PDP #13: Designer VS Client: How To Understand Each Other?

There’s a popular book written by John Gray, a relationship counselor. Some of you may have already guessed what the book name is — it’s Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. It expands on the idea that men and women misunderstand each other because they are different in their communication styles.

What are we trying to say here? Those who have experience working with designers would as well suggest that they come from a different planet — so much alien their communication style may seem to us. In reality, though, they just have a different mindset. They think and speak design.

Related article: 9 Secrets of Effective Collaboration with a UI UX Design Service Provider

To help you hit it off with a creative, we’ve actually asked a creative for guidance. Meet a new guest of Product Drama Podcast — Agata Ageieva, Product Designer at Relive and Co-Organizer at Ladies that UX Amsterdam. She will dispel myths surrounding designers and share a couple of tips on how to effectively collaborate with creative teams. On top of that, you’ll also get answers to the following questions:

• What is the difference between UI, UX, and Product designers?
• How to validate the expertise of a designer if you do not have a clue about design?
• Is it possible to be on the same page with a designer? And how to achieve that?
• Are there any ways of measuring the designer’s performance and results of work?
• What are some stupid questions to ask a designer?

And as usual, here’s a short spoiler. Check out some quotes of Agata Ageieva to grasp the value of this episode:

“You have to be open-minded and you also have to understand clearly what you want to get out of the collaboration with a designer.”

“The rule of thumb is to not try thinking in solutions.”

“Try to not talk about design — instead talk about why that design is there in the first place.”

“As a designer, try to describe your solution with reason, but not with opinions.”

“You never know upfront if the problem you are thinking of is really a problem, and what its scale is. [To validate it] look at data.”

Click on the video below.

On a final note, here’s a list of books Agata recommends. They will help you, as a customer, to understand design and therefore, designers better:

• 101 Design Methods: A Structured Approach for Driving Innovation in Your Organization — Get on Amazon here.
• The Design of Everyday Things — Get on Amazon here.
• Listen Like You Mean It: Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection — Get on Amazon here.