This is another awesome read from Andy Rutledge.
As he puts it, “This is a rather a cynical article, but know that I'm not suggesting that all projects are so bleak. It is, however, a common circumstance in our line of work and it's worth examining and certainly worth preparing for.”
It is unfortunate and frustrating, but it’s a fact: getting design approval and then a project completed for a large corporate client is seldom about convincing the smartest people in the room of anything. Instead it’s usually about trying to keep the dumbest people in the room (or in the company) from shooting themselves in the foot.
And that’s if the designer even gets the chance to communicate with them at all. Sadly, this makes the business of design less about appealing to people’s better ideals and more about achieving victory over stupidity.
Read: The Dumbest Guys in the Room.
And I couldn't agree more with his take on his finding the ultimate decision maker:
"And by all means - make every effort to know exactly who the ultimate decision maker is – and learn how best to connect with them and gain their confidence. Your success, and likely their fortunes, depend on this (whether they know it or not)."
Speaking of stupidity - when was the last time you visited Clientcopia?
That's Right!
HMK
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