7 Lines Of Client Feedback That Knock You Sideways And How To Stop Them Living Rent Free In Your Head

Creative Boom: Seven lines of client feedback that knock you sideways, and how to stop them living rent-free in your head Got a sentence that's keeping you awake at night? Here's how to reclaim your confidence. Image licensed via Adobe Stock Image licensed via Adobe Stock No one likes to be criticised. But it can sting even worse when it comes from a client who doesn't understand the first thing about what you do. So if you ever see a group of designers, illustrators or art directors gather together, it won't be long before they start sharing horror stories of clients from hell. Sometimes, though, getting client feedback off your chest isn't enough.

It starts to bury itself, deep down in your brain. And it doesn't matter how successful you get in your career; it never quite goes away. One thing that can help is to recognise it's not just you; thousands of your fellow creatives have probably had similar things said to them, for reasons that have more to do with the client than their actual work. So we asked the Creative Boom community to share their client feedback horror stories, and there was no shortage of replies. You can view the full discussions on LinkedIn and our own creative network The Studio.

In the meantime, we've selected seven of the most common types below, along with some practical ways to respond. 1. The pre-emptive threat The feedback: Lee Davies, creative strategy director at Peter and Paul, was once told: "I just want you to be clear: if the final work ends up looking like what you've presented this week, I am going to be extremely unhappy." What's behind it: This is not critique; this is fear cosplaying as authority. The client is nervous about their boss, their stakeholders, their own standing. Not you or your ideas. How to respond Rather than getting defensive, be the bigger person. Stay calm and confident.

They are being weak, so you have to be the strong one here. Try to find out who else needs to sign off, what they're worried that person will say, and how you can help ease their fears. 2. "Can you make it look less designed?" The feedback: It's one of the most common "complaints" creatives shared with us: a client asking for the work to look less than professional, even though they hired a professional to make it! What's behind it: As brand strategist Richard Davis puts it: "Often the problem isn't the design itself, but that the client hasn't yet found the words for the feeling or business concern underneath the feedback." How to respond: T

here's usually an underlying fear which you'll need to draw out. Ask not what something "less designed" would look like, but what it would let them do that this version doesn't. For example, would it feel more approachable, seem cheaper, look less corporate? Questions like this will help uncover what they're really worried about (even if they don't know it themselves yet). 3.

The Canva comparison The feedback: "One thing that still haunts me," says graphic designer Max Mann, "is when a head of marketing said to me: 'It looks like I can do this in Canva, do it again'." Another common niggle is when clients mock up their own version in Canva first. What's behind it: Clients typically take this approach because they have no idea what's involved in crafting a professional design (as opposed to slapping some text onto a template) and think they can do better. How to respond: Bury that flash of anger, and save it for that pub conversation later.

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The article addresses common client feedback issues that can significantly affect creative professionals, making it relevant and moderately impactful, though the concepts discussed are not entirely new to the industry.