Design Clients from Hell: How Do You Keep Your Sanity?

Just how do you keep yourself sane when dealing with design clients from hell?

Watch what happens in a meeting with a client and tell us what you’d do.

Designer:
I spent the last week working on the website, and I’m really excited to show you what I’ve done.

Client:
Love it. It’s perfect. It’s better than the internet.

Designer:
That’s great. I’m so pleased, I’ll package it up right away,

Client:
Actually, I hate it. I despise it. What is this? Is it a website? It smells, it smells like a foot.

Designer:
I’m sorry. The website doesn’t have a smell.

Client:
It’s not the website, of course. Maybe it’s you. Maybe it’s not. I don’t like you. I mean, I mean not you. My wife is going to hate it. She hates everything.

Designer:
We are on a tight schedule, would you mind being a tad more specific.

Client:
It needs more pop. I need more pop. I need to it to be like Britney in the 2000. Just like a nice Fanta orange. You got it? More pop! Pop, pop it.

Designer:
I am not quite sure what you mean.

Client:
It has to be more traditional yet modern. More playful but serious. It needs to be more decorative yet minimal. You understand ?

Designer:
Those are contradictory qualities.

Meeting getting more spicy…

Client:
It needs more jazz, okay. Do you understand? It needs jazz. Like the Angel Gabriel and Frank Sinatra doing a nice Tinder date. Or a guacamole on a croissant. A Labradoodle crossed with a pigeon. Is that clear? Do you understand? Look, are you bloody stupid boy?

Designer:
Ooooh…

Client:
I don’t like this. I don’t like this bit over here.

Designer:
What bit exactly do you mean when you say that?

Client:
The words, right here. You see this. These two words here.

Designer:
That is the name of your company.

Client:
Yes! I hate it! Change it! Change it all!

Final Thoughts

Design clients from hell are real pain in the neck.

But you will meet at least one in your life, if not ten(!) of them.

So, how do you keep your sanity?

Comment on how you deal with design clients from hell.

If you enjoyed this video, then you will also like the the ones in the list below.

My Honest Take on Why Web Design is BORING Me

Changes in Figma: Free Collaboration Features Gone! What Now?

Is Design For Me? Considerations for Design Majors