"I think you'll find that the customer is always right"

This was brought up in a conversation the other day. It got me thinking, does this statement apply to the design and advertising industry? In most cases, no. Creatives and industry experts are there to benefit the client based on their perception of the brief, the client and the end-goal (usually ROI). All said and done – unless the agency or individual taken on by the client has completely missed a trick – the proposed solution of the creative/marketeer/guru should be taken on board, absorbed and (hopefully) acted upon.

Chances are the thought process of the creative team is based on a number of factors that have or have not been taken into account by the client. Not through lack of awareness or business nous, but because nine times out of ten, they are just too close to their business. The creative team do not have any of the barriers that the client usually possesses because they are seeing the requirements of the brief with a fresh pair of eyes. Even with projects as simple as an annual report, things like cover images and headline styles need to be taken into account to ensure the right message (and quality of message) is coming across.

This doesn't just include design style but also factors of a technical nature like image quality, resolution and paper stock. Naturally, there is a middle ground in these working relationships. Brand guidelines must be adhered to, core brand message must be maintained and the creative team must meet the requirement of the client. It is the responsibility of the creative team to both ensure these are met, and the suggestions they put forward have reason, logic and creative impact. The responsibility of the client is equally important. They must be open to new ideas, take on board what the creative team are proposing (based on the elements above being covered) and to a certain extent leave personal opinion/pride at the door - there are more important things at stake here.