Opinions: Know Your Role

As individuals, we all have various opinions on everything. The thing with opinions is that some are more important, and some have more backing than others. A professional chef’s opinion on a dinner party might be more important than your plumber’s, but if you’re hosting the dinner party, your opinion is on top. The same can be said for anything we do here at Sleight. Logos, video, websites, print design… it’s very easy to have an opinion on our work.

Opinions between clients and professionals can be difficult to navigate, especially when it comes to a project we both want to be a part of. Some clients give clear directions on what they want, while others know only what they don’t want. And others? Well, they get the opinions from every one of their staff members, partners, mothers, etc.

While opinions are a great way to get everyone thinking about new ideas and directions, getting too many opinions can be a disaster. With too many cooks in the kitchen the end result is going to be something no one likes. So how can you be sure your opinion won’t muddle the end product?

As a professional, it’s important to listen.

You could have a genius idea to implement dancing purple unicorns into a cat video. But what is the message your client is trying to convey? If it’s not something that’s on brand, you might have to put away the unicorns and cats for another day, no matter how cool the idea is. It’s the professional’s job to sell the message.

As a client, it’s important to trust.

You hired a professional team to create something awesome for you, right? Give them your initial goals and take a step back. Let them work their magic. Some of the best creative solutions happen when a client doesn’t always jump in with their ideas. As a client, it is your job to offer initial brand direction in what you’re trying to accomplish. Leave the details to the professionals.

Whether you’re the professional or the client, it’s important to work together to achieve an outcome that is both appealing and functional for the project.

At the end of the day, we all want to be a part of something great.