For 6 years, our company has been designing and developing mobile applications. We have experimented a lot with process optimization both inside the company and when working with clients. As a result, we have formed our own, in many ways unique, style of work.

I lead the design department and want to share our approach to work. In this article I will tell you how to build work with a client so that it is efficient and comfortable for both parties.

We are an outsourcing company. Customer satisfaction is one of the most important performance criteria. I think this is true for any service sector. In this regard, our processes are very different from product design.
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Just want to note that the role of the designer in our company is multifaceted. It is present at all stages of the project: from the sale stage to the release. In addition to direct responsibilities - design and interface design, he takes part in analytics, communication with the client, development support and testing.

The project should have a person who understands the business requirements and expectations of the client, can correlate them with the technical capabilities of the platforms and at the same time does not forget about the users.

We formalize the expectations

Most of the problems that I encountered while working were related to misunderstanding between the customer and the performer. Before the start of the project, you need to clearly understand what the client needs, in what time frame, for what money and what he expects to receive as a result of the work. If during the project one of these conditions changes - do not forget to report it.

Find out why the client turned to you

The first thing you need to understand is why did they come to you, what competencies they want to close with your help. From this will depend largely on the composition of the team that will work on the project. All customers who contact us can be divided into three categories:

1. Looking for a head. The customer has a unique task or problem. He is looking for a team that understands mobile applications, new technologies, the market and is able to offer him a solution.
2. Need experience. Looking for guys who have experience in solving such problems. Nothing supernatural is required. In such projects you will be listened to and take into account your opinion, since it was for this reason that they came to you.
3. Need hands. Everything is clear and understandable, there is a technical task, everything is coordinated everywhere, and direct hands are needed, which will quickly bring all this to life. Talk less, work more.

For each type of client you need your own approach. For example, when a client needs heads, you can take a broader look at the problem and suggest rethinking the task itself, if for good reason. And it is definitely not necessary to turn this with customers who are looking for hands. This will cause only irritation.

The division is extremely conditional and also often changes in the course of the project. The more you are trusted, the more often you listen. You should always take the initiative and offer your solutions if you are sure of them. But if a client has noticed several times that your opinion is not important to him, then it makes sense to offer “improvements” only within the framework of production needs.

Voice the timing

When you voice the evaluation of the project and the timing of its implementation, you should always pronounce the conditions under which they will be met. Especially it concerns situations when you do not have enough information about the project or do not have enough materials.

Designer: We rate this work at 80 hours. With discussions and coordination, it will take about 3 weeks. Provided that the project will be a person on your part, who will answer operational questions during the day.

And do not hesitate to remind who and what owes you and why it matters. The situation when you break deadlines and say after the fact that the reason was a lack of information - is unacceptable.

Stipulate the result

It is always necessary to discuss what exactly the customer will receive at the end of the work. This is not so critical if the order is for design and development. The end result in this case is a working application, and no one cares how you transfer the layouts to the developers.

But if the client orders only the design of the application, then you need to sort everything out. What artifacts in which formats will he receive and what will he be able to do with them and what will not.

It will be a shame when at the end of the work it turns out that the developers on the client side are working on Windows, and you have shipped the layouts in the sketch.

Client: Everything is great! Today will be a presentation to the board of directors. How do I open a brandnewapp.flinto file? Could not find an application for android: (

Learning to refuse

Each company has its own “ideal” client. Which shares your principles and agrees with your approach to work. The further a potential customer is from this model, the more you risk not meeting expectations.

A bad strategy is to grab every customer who approached you. Learn to refuse, if you understand that under the new client will have to restructure the internal processes or change the quality standards. And there are no resources for this.

It is especially dangerous when a client asks for lower standards for a quick launch of a project or a budget cut. In the long run, this can lead to people getting used to doing badly.

I want to run the project faster - you need to cut features and simplify the interface. Quality can not be sacrificed. If the customer is not ready to go for it - refuse or make sure that you are aware of all the consequences and are ready for them.

We understand the context

Any task out of context has an infinite number of solutions. It is important to understand the context in order to narrow the search for an optimal solution. Otherwise, you will have to rely on luck and guesswork.

Absolutely any information from the client is important. After all, you not only need to solve the task and justify your decision, but also to “sell” this decision to the customer. And this part of the work is not always directly related to the project.

The main thing is to synchronize knowledge with the client as much as possible so that you understand his business, the limitations and motives that drive him. And he understood how the design process works.

