Most Graphic Designers would cringe at the notion that our clients secretly believe that in the middle of the night, while everyone is asleep, tiny design elves sneak into our studios and complete design work for us. It certainly would explain a lot, like why they always have to remind us to make the logos and typefaces larger.

But the truth is that we leave our clients very little option as the Graphic Design field has, for decades, kept a very tight lid on the design process and shielded those who pay for our services -- the clients -- out of it. We meet with them, they give us all of the information concerning their business, its goals and their design/communications needs, then we go away for a number of days and come back with magic. Presto! Out comes a design, from thin air!

Of course in reality, we all know that the design process is very much a collaborative one. It’s a very delicate balance and a give and take between the client and the designer. We must listen, ask good questions and do our homework. They must communicate, give good feedback and seriously invest themselves into the project. If either part of this equation is off, the project will likely not result in a successful project.

Given this delicate balance, we as professionals must invite and include our clients into the design process. Many designers may read this and think “I DO include the client in the process. I send them emails about what I’m doing and send them designs when I’m finished”. However, that may not be enough. We need to start giving clients a bit more insight into our thought process. Make use of technologies like blogs to not only show work we’ve done but to tell a story behind it. How we came up with the solution and why it was important. Perhaps even show sketches or unused concepts along with the final solution.

Clients need to know and see that ideas don’t just magically appear. Merely showing them the brilliance of the Wizard is not is insightful as revealing the workers behind the large curtain. We speak all the time about getting clients to include US as partners but never of including them. Now I write this knowing full well that there are clients who simply won’t care to be involved in the process. Some clients want simply to give a little direction and expect the designer to “work some magic”. This can’t be helped. However, I truly believe that there are a good deal of clients who have very good input and would love to be more involved. Who feel they have a stake in their projects and see the value of what successful design projects can do for their businesses.

Those are the clients we have to engage.