“Designers don’t argue with clients”

I’m experimenting with something new in today’s newsletter.

You’ll notice a 2-minute read section at the top.

The idea for this is simple: you can get the core message quickly, then decide whether to keep reading or save it for later.

If you like this format (or hate it), comment and tell me. I’m genuinely curious!

A 2-minute read

A post went viral on LinkedIn this week about how designers eventually stop suggesting better ideas when clients don’t value their expertise.

Lots of designers replied saying how they’ve experienced the same thing.

I have too!

Especially back when I worked in-house at places where design was treated as an afterthought.

The brief was usually: “Can you do this?” and “How fast?”

So I understand why, over time, designers stop pushing back.

I don’t blame them.

If you think your only two options are:

• push back and create tension

• stay quiet and just execute

you’re missing a third option.

Actually, you’re missing a few…

A simple framework I use in these moments

1. Ask: what do I actually want here?

Usually it’s some version of:

• feeling valued for your thinking

• doing work that feels meaningful

• collaborating instead of taking orders

Get clear on that first.

2. Look for options beyond “push” or “stay quiet.”

You could:

• change how you present ideas (less defence, more direction)

• show your thinking before you show designs

• ask better questions to understand their resistance

• build skills that make you harder to ignore

• or find clients who already value what you bring

3. Act on one of them.

Staying quiet is a choice.

So is doing something about it.

Both have consequences.

Only one moves you closer to what you want.

P.S I don’t want to come across as lecturing here, because some of you might be stuck in an underpaid design job where you feel under-appreciated and powerless to change it (& I know that sucks). This email is meant to empower you and show you that change is possible. You can land a better job. You can find clients who actually appreciate your work. But accepting difficult clients and their difficult feedback only leads to one thing: you stop enjoying what you do.

Here’s the post I was referring to:

I think Tanya makes a fair point, and the fact that so many people are resonating with this makes it hard to argue with.

Before going freelance, I worked as a designer at an events venue and a holiday park. Design wasn’t seen as strategic, it was treated as production.

And I remember how powerless it felt. Like the only option was to put your head down and get through it.

But that path only leads to one place which is resentment.

So I want to zoom out for a second.

A quick thought experiment

Imagine you’re a freelance designer in the situation Tanya describes.

You’ve tried to make suggestions. Your client is set in their ways. You’re frustrated and ready to just “get it done.”

In those moments, it’s very easy to mentally check out.

But what other choices do you actually have?

Well, here’s a 3-step process I run through when I catch myself slipping into that mode.

Step 1: Self awareness (before reaction)

When you feel dismissed, it’s easy to go reactive:

• frustration

• annoyance

• bare-minimum effort

But pause for a second and ask: Where does this path lead?

Usually to you resenting the very work you used to love. And we don’t want that to happen!

So instead, get clear on what you want.

In most cases, it’s:

• to be valued for your expertise, not just execution

• to do work that feels considered, not rushed

• to collaborate with people who respect your creative ideas

Once you’re clear on that, you can see the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

And if you don’t define that gap, you’ll keep reacting to other people’s priorities and not your own.

Step 2: Resourcefulness & Imagination

Now ask: how could I move closer to what I want?

This is where most designers get stuck. Not because there are no options, but because they stop looking.

Here are a few worth considering.

Option 1: Reframe feedback

Early in my career, I received some tough feedback on my work and at the time I took it very personally.

If I look back now, that same feedback showed me exactly where my gaps were, and helped me improve faster.

And I say this to say: sometimes feedback isn’t about control.

Sometimes it’s pointing to:

• skill gaps

• unclear communication

• or misaligned expectations

That doesn’t mean the client is right. But it does mean there’s information there.

Option 2: Change how you present ideas

A lot of designers either:

• talk through half-formed ideas out of excitement

• or say very little and hope the work “speaks for itself”

Both often backfire.

This is why I don’t design first and explain later.

I align on direction, reasoning, and outcomes before starting any design work.

Because if clients don’t understand your thinking, they can’t value it.

Option 3: Build leverage

If you’ve genuinely tried to improve on the above options, and you’re finding that the client still doesn’t value you, you still have a choice.

You can:

• build higher-value skills that make you indispensable

• or find clients who already appreciate what you do

This is exactly why I added strategy into my design process.

It gives context to decisions and shifts the conversation away from personal preference.

But the main point is, you have more options than it feels like in the moment.

Step 3: Willingness to Act

At some point, insight has to turn into behaviour, otherwise nothing really changes.

If you decide to stay in your current situation, the shift isn’t about working harder.

It’s about changing how you show up.

That usually means:

• making your thinking visible earlier, not just the final output

• framing ideas around outcomes and trade-offs, not preferences

• treating conversations as something you guide, not something you endure

In other words, you stop waiting to be invited into the conversation and start shaping it.

On the other hand, if you decide to leave, the shift is different.

It’s less about escape, and more about direction.

That usually looks like:

• curating work that shows judgment, not just execution

• choosing projects that reflect how you want to work next, not how you’ve worked before

• gradually aligning your portfolio with the kind of clients you want to be trusted by

The ultimate fix is to stop hoping your environment will change and start acting to change your environment.

Now this is just a thought, but I just wanted to tell you that you are not helpless.

And I know that everyones situation is different, but this email comes from a place of love because feeling helpless is horrible and I wouldn’t want you to stay stuck in that place.

You can stay.

You can move on.

But either way, you get to choose.

To me, that kinda sounds liberating.

Have a great week!

Abi 😊

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P.S. I’m on a mission to help designers escape endless revision loops, low-paying projects, and feeling like a pixel-pusher.

If that’s you, take a look at Strategic Brand Identity Lab: it teaches you how to build strategic brand identities so you’re valued for your thinking, not just your hands.