“Whenever I meet with a new client for the first time, I always tell them this: It’s not important that you like the design I’m going to make for you.
It’s always humorous to see the client’s reaction to this statement. Most look inquisitive, others look downright baffled.
I then expound on my initial statement: “It’s a bonus if you like it, but the main objectives are that your business needs are met and that your customers like it.”
This is how the article by Wes McDowell starts, and it’s not an approach I hear of most of the time. It’s easier indeed to follow client’s personal preferences than to explain to them that their customers are more important, although I am not sure that client’s personal approach is more often connected to paying out of one’s pocket as Wes suggests. Nevermind, it’s small details that don’t affect his main point: the project will be more successful if client’s personal preferences are set aside and the focus is put firmly on the needs of people who will be using the finished product.