For graphic designers, clients are everything. And why shouldn’t they be? They are the chief source of revenue and income for designers.

But no graphic design is willing to sell his pride and prestige for any amount of money. Designers get paid to work on graphic design projects and not listen to demeaning comments from clients.

Although client criticism is part and parcel of the game, let us be clear on the two aspects of criticism.

The first aspect is the constructive criticism and the other is pessimistic criticism.

Constructive criticism is always helpful for graphic designers as they help them identify their loopholes and strengthen their areas of weakness. Sometimes clients criticize simply because they want the designer to work with optimum efficiency.

The other extreme is the pessimistic criticism. Some clients criticize just for the sake of it. Graphic designers need to distinguish between the two before reacting. But it’s always better to be proactive than reactive. Let us learn how we can handle client criticism in a proactive manner:
 
Become an active listener
One of the best techniques of remaining proactive is to become an active listener. When graphic designers are tackling difficult clients, patience is virtue.

Learn to listen more and speak less. That way you can avoid a tussle with the clients who mete out insults and verbal assaults.

Even if the client is criticizing without a concrete reason, let him. Sooner or later, he will eventually become worn out of the arguing. There is no point in quarreling over a discussion that has no end to it.

Control your anger
Whether you work in the field of graphic design or not, there is one thing that we all need to be careful about. Professionalism demands control over your anger.

It is a known fact that whosoever has let their anger get in the way of their professional dealings have been unsuccessful.

While I know it is easy to say and difficult to implement this, we need to realize that whatever criticism we hear in our professional careers, there is nothing to take personal.

That is why I particularly like the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

 

Distinguish good and bad criticism
The first thing that you need to know while handling client criticism is to distinguish the good from the bad.

As I mentioned earlier, some criticisms are for the graphic designers’ betterment and improvement, while some are just mere arguments for the sake of argument.

There are some common statements that client say which can help identify the negative censure from the positive feedbacks. One way is of finding out is through bilateral communication.

Try to clarify the intentions of the client and not presume what he meant to say.

Convince the client with your intellect
There are two ways that a human body is administered. Either we do what our brains tell us or we listen to the heart.

Although our heart helps us through many grave situations, but it is not very useful when someone is aggressively criticizing you and your work.

This is the place where a calm and collected mind comes in handy. Instead of reacting brashly, try to convince your client using your intellect and brain power. Outwit the client with your knowledge and dexterity by giving logical and rational explanations.

Never panic
Sometimes, clients can come up with outrageous suggestions and unfeasible deadlines for their project. This aggravates graphic designers who suddenly panic when they listen to these impractical things that clients ask them to do.

The key here is never to say die.

A competent graphic designer never backs down from challenges. If you are given an unachievable deadline to complete a project, don’t panic. Simply accept it and clarify the client the minimum time required in the entire procedure.
 
Be self-motivated
The ultimate step to handling design criticism is to be self-motivated. Negative censure and verbal insults cause a graphic designer to lose enthusiasm in his work. It reduces the designer’s motivation level.

Obviously, dealing with client objections and criticisms isn’t every graphic designer’s bag of tricks. You need to learn to be self-motivated constantly. The key here is to believe in yourself. If you think that you are right, then no amount of criticism can impair you.




Charlie B Johnson is graphic designer and the owner of Graphic Design Blog, a web resource for graphic designers everywhere.