May 17 2008 1 Comment Read more in web design
Aren’t hair stylists specialists in their field?
I go to get a haircut and explain the cut I am looking for, she responds ask the following questions:
- Would you like your hair shampooed?
- Would you like the scissors or the razor?
- If the razor, what settings do you want? A 2? Maybe a 3?
I just looked at her perplexed and wondered why I, the customer, the client, was expected to have these answers. Isn’t she the specialist in this field? It got me wondering how my clients would react if I had them on the hook for a website redesign and asked them:
- Would you like an external style sheet?
- Would you prefer tables or CSS-based layout?
- If the CSS-based, what level of doctype do you want? Strict? Transitional?
It would be completely inappropriate to assume that a web design client would have these answers. They know what end results they are looking for, and it is up to the expert to determine what it will take to get them there.
As I was finishing up my visit to the stylist, (and thinking how ridiculous it is to assume the customer would have these answers), someone new sat down in the next chair over. He greeted his stylist, and then told her, “Give me a razor cut, 4 on the top, 6 on the sides”. She questioned his choice “Are you sure a 4? You seem more like a 2.” “No, no,” he insisted, “I am sure I’m a four.”
So, I could be completely wrong.
On Facebook
On Twitter
On Flickr
On Delicious
On Linked In
On Upcoming
Greg and Selena
On May 17, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Are you sure that it wasn’t a 4 on the sides and 6 on the top? Seems a little odd to go longer on the sides.
Hair dressers can make suggestions but they are there to take orders and get you in and out.
If you’re collaborating with another team (especially if it’s in-house) you could easily get requests for Strict or Transitional doc types.
If the client doesn’t know anything about the technical ins and outs of web design, then I can totally understand your point.