Over the years, there’s one thing that stands out as the thing clients do that really chaps my hide. It’s not urgent timelines, conflicting feedback, nor scope creep. While those things suck, the one thing I just can’t over is when a client holds up one really important thing that needs to be accomplished but then in the end, it turns out to not be a big deal at all.
It might be really particular analytics or it could be a really specific visual feeling they want to capture. Whatever it is, it maybe the thing driving the urgency, or the unwillingness to compromise, or the reason for the project in the first place.
And after sustained agony and an overall terrible process, the need for that thing all of a sudden disappears entirely.
The client didn’t need X after all because they were able to get over themselves and go with Y after putting everyone through the ringer.
It’s bad criteria. And no amount of talking about the bad criteria at the front end will suffice. Turns out, everyone involved just has to go through the shit for the bad criteria to finally get snuffed out. It’s probably just another example of typical human stubbornness. It’ll always be there because there’s always someone willing to go along for the ride.
