All of us have been there. It’s a familiar story: the client project that started so promisingly begins to fall apart. The client project, which started with such promise, begins to unravel. What’s the good news? The good news? If you look carefully, there are usually warning signs.
Red flags are those moments that signal a project is heading for chaos. We asked creatives with years of experience to tell us what they see. These are some of the warning signs and what can be done to bring things back into order.
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1. The short that’s not really a Brief
Martin Farrar Smith, Chief Design Officer at Manifest, says that it’s one of the worst phrases in the creative lexicon. “When the client says ‘I’ll know it when I see it’, that’s when you’re in for the long haul,” He warns.
The vagueness of this directive may be masked as creativity, but it is a failure to plan a project. It is impossible to measure or define success without clear goals.
How to proceed: Reject the offer immediately. You should insist on an in-depth briefing where you are able to extract objectives, audience targets and success metrics. Do not start creating until you know the parameters within which to design.
2. The disappearing act
Another major warning sign is when clients who were previously very communicative suddenly stop communicating. Core Sway, a mixed-media and graffiti artist notes that: “Radio silence when someone has previously been very communicative” often signals underlying problems.
“I’m having that at the moment,” notes video producer Nick Hill. “A client who’s always been great to deal with but owes me money and, I think, is having cash flow issues. Suddenly, I’m not hearing anything about that stuff they wanted that was super-urgent.”
Communication breakdowns are often a sign of financial problems, politics within the company, or a lack of commitment to the project’s direction.
How to proceed: Directly but diplomatically address the silence. You can send a professional, short email to acknowledge the new communication style and ask for a quick update. Prepare contingency plans in case of non-payment, or cancellation of the project.
3. Devaluation trap
“I could do it myself, but I haven’t the time” This phrase immediately lowers the value of your knowledge. This phrase is a warning from designer and lecturer Vincent Walden, and copywriter Denise Strohsahl. “biggest red flag EVER!”
What is wrong with this? This statement implies that the client sees design as an easy execution, rather than a skillful problem-solving procedure, which can lead to unrealistic expectations, and even conflict over revisions.
How to proceed: Early education is key. Explain the process you use and your strategic reasoning behind creative decisions. You can share case studies to show the impact that good design has on business compared with amateur efforts.
4. Budget black holes
Colin Kersley, illustrator, highlights a portentous client statement “We don’t have a budget”. This can sometimes be a good opportunity, but it is more likely to indicate that clients are looking for the lowest price rather than best value.
How to proceed: Distinguish between “no budget yet” You can also find out more about the following: “no budget ever”. Help them to understand the typical levels of investment for their goals if it is the first. You can politely refuse or suggest a more affordable alternative.
5. Stakeholder explosion
Matthew Gallagher, a designer and artist, warns against “new executives or consultants showing up in the development phase and questioning everything from the project’s goals to the implementation”. It usually means that there is internal conflict or a change in the organisation.
Designer and creative director Yvonne Crandall reaffirms this. “New stakeholders—or too many—is a disaster unfolding,” She maintains. “I once had a call with 13 marketers on it. Guess how that project went?”
How to proceed: From the beginning, establish clear hierarchies for decision making. In the event that new stakeholders are involved, it is important to hold a meeting in order to re-align expectations.
6. Feedback nightmare
Amy Hood, the co-founder and CEO of Hoodzpah identifies a second common sign of chaos: “Stakeholders all giving separate feedback and all contradicting each other, in one massive email thread.” It creates a situation in which one stakeholder is automatically disappointed by another.
Mark Dormand, the designer at Mark Dormand, is very cautious when it comes to new clients. “bad-mouthing the previous creatives involved” And ponders “Were they really to blame, or are you just seeing how they’ll describe you, further on down the line?”
How to proceed: Implement feedback systems that are structured. All comments must be routed through one project manager. Insist on prioritised, consolidated feedback instead of conflicting opinions.
7. Content crisis
Fatema Poonawala, designer and UX/UI expert, highlights one of the most frustrating things clients say. “Just start designing now, we’ll give you the content later.” The clumsy way in which posters and website wireframes are designed will lead to a lot of rework, as well as missed deadlines.
How to proceed: Start visual work only after you have at least a provisional draft. Explain that content structure is fundamentally affecting design decisions, and how adding copy to completed designs can compromise both.
8. Simple but deceiving
“Just a quick job” Katie Hamilton, a freelance graphic designer, says that it never will be. Graphic designer Pedro Martins also groans when clients tell him: “It’s just a quick change!” These two phrases are simplistic and create unrealistic expectations regarding the time and effort needed.
How to proceed: Show how complex a request can appear to be. How to: “quick changes” Often, updates are required across multiple formats or touchpoints.
9. Technical mismatch
Man Made’s creative director identifies customers who are ready to buy. “ask for a pitch deck designed in PowerPoint” Another warning sign. It is a sign of a basic misunderstanding about professional design workflows and tools.
How to proceed: Offer alternatives and explain the limitations. Add extra time if they insist that you use PowerPoint because of the limitations it imposes.
You can walk away from a situation
It is best to avoid these red flags in the beginning. Zeynep Akay, type designer at Dalton Maag and Creative Director, stresses the importance of “a collaborative workshop to really define the creative brief”Instead of diving right into development, it is better to take a step back and plan first.
Geraldine Nassieu Maupas, the founder of Enem Studio and a design studio in Montreal, adds a preventative measure to this list: Never accept clients that insist on requiring a certain level of service. “not sharing a brief and not wanting to share their references”.
Red flags can be so severe or numerous that it is best to reject the project. Martin says: “I’ve never had success with a client who’s used another agency, not got what they want, and then come to us with little to no budget. Nine times out of ten, it’s because the client is a sociopath and not because the agency isn’t delivering.”
Early recognition of these warning signals can save not only individual projects, but also your agency’s profitability, reputation and morale. It’s important to address problems as soon as possible, rather than waiting for them to resolve themselves.
Remind yourself that a client causing chaos at the beginning of the project will most likely cause chaos all throughout. Trust your gut, establish clear boundaries and do not be afraid of having difficult discussions early in the project.