Asking questions

Many designers are afraid to seem silly, asking too many questions. "They will think that I am stupid." Maybe. But when you offer a solution that will save them time and money, they will be more loyal to the questions.

It is important to ask the right questions and ask them correctly. You must be prepared to justify why you are interested in this or that information. And it's better to say at once why you are asking something. The right question says a lot about the artist and his experience.

We study the client

General information. It is always useful to know with whom you are to meet, and in the future and work. You can see the open information in social networks. If this is a public person, then watch the interview or read the article. This will help to quickly find a common language.

Experience. Did the client have experience with similar projects and mobile applications in general? If not, then you will need to devote some time to training, and this should be taken into account when evaluating a project.

Formulate a goal

The first thing worth starting an interrogation with addiction is finding out the goal. What benefit the customer wants to get by ordering the application. How he will evaluate the success of the project. Why he believes that it is the application that will help him achieve his goals. How now his clients solve similar problems.

These are very simple questions. But they show well how the client understands what he needs. Sometimes it happens that there is a technical task for developing an application, but there is no exact understanding of why it should be done. In this case, it is necessary together with the client to formulate a goal and, if necessary, rework the TK. It is important to convey the idea that the application is not an end in itself, it is only a means.

Designer: You know, taking into account the information received, it is enough to make a mobile version of the site. She will solve all your problems.

Yes, you may not receive the order. But this is not the same as losing a client. He will return to you when he really needs an application. But working with a customer who does not need a mobile application will be very difficult. Especially when he realizes it.

We study business

It is desirable to have a good understanding of the client’s business. Therefore, during communication, it is necessary to find out the maximum information: business processes, values, features, audience, competitors.

For a client, his business is a given. With all the desire, he will not be able to tell the whole story. Many details will emerge in the process of work. And, perhaps, the new introductory cross out a lot of cool ideas. The main thing in this situation is to remain flexible and open, not to dwell on its decisions.

We deal with resources

Understanding what resources are at the disposal of the customer and what restrictions can reduce the area of ​​search for a solution. And it's not just about money and time.

Client: You have proposed a solution that is based on chat. But we do not yet have our own support service, it is too expensive.

Your proposed solution should be based on existing resources as much as possible. Otherwise, you create new problems.

If you have an idea, but you are not sure if there are resources for this, discuss it. Perhaps your plan will be interesting and the client will be able to allocate funds for its implementation.

Analyzing introductory

We are talking about any materials that the customer gave you. These may be brandbooks, research, application references, prototypes, an existing application, or a technical assignment. Study everything carefully and then ask the client to tell what to do with all this good.

If we are talking about the brandbook, then how hard it is to follow it. As a rule, there are no clear rules for application design in guides, so you need to understand which corporate identity constants must be present and which are not.

Reference applications. What exactly they liked and why. Perhaps, of the entire application, only one element is liked, some interesting way of interaction, or “a general feeling of lightness.”

TK from the client - a restriction that is not. Do not take it as an axiom. Who wrote, when and why, on what they relied, choosing these or other features. There certainly is useful information, but it is important to understand what your degree of freedom is.

Designer: There are a lot of logical inconsistencies in the TZ. How clearly should it fit? We are ready to offer our vision based on the purpose of the project. It will be easier to implement and correspond to the guidelines of the platforms.

Alarm!

What you need to pay special attention to when collecting information:

1. No deadlines. It may mean that the project doesn't really give a damn. Deadlines help work efficiently on both sides. Without them, reconciliation can be sluggish and downtime is inevitable.
2. Bad communication. If at the time of the negotiations the customer disappears, does not take the phone and does not respond to the letters - a bad sign. In the process, all this can happen again. It is worth considering whether you need it or not.
3. No responsible. Or no direct contact with him. It's all clear. There will be a continuous spoiled phone. And in combination with the first two points the project will drag on forever.
4. Uncertainty. If, after all the discussions, you still do not understand what they want from you, perhaps it’s not your business. Some people are very impulsive and often change their decisions. Get ready for the fact that all decisions will have to be documented and often reworked. At a fixed cost in such cases it is better not to work.

Getting Started

The interface design process is a topic for a separate article. In this I will tell only those moments that relate to the interaction with the client.

We form a team

The client is part of the team. It all starts with people. Whatever services you provide, behind every company, every post is a real person. And often it depends on this person how well you cope with your part of the work.

We try to build relationships in such a way as to move away from the formal roles of the customer / performer. Roles work well when you sell a box. But when it comes to creating a unique product, this does not roll. It is much more effective to act as a single team when decisions are the result of discussion, and do not arrive from the unknown "from above". On the side of the contractor competence in the field of implementation, on the client side - business.

