I currently have a client that’s basically an art company. They have great artists in the company, and it’s a bit intimidating. My artistic skills are definitely growing, but it’s such a soft skill compared the hard skill of programming that I’ve been doing for the past 15 years.
I don’t feel the need to be an “artist” but sometimes I want a certain frame around a picture and it’s very difficult for me to translate an idea into a concept and the concept into art. If I’m designing for me, I’m pretty forgiving and understanding. But if I’m designing for others, it gets complicated.
Having said that, even great artists have this problem. Your artistic aesthetic may be diverse, but even then everyone has a point of view. It’s difficult when a client has a different point of view and you try to fit that in. I know there are things within my skill set that the client will love, but sometimes it’s so hard to figure those things out. It’s hard to work with someone else’s point of view, especially if they can’t really explain it.
With the art company, I don’t really have to worry about that, because they can do the art themselves and I just have to explain the functional requirements for the art. But with some other clients, it can be tough. They will say the most bizarre things to describe what they like, and I have to try to figure out what they mean. Sometimes they don’t even know what they mean.
Submit a Comment