Getting Results Out of Challenging Projects

We all run into projects that challenge our creativity, time and sometimes patience. Embrace them. They are some of the best learning tools you will have the opportunity to be presented with. Here are some of the ways we have learned to deal with our difficult projects.

Ask questions.

Get to know what your client does in more detail than your initial consultations can provide. What are the lesser-known details of their industry? What is their audience? (And do they actually have a grasp on what it is?) What are their goals beyond the scope of the project you are working on?

Maybe all you need to meet a particular challenge is a different understanding about where the client is coming from. Seems obvious. But we can get so wrapped up in our work, our stresses and our way of thinking and doing things that we create unintentional barriers to problem solving.

Feel free to act like a consultant, not just a designer.

You may discover in your that what the client asked for initially is not actually what they need to meet their goals. (I don’t say this in a “designer always knows best because other people don’t understand my creative vision…” way.) If you think there is a better method for them to add value, offer suggestions. You have the unique advantage of being both an insider (through your research) and an outsider with a unique perspective. The worst that can happen is you still have to complete a difficult project but with a much greater understanding of your client. And the best is that you collaborate to come up with a creative solution and in the process develop a relationship that will last longer than one individual project.

Don’t be afraid to seek out other experts.

It’s not a challenge to your authority or something to be intimidated by. You can’t be an expert at everything. Working with your peers is both something you can learn from and something that can provide added value for your client. And everybody wants a happy client.

Practice some design Zen.

We know, we know people throw the word “Zen” around like it’s going out of style. But it really does have some value when confronted with a challenging situation. The goal is learning to develop a different understanding of your work and your thought process that will allow you to break free from self-imposed constraints.

Zen lecturer Genro Seiun Koudela puts the effect this way: “…the mind has a chance to quiet down. You get away from this habitual way of thinking, and discriminating – judging good, bad, unpleasant, and so on.”

Sometime designers catch themselves thinking things like “I can’t do X, it’s not the way layout (or logos, or whatever) works…” and so on. Don’t fall into that trap. Sometimes what we learned in design school is valuable because it shows us precisely how not to follow the “rules.”

Our particular experience is with design, but anyone, regardless of their industry, can turn difficult projects into successful learning experiences. Just be open, ask questions, seek knowledge, take risks that make you uncomfortable, and don’t forget a little office Zen.