that I could not have imagined on myself, feeling both sassy and stylish.