Keep wireframes ugly

A Lesson I learned from the design project that seemed to be perfect.

Sometimes things go wrong or just not the way you were expecting. Sometimes this is your fault, and you always try to find out why it went wrong to avoid this kind of problems in the future.

Few days ago I got a request to design a simple iOS application similar to Instagram, but for a different target audience and with some unique features. A project seemed really interesting, a budget was pretty good. I asked my manager if I can take a small side project and start working on it. The client provided six screens wireframes which covered only a half of needed features. We agreed that I’ll improve an entire user flow, provide new wireframes and then we’ll start working on style and UI design of the app.

From the very beginning project seemed just flawless: simple, interesting and well-paid. So I started working on it like on a perfect project and I decided that I’ll do my best in every detail. I made a research, checked all new similar apps and made the wireframes I was really proud of. They were much more detailed, well-considered and simply the most beautiful wireframes I ever made. I spent a lot of time making them very nice and trendy. Of course I expected they would need to be updated after I get a client’s feedback (wireframes always need it, don’t they?). On top of that I made an interactive prototype to let the client play around a user flow and show a structure of the app. I did everything I thought was right and sent it to the client being very proud of work I’ve done. I just couldn’t expect what happened next.

First of all, the client decided that the wireframes were presenting a final design, and it took some time to explain that the wireframes were just sketches, a starting point and they didn’t reflect a visual part at all. He kind of got it but said his partner just hates those wireframes; however, he didn’t ask her to provide any constructive feedback and she couldn’t spend her own time to do so. I tried to explain that we need the wireframes to change the UX on early stages, and it always takes more than one revision to make everything looks good for both client and designer. He said that they were just too far from what they expected to see and it was going to be very hard to improve. I tried to ask for a fair criticism, but the only things he said were “too much white space” and “tags should be on a photo, not under it”. He didn’t want to listen that improvements were always a part of a design process and these changes take maximum a couple of hours. Eventually he said he finds another designer and I can leave an upfront payment.

To be fully objective I need to mention that he thought that communication was one of the biggest problems which didn’t let us work together. We were in different time zones, but I never made the client wait and always replied immediately (like in a perfect project).

I would’ve thought that the client just wanted to get rid of me and use the work I’ve done but he paid me really well. I would’ve thought that he just didn’t understand a design process and expected impossible: a designer will read his mind and make everything just as the client imagines from a first try. But the client had built two startups and even showed some screenshots (which were looking great, by the way). I still have too many questions and no answers on them.

Why am I writing this? I just wanted to re-play this situation and try to understand if I did something wrong and the client was right at some point. But I feel I did not. Some of my designer friends said it was very weird situation because they saw the wireframes which in fact were looking great. I’m very upset that the project started like a perfect one will be never completed and that I was called “disappointing” and “unprofessional” for piece of work I was really proud of. I got good money that covered the wireframes with ease. A client from my nightmares is holding a perfect project that I’m not able to finish.

Now I need to tell what lesson I’ve learned. I assume the only lesson which could be useful in the future is:

“Don’t make fancy wireframes. It won’t make more sense and it’ll be harder for a client to think about it like about a draft, not a final design. Use Balsamique, draw it by hand, or make it really simple in Illustrator. Leave some space for client’s imagination”.

And probably another one is “Always take an upfront payment”.