Attention to detail Vs control freakery.

There can’t be many professional services where the client feels as free to get involved in the decision making process as design. 

I mean you wouldn’t dream of questioning a surgeon’s work would you? “I’m afraid I don’t like heart bypass operations and would rather you carried out some brain surgery instead.” Or, whilst you might ask questions of your accountant, it’s unlikely you’d tell him to change the numbers on a whim; “I’m not keen on the look of that VAT return, just add some zeros, or number 7s, I like 7 - it’s my lucky number.” Well, not unless you’ve got some dubious motives. And you can extend that logic to dealing with tradesmen. It’s a brave person who’d tell a plumber, spark or joiner how to do their jobs; “I see you’re using an adjustable spanner there, I think you’ll find it’d be better if you used a socket wrench.” There’s a fair chance you’ll find the spanner embedded in the toilet seat.

But I get it. Design is of course a visual thing so we can all see it. And there’s a subjective element which allows us, as viewers and users, to legitimately express an opinion about what we see, even if that is in the style of Andy from Little Britain [“Don’t like it.”] Furthermore, there can be specific requirements within a brief, such as a brand’s specified colourways or fonts, that the designer needs to use to be consistent. And that’s fine, a designer knows that you can question or even challenge a brief, but ultimately that’s what the client wants so that’s what you have to do, or if you really don’t agree with it, don’t take the job on or walk away. A well-written brief is key to a successful outcome and, conversely, a bad one can make it very difficult or even impossible to produce an effective design. 

As important as the brief is building an effective working relationship with the client. Where there is a bad relationship it generally doesn’t last long. Which is also fine, sometimes you just don’t get on with someone or see eye to eye on design even if you do. A great client makes a huge difference and the good ones generally have a real interest in design. They value what the designer brings and can see that added value. Typically, they have a good eye for detail themselves, but sometimes this can cross a line into ‘control freakery’. An overbearing client who wants to control everything will inhibit the designer and reduce the impact of the work, or it can lead to a loss of coherence where many small changes can result in a design that no longer works.

There’s a fine line between a client who shows attention to detail, which benefits the work, and a control freak, who doesn’t.

Someone with strong attention to detail notices small things; they double-check everything for accuracy and completeness; they think critically about the finer aspects of a project. They ask intelligent questions that spot potential errors before they become real problems and they understand whether to zoom in and when to zoom out. Most importantly, they want to enhance quality without dominating the process - they care about the result, not about controlling others. For example, spotting a typo will make the copy flawless, but a typo doesn’t mean the copywriter isn’t good. Attention to detail, from everyone involved in the job, is positive and will help to make the work be as good as it can.

A control freak, on the other hand, isn’t helpful. The micromanaging of work which means that everything needs to be done their way confuses perfection with control. If things aren’t done their way, a micromanager isn't happy and they tend to become quite vocal, or even angry about it. This inevitably leads to tension and impacts the designer’s motivation. Instead of aiming for excellence, the focus shifts to domination and it completely under values the designer’s experience and undermines their expertise. It’s worth mentioning that it's also a waste of money because the client is paying for the designer’s skills and knowledge, why would they then chose to ignore or override them? You literally would’ve been better off doing it yourself. Think of the manager who rewrites every employee’s email before it goes out—not because it contains errors, but because it’s not written exactly how they would have done it.

A good client-designer relationship is a collaborative one. A client who is detail-oriented is a positive influence, as long as it’s balanced with the designer’s creative abilities. Attention to detail ensures high standards and considered designs. But when attention to detail crosses into ecessive control, it can undermine trust, stifle creativity, and damage the relationship. Understanding this difference is important - Am I correcting this to improve the work—or to feel in control? Can I allow someone else to do this in their way if the outcome is good, or better? Am I just changing something for the sake of it and to add my own mark? Am I helping or hindering?

The best creatives and effective client collaborators understand nuance. They know how to spot a detail that really matters and when to let go. Attention to detail builds better results. Control freak tendencies can ruin them. We should all strive for high standards, but leave room for the designer’s creativity - that’s where the real magic happens.