Client Responsive Design
In a world filled with Pinterest boards and Instagram posts, good design has never been more widely accessible to the public.
In years past, designers and clients relied on design magazines, books, and local projects for design inspiration, but now, hundreds to thousands of images can be saved, curated, and shared, all with the press of a button. Used responsibly, the ability to easily reference ideas, materials, and styles, is a great tool for both designers and clients, but there are also many pitfalls during the development of a project that can arise from these tools.
It’s on the internet, it must be true!
While misleading information may be a common occurrence online, many people don’t consider the misleading or incomplete nature of photos when referencing them for design. Camera angles, lighting, photo editing, and other manipulations can occur to a photo to make a room or space feel more refined than reality. Many of the photos available online have fallen into this trap, a beautifully photographed room doesn’t mean the final spatial experience lives up to the image.
The quality of a space is made up of many elements that can’t be captured through a lens, from sound and touch, proportion and scale, every sense is engaged when inhabiting a physical space. A good designer can help direct a client to think about all the implications of a design choice, they can take an image beyond the point of reference and integrate its ideas into a holistically designed project.
The customer is always right!
The classic saying may seem to be an easy approach for designers to take, especially when presented with fully realized projects to pull designs from. But the critical role of a designer is not fulfilled through following rote directions from clients, but to work as a partner and trusted advisor.
Good design is always attached to function, site, budget, and other qualities that are project specific. Designers provide a professional lens through which to view ideas. They serve as a curator, ensuring ideas presented by the client can be integrated into the project, serving the greater whole. This is why establishing trust between client and designer is key, to allow for moments when ideas or desires don’t fit within a specific project.
It takes a village!
In the end, the success of a project is a balancing act of many different elements and considerations. No one party can make a project succeed on their own. It takes a well-integrated and trustworthy team. This is why Clockwork values being a trusted advisor, who is flexible and listens actively to provide client responsive design.
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