Design doctrine
37 Signals’ Jason Zimdars hits the nail squarely today in his post Stop following directions and start designing:
Of course it is totally understandable to take the ideas of those that pay our bills as gospel. But we should also be reminded that those same people hired us for our expertise. If they just wanted someone to follow orders, they’d probably have hired someone else.
This is especially true in our jobs here on North Temple Street, where design instruction can come from the same people who write actual Church doctrine. I fear too few of us stand up for our own truths, the truths of proportion and color and composition.
While our customers – and yours certainly – are well versed in the gospels of their own sphere, we are the trained experts of design. Often these people who demand that the page doesn’t scroll or whatnot haven’t a clue as to how their message should be communicated.
Instead, let us assert our expertise. Carefully take the customers’ feedback, adjust the design as you see fit, and with confidence explain why those decisions were necessary. In the end, you’ll have progressed the design in ways that improve the product – and not the egos – of your customers.