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<\/figure>\nDo you want to know more about UI Design?<\/h3>\n
Download ‘The Indispensable Designer: A Guide to Influential Design’ FOR FREE!<\/span><\/p>\n Download e-book for free<\/a><\/article>\n<\/section>\n Close<\/a><\/section>\n Half of the job of the user experience design is to be an educator. A lot of people believe that because they use the Internet, apps, and products \u2014 that must qualify them to be a designer too. As a result, I spend a lot of time educating clients and stakeholders about why their ideas might not work out, while also explaining the thinking behind my design choices.<\/p>\n Seek to understand a stakeholder’s perspective & you can turn an enemy into an ally.Click to tweet<\/a><\/small><\/p><\/blockquote>\n When you encounter a stubborn stakeholder, you have to over educate while not making the person feel like you’re undermining their intelligence. It can be a fine line to walk, but a stubborn stakeholder will need more than your word of explanation as an expert. They’ll need evidence. So you need to do your homework and come prepared with research and results. Find examples of where a design solution worked well and show them the proof.<\/p>\n For example, I was recently working on a project, an online magazine of sorts, and the client was really passionate about having a right column and filling that column with social icons, newsletter sign ups, links to other articles, banners, and more. I can understand why the client wanted this, but data shows that most users are ignoring traditional executions of right or left columns.<\/a><\/p>\n People have simply become blind to columns. And further, they distract people from reading the actual article they came to the site to read. To educate the client, I came with the actual data. In addition, I highlighted examples of other sites that were well designed and did not have a traditional left or right column. The client responded really well \u2014 because I had educated them about best practices, while at the same time giving them a new way of looking at things. On the other hand, if a stubborn stakeholder is trying to push through a terrible design idea, then find some research, articles, or examples that says that idea or feature doesn’t perform. Don’t be a jerk about it \u2014 but sometimes all that’s needed is an outside perspective or voice other than yours.<\/p>\n Sometimes a group setting actually creates an environment that feeds a stubborn stakeholder. They could be trying to impress colleagues or engage in politics that you’re not privy to. Unfortunately that’s just the way the world works.<\/p>\n One technique I’ve found quite effective is to find a way to talk to the person one on one. Get them away from the group. This will completely change the tone. It will show them that you’re serious about understanding their perspective, while building trust between both of you.<\/p>\n Here’s a few tips to follow when you do a work session:<\/p>\n Once you have spent some time letting the person process their frustrations and pain points with the product or proposed designs, shift the conversation to solutions. In this phase of the session, you want to try and come up with a variety of solutions. Of course, these solutions should first solve the problems and needs of the user \u2014 but you want to be able to show the stubborn stakeholder that you’re working hard to make sure their needs are met as well.<\/p>\n A great example of this would be when it comes to a content site. Many times, the person who in charge of content creation will be stubborn \u2014 mainly because they know just how much work it takes to create and upload the content. So this person is always aware of how a design or feature will impact how long it takes someone on their team to post an article or other piece of content. They can easily come across as stubborn, but they are just looking out for their team.<\/p>\n In reality, this person is a great ally. If you were developing a new feature \u2014 such as a new slideshow format or something like that \u2014 you should try to involve the content owner early in the design process. The earlier you involve them in the design process, the less stubborn they will be because they’ll feel like they were part of the design process and that it was their idea too.<\/p>\n When pushing back on ideas from stakeholders, don’t just say ‘no’. Educate them about why you’re saying ‘no’.Click to tweet<\/a><\/small><\/p><\/blockquote>\n It’s not worth the energy to fight stakeholders. Don’t let them fill your design process with friction. Instead work hard to turn them into collaborators. By understanding their perspective, you’ll be able to see the product through their lens and understand why they are pushing back on things.<\/p>\n Great products are created as a result of close, smart collaboration. By applying these three techniques, you’ll be more equipped to effectively involve and engage the stubborn stakeholders and turn them into partners in the design process.<\/p>\n If you found this article helpful, check out my guide for an easy to use guide for collaborating with stubborn stakeholders<\/a>. You’ll find more tips and tricks that will help you tackle those challenging stakeholders. <\/p>\n2. Always be educating and explaining<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n3. Collaborate With Them On-on-One<\/h2>\n
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Turning Stakeholders Into Collaborators<\/h2>\n
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