We present solutions

If you have the opportunity to hold key meetings in person - great. But Skype and similar software with the ability to share the screen will do. It is necessary to present in real time, in advance for acquaintance not to send anything. Otherwise, at the time of the presentation, the person will already have an opinion. And not always positive. He will understand something in his own way, but he will not understand something at all. To fix this will be very difficult.

After the presentation, you can send mockups and main points. It takes time to make a decision in order to think things over and consult with colleagues. Conveniently, when there is a document in which you can look and restore the causal relationship.

This is especially important when you work with someone who does not make the final decision. In this case, it is important to equip him with a sufficient number of arguments that he will use when presenting your work. Make sure he understands everything and shares your position.

Focusing on the main thing

Each element of the interface has some meaning, solves some problem and this is what we need to talk about. As soon as the course of your story goes in the direction of “beautiful icons” and “fashionable colors,” you will immediately receive the opposite opinion on this matter.

Aesthetics is a very relative concept and one can always argue with it. Everyone has their own idea of ​​the "beautiful". If you give a chance to tell about it, they will definitely tell you.

Stay within the framework of decisions that directly affect the effective work with the interface. Graphics, fonts, colors - all this speaks for itself, there is no point once again to focus on this attention.

We involve the client

In the process, the designer takes hundreds of micro solutions. Many remain behind the scenes. It is important to tell how you came to these or other decisions, what alternatives were and why you chose this option. This will make your position more convincing.

Try to immerse the client in the process of work. Learn opinion, leave open topics for discussion. He must understand and share all decisions that have been made. If he takes an active part, the emotional connection with the project will be much stronger.

Do not forget who the expert

But the client’s involvement in the process has limitations. Do not ask him how best to implement this or that functionality. You are an expert in the production of mobile applications, not him. The customer does not understand this and should not.

But still there are situations when you can not do without a client. For example, your chosen solution is much more expensive than others. In this case, you need to: describe the situation → tell you what the options are and why they are there → what are their strengths and weaknesses → which of the options do you recommend and why.

We go around the sharp corners

Do not hesitate to defend your position if you are convinced of its correctness. But it is not always possible to convince the client, even with arguments. Sometimes it's easier to go the opposite: to disassemble other options. In the process of work, you’ve probably already done it and you know their weak points. And if not, then together you will find an option that suits both parties.

There are also reverse situations when the client is already defending his position on some decision. It's all a little more complicated, because the last word is his. If you do not agree, you can not just say "This is a bad idea." Best of all, he himself came to this conclusion. You can simulate a situation in which the decision will be inoperative or will lose yours. Try to find a compromise and combine them into one. Once again, say the introductory and make sure that everyone understands the task equally. The main thing is not to put pressure on authority and go on dialogue.

We solve problems together

Problems on the project are common, regardless of which side of the joint. The search for the guilty will not bring you closer to the decision, but only heat the atmosphere. Of course, it is necessary to analyze the situation in order to avoid repetitions, but without becoming personal.

But if you frankly zafapapili or something unforeseen happened - apologized and said, when and how will you fix. Cheating and hiding something is strictly prohibited.

Designer: Guys, we have a small blockage due to the release of one of the projects. We do not have time to do all the tasks by Friday. Sori, what happened, next week we will connect another person and catch up with the plan.

Do not confuse goals

You, as an artist, have your goals on the project. You need a case. And the more it will be "design" and technology, the better. This should not be allowed to complicate the project and increase the budget.

Achieving your own goals should be the result of work on the client's tasks. Not every project will fit for dribbbla. But in almost any place you can find a place for interesting solutions and experiments.

A responsibility

It turns out that the client is always right?

Yes, if he does not go beyond the framework of the treaty and the criminal code. You pay money for the service and you provide this service.If your opinion is substantiated and confirmed, and the client still insists on his own - he has reasons for it. The customer makes a decision based on his experience and risks his own means.

There is still a possibility that a person is just stupid, but this should be monitored before the project starts. If you started working with such a client, it means that he is not alone.

And what, this is all a designer should do?

Not at all, you can instruct the manager or ask the client to write a detailed technical task. In this situation, you can lose control over what is happening, working with the consequences and not knowing the reasons. Of course, in case of failure, you can transfer all the blame to the customer, who "does not know what he wants." Or to a manager who could not convince him of your decisions.

But let's be honest - if you end up with a bad project and a disgruntled customer, then you are the one who crap.