Web Designer Questions To Ask Client And What To Do When You Can’t Understand Each Other

I know a lot of people who wanted to become designers but couldn’t because of their experience with clients. Everybody needs them, but to succeed, one has to learn the language of clients and, let’s be real, their psychology. Pros know the language and how to approach them, and only those with excellent communicational skills can achieve greatness. So what are the most important web designer questions to ask the client?

Web designer questions to ask client

We’ve all been there: the project seems perfect, you’re itching to go, and yet… the client has one particular idea in their mind, and that one idea screws everything up. Sometimes, clients simply don’t understand the specifics of your work or don’t want to understand. What to do then?

“Will you pay for this image?”

This one never changes. The concept of “copyrights” is as alien to many of us now as it was 15 years ago. And if before you could get away with murder, now it’s all automatic, and if you steal anything, chances are, the right holders will know about it in a matter of hours. Sometimes it might take years, but it’s inevitable and never worth the risk, because the rights holders don’t politely ask you to take the image down, they slap you with an invoice right away.

So what to do when your client wants you to “use Google” to find a picture?

Not everyone wants to pay for Shutterstock, and finding images on Google is dangerous. In that case, you can use Unsplash, which has a ton of free images. You can also pay for services like Shutterstock or Adobe Stock yourself to make your life easier. And if you need a picture of something particular, your client can hire a photographer. Sure, most clients don’t want to overpay but explain to them how they can be sued for pirating, and that’ll make them think twice before saying “forget about it.” The rule of thumb is “if the client doesn’t want to pay for the image they want, they don’t have a say in whatever picture you will use.”

“Why do you think my design is not good?”

This one stings: imagine working so much on something only to hear “it stinks” in the end. But don’t despair: sometimes words can make your client see things differently. See the client as a human being and not a plebeian who has no brainpower to perceive your genius. Instead of that, communicate your thought process to make them see what you are trying to achieve. Explain why your solution to the problem makes sense. No nerves, no hysteria — try to sound composed and professional. And don’t forget that sometimes… your client can be right. Yes, what a blasphemous thing to say! But they might know more about their business or marketing. So, stay positive, keep them rambling and try to see what they want to see. Sometimes it’s all about being able to see the other’s points of view.