Dentists and Designers

When you have a toothache, you pay a visit to your dentist. You sit down on a chair and show them where it hurts. The only thing you want in those moments is something to ease your pain, but what you will eventually get is a treatment.

It’s not what you want, it’s what you need.

There are many reasons why you have chosen your dentist. You trust them. You trust them because they are keeping you healthy by constantly doing a good job. If they justify your trust again, you will come back, if they don’t — you won’t. So simple.

During the treatment, you don’t speak. On the breaks, you don’t tell your dentist what’s the best way to remove caries, nor what your thoughts are about their sealant appliance. It’s not that your suggestions are irrelevant, but they are simply not helpful. Dentist knows better. And just imagine what would your jaw look like if they would do whatever you told them.

Your designer is like your dentist.

When you need a website, you arrange an appointment with your designer. You sit down in front of them and tell them what you need, where it hurts. And as much as you are clear with your requirements, they’ll see things differently.

During the process you don’t tell your designer what is the best way to arrange the layout so that everything could be seen without scrolling or express your opinion on how logo should be 30% bigger.

They probably know and do their job better than you. They see things you don’t. Trust them. Trust their ideas and solutions. If they fail your vision you won’t come again, but if you are satisfied you will return. In both cases don’t be the drawback. Just don’t be your own dentist.

The only difference between a dentist and a designer is the visibility of work process to others. Though it’s more important, somehow it seems that you don’t care so much for the process of a dentist as much as you do for designer’s. Just because something is more visible, doesn’t mean it require your opinion by default. Be aware of that.

I know that this isn’t what you want, but it’s what you need.