Sometimes, as a designer, you meet clients who keep changing their minds about the design they want you to make and therefore force you to redo your work. This is such a pain in the neck because this usually means all your hard work will go to waste. Fortunately, there are some ways to protect you from these kinds of clients.
1. Have them sign a contract.
A contract should be a no-brainer, especially if you are working on a big project like a high-rise building or a skyscraper. The contract should say that any additional work pushed to you by the client because he or she has changed his mind should come with additional pay unless your design is not yet done and the additional task does not mean a major revision on your design.
2. Finish your design task early
Finishing early gives the clients less chance of adding more work on your lap. The longer you work on the design you are making, the more chances your client will reconsider what he wants on his property that you are designing.
3. Be clear about your policies
Make sure your client knows that you are running a business and that additional tasks other than those already written on the contract that both of you agreed upon will mean more payment. This will encourage the client to tell you everything he wants to see in your work and not forget anything or else he will pay extra money.
4. Use 3D renders
Sometimes clients complain about the building design because they rely on their imagination to visualize your design, especially if all you have as a visual presentation is your blue prints and cardboard models. The good thing about 3D renders is you can make a realistic digital picture of the interior and exterior of your design.
With some 3D modeling software, you can even make an interactive 3D architectural visualization wherein your client can navigate the interior of the digital house on the computer. Think of games wherein you can enter a house and roam around it-you can do that, too. Better yet, you can convert your interactive 3D architectural visualization so that it can run on virtual reality devices and totally blow your client's mind.
Using a 3D rendering will erase all doubts in your client's mind and give them a sense of assurance because they do not have to rely on their imagination to see the building they want you to make.
A client who changes his mind often can be annoying, but you have to understand that they only want to get the best worth for the money they are paying–they simply need assurance. As a designer, you can allay their fears by asking them exactly what they want in as many details as possible. Make a 3D architectural visualization of the design you made based on their detailed instruction and then once they like it, have them sign the contract.
