Navigating choppy waters

Navigating choppy waters Words by David Wieland Graphics by Chelsea Ng

@davidwieland Clients are people too — they need love like everyone else Navigating choppy waters

@davidwieland Explaining design to non-designers is an underrated skill Navigating choppy waters

@davidwieland We b d e s i g n i s p e o p l e
all the way down Navigating choppy waters

@davidwieland Tussling with strangers Navigating choppy waters

@davidwieland I heard you guys like frameworks Navigating choppy waters

Setting sail Navigating choppy waters

Assembling the crew Navigating choppy waters
The calm before the storm
Navigating choppy waters
Disembarking

Assembling the crew Navigating choppy waters “Seamen learn to get to know each other during a storm.”

@davidwieland Why is my client not compatible with my methods? Assembling the crew

Because— Clients aren’t trained to think or work like designers! Assembling the crew

@davidwieland Show and tell each other how you do your work! Stay vigilant! Why is my client not compatible with my methods? Assembling the crew

@davidwieland Spotting   red flags Assembling the crew

S POTTING

RED

FLAGS “We don’t really have a budget, that’s why we’re asking you.” Try fishing for one! → Captain’s tip!

S POTTING

RED

FLAGS “We need a fixed price, but some stuff isn’t final yet.” Something’s   gotta give, kid! → Jennifer Nopez!

S POTTING

RED

FLAGS “This project   must be launched   by DD-MM-YY.” Avoid fixed deadlines! → Try this!

S POTTING

RED

FLAGS “You won’t be in contact with decision makers. ” Hope you like playing Chinese Whispers ! → That’s dumb!

S POTTING

RED

FLAGS “Our management wants to see an upfront design.” → So you want us to design your website before we design your website? That’s cute!

“Our management wants to see an upfront design.” In a design pitch, no one wins J ARIJN N IJKAMP   →

http://bit.ly/grayscale_pitch Share this with your client! Assembling the crew

@davidwieland Spotting   red flags Assembling the crew Saying “No”   is always an option. Remember, kids!

@davidwieland Unmasking shadow stakeholders Assembling the crew

Who can terminate the project? Who are the loose cannons? Any signs of internal turbulence? U NMASKING

SHADOW

STAKEHOLDERS

@davidwieland Unmasking shadow stakeholders Assembling the crew Tell horror stories of what happens when you don’t involve management Try this!

The calm   before the storm Navigating choppy waters When the sea is calm, every ship has a good captain.

@davidwieland Accept what you don’t know The calm   before the storm

@davidwieland Accept what you don’t know The calm   before the storm Determine if your client can drive the project for you Try this!

@davidwieland When things are going too well The calm   before the storm

@davidwieland The calm   before the storm Projects risk total collapse during a feign lull Stay vigilant! When things are going too well

@davidwieland Taking criticism The calm   before the storm

“When facing criticism, stop and ask yourself: Is this helpful or not helpful?”

  — Chappell Ellison http://bit.ly/chappell_criticism

T AKING

CRITICISM

“Looks like something my kids bring home from school.” “I can’t relate to what you’re giving us.” Not helpful Helpful T RANSLATING

CRITICISM

“I just don’t like it.” “I’m missing something, but   I don’t know how to tell you.” Not helpful Helpful T RANSLATING

CRITICISM

“It’s very… interesting.” “Boy, this is a huge departure and I need some time to process this.” Not helpful Helpful T RANSLATING

CRITICISM

@davidwieland Everything is going great — until it isn’t The calm   before the storm

There’s a set of rules we live by.   Rule One is simply:   “Don’t adopt anxiety.”   — Mike Monteiro →

http://bit.ly/mike_anxiety W HEN

THINGS

GO

HORRIBLY

WRONG

H ANDLING

ANXIOUS

CLIENTS Take a deep breath Don’t get defensive Listen carefully Don’t assign blame Say you’ll look into it Don’t promise anything else
Discuss with your team

Navigating choppy waters Hope for the best,   but prepare for the worst. Navigating choppy waters

@davidwieland Handling progressive insight Navigating choppy waters

L IST

OF

PLACES

WE ’ VE

ALL

BEEN

TO

BEFORE “Now that I look at it again…” “Could you try something totally different?” “Our marketing team wants…” “We should use our corporate font though.”

“I thought that…?” “I asked my wife/neighbor/cat and they said…”

@davidwieland Document everything Navigating choppy waters

@davidwieland Document everything Navigating choppy waters Keep written records of any decision a client might backtrack on. If only to make sure you’re not insane

Remember kids— the difference between screwing around and science is writing it down.   — Adam Savage D OCUMENT

EVERYTHING

@davidwieland Too many captains will sink any ship Navigating choppy waters

Yo u’ r e r e p o r t i n g t o s e v e r a l
departments and they directly contradict each other   !

T HAT

FEELING

WHEN

They swoop in,

make a lot of noise,

crap on people , maybe eat their lunch,

and fly away.   — James unter S EAGULL M ANAGER H

@davidwieland Design mutiny Navigating choppy waters

D ESIGN

MUTINY When your client takes matters in their own hands

Imma let you finish, but this is what we came up with so why don’t you try and work with that W HEN

THEY

BE

LIKE

@davidwieland Design mutiny Navigating choppy waters Could be indicative you’ve completely misread them Watch out!

@davidwieland Revolving door stakeholders Navigating choppy waters

R EVOLVING

DOOR

STAKEHOLDERS What begins as a website project, often ends up as a corporate restructuring Ancient Chinese proverb

F LASH

BACK !!

F LASH

BACK !!

Review current blockers

Reassess project goals Reassign individual responsibilities

Suspend the project I NTERVENTION

TIME !

Being a pawn in your political tug-of-war is a) mentally exhausting   and b) imminently detrimental to your project quality,   so either cut this energy-draining bullshit, or we’re walking away I NTERVENTION

TIME : N UCLEAR E DITION !

Disembarking After the ship has sunk, everyone knows how she might have been saved. Navigating choppy waters

@davidwieland When it doesn’t look as advertised Disembarking

@davidwieland When it doesn’t look as advertised Disembarking Uh-oh! Someone clearly fudged it! From design mockup to actual website is a huge step and requires strict coordination

@davidwieland Demystifying User Acceptance Testing (UAT) Disembarking

All teams agree what to test for Yo u t r e a t UAT a s a p u b l i c a t i o n d e a d l i n e
Client reports issues systematically There’s still time to address the issues Y OU ’ RE

DOING UAT RIGHT

WHEN

@davidwieland Parting ways Disembarking

T HANK

YOU ! Don’t adopt other people’s anxiety   http://bit.ly/mike_anxiety Giving and taking criticism   http://bit.ly/chappell_criticism What are Design Ops and why should you care?   http://bit.ly/dave_designops In a design pitch, no one wins   http://bit.ly/grayscale_pitch