‘Look kids I designed that house!’
‘The one that looks like a rotten turnip?’
‘Yeah the colour wasn’t my choice’
‘Why is the door wonky?’
‘Because that’s what the client wanted’
‘Is that a giant bowling ball?’
‘Thats the garage!’
‘Oh it looks like a giant bowling ball to me’
‘Yeah not quite a quaint Georgian garage that would’ve blended perfectly with the neighborhood is it?’
…
You can just feel the pride oozing out of this fictional architect’s mouth.
If you’re looking to deliver creativity to clients it seems inevitable that you will encounter compromises, alterations you don’t agree with and decisions you wouldn’t make (unless you’re so famous they wouldn’t dare).
But I think to smother the outraged inner voice and give the client whatever they want leaves very little room for pride in one’s work.
Yes there’s a small chance the client will be swayed by the rationale behind your choices but I think voicing them can lead to work your proud of and at the very least make you feel better for trying.
Thomas Duggan 