Creative Boom Survey Reveals Seven Common Client Feedback Phrases That Haunt Designers
Creative Boom sought input from its community regarding client feedback nightmares and received a wealth of responses. The article outlines seven frequently encountered phrases along with suggested replies. For instance, creative strategy director Lee Davies shares that clients' pre-emptive threats stem from their anxiety rather than the creative output itself. Brand strategist Richard Davis points out that requests for simpler designs often reveal clients' inability to articulate their business concerns. Graphic designer Max Mann recounts an incident where a marketing lead insisted on revisions, stating a design resembled something from Canva. Marketing director Claire Mcdivitt discusses the elusive budget dilemma. Creative coach Vicki Lovegrove cautions against the phrase, "I'll know it when I see it." The piece recommends establishing clear budgets, presenting rejected designs, and organizing meetings for improved feedback.
Key facts
- Creative Boom asked its community for client feedback horror stories and received many replies.
- Lee Davies, creative strategy director at Peter and Paul, was told a client would be extremely unhappy if final work looked like the presentation.
- Brand strategist Richard Davis says the problem often isn't the design but the client lacking words for the underlying feeling or business concern.
- Graphic designer Max Mann was told by a head of marketing that a design looked like something they could do in Canva and to do it again.
- Marketing director Claire Mcdivitt describes a client who claimed no budget, then rejected all options as too expensive, revealing a hidden budget.
- Creative coach Vicki Lovegrove recalls a client who never 'saw it' and parted ways; months later the final work was just a word in Arial.
- Illustrator Kotryna Zukauskaite was told a picture of a tall building looked a little phallic by some office colleagues.
- Christina Cooksey, founder of Ceiling Train, still haunted 15 years later by the feedback 'Approved with disappointment.'
Entities
Artists
- Lee Davies
- Richard Davis
- Max Mann
- Claire Mcdivitt
- Vicki Lovegrove
- Kotryna Zukauskaite
- Richard Lowes
- Christina Cooksey
Institutions
- Creative Boom
- Peter and Paul
- Lucidity
- Ceiling Train
- Punch Hospitality
- The Studio