Ok, well maybe that sounded a bit harsh… But I think that the pirate analogy can readily be applied to identify some of the more common traits shared amongst business owners looking to take to the land of web 2.0 with their ruthless business objectives of total niche domination, perhaps excluding some of the barbaric sword-wielding traits…

Business owners can be over-zealous, over-bearing and at times they can even come across as tyrannical—but put things into their context: as a business owner there are 3 main prerogatives that warrant such a pushy demeanour: the goal of maximising profit, the goal of investing as little amount of money as possible to attain maximum profit, and the final objective of doing both within the scarce constraints of time. Business owners are entering an age of enlightenment as websites are beginning to receive more emphasis as the favoured conduit between business and consumer. Design reconvenes the conventions of commerce, marketing and information sharing. By acknowledging the growing importance of online communication and design, what else would a pirate be doing other than conjuring up all available resources and preparing them to commandeer the latest vessel of opportunity? Let’s set the scenario…

Let’s call the captain of the pirate ship, or the business owner, Blackbeard. Now, aside form being a cliched fairytale persona, Blackbeard speaks a little differently to you and I because he speaks the language of business. The flaw of many designers is that they don’t understand the nature of business and how to effectively translate the language without drowning in the nomenclature. It’s the first day of the project, Blackbeard’s already speakin’ his language and he’s starting to get a little bit churlish… You’re neck-deep in demands and the whole time he’s been niggardly about costs. You don’t have much time on your side either, he’s looking at you for a design concept and he wants it NOW. At the moment, you’d love to do nothing more than to throttle that stupid squawking parrot on his shoulder and stick it where the sun don’t shine, but you won’t… He’s a respective customer, so we’ll stick to the agenda with:

5 ways you can ensure that you’re giving Blackbeard the design he wants

1. Be the boss. Tell the client when they’re wrong, but back it up with valid reasoning
   Clients and employers love nothing more than to be proved wrong about something they’re not educated in. It let’s them know they’re working with someone who knows what they’re doing. Everybody knows that some clients can have an overwhelming presence, and may appear intimidating – this is something you need to overcome if you want to achieve the best possible result. The pirate might be the Captain of the ship, but I’m sure he’s going to appreciate it if you prove him wrong for a purpose – particularly if he’s reading the map upside down. Remember, you’re the expert. Does he know anything about a page structure, or code…? No, he just wants to make damn sure that he’s there when you unleash the bounty. Assert your knowledge! (in a nice way, let’s not get our throats cut…)
2. Plan, plan and then plan again
   This gives the designer time to carry out the entire design process rather than to be worried about trying to find short cuts and ultimately not achieving the best possible end result. Overcompensate, assume the worst, allow for delays and GET IT RIGHT the first time around. Clients and employers alike are happier to expect their project in 3 months and have it delivered in 2 and a half, than to be told it will be ready in a week and receive it a day later. It is the responsibility of the designer, not the employer, to have a contingency plan ready… if the route to treasure cove is blocked, you better find another way round baby otherwise you’re gonna end up as shark’s breakfast.
3. Always request a brief
   Truth be told, employers have no idea what they really want. They just want a successful end product that reflects their business. You’re the designer, you know how to achieve that—they dont. When a client is forced to write a brief and sign a contract, we know that both designer and client are on the same page with what needs to be done, it’s simply a matter of translating the “needs” into a “solution”. Blackbeard is easily agitated and appreciates it when things are all the bit more foreseeable, by providing a brief with a workable “solution”, he knows exactly what he’s going to be working towards.
4. Keep them informed all the way throughout the process
   The worst thing you can do is go away for a few weeks/months and come back with a finished design. No matter how pretty and polished it is, it will be wrong. Keep the client up to date with regular progress reports and you’ll be failure-proof. What will happen if you don’t? Well, uhhh… He’s going to be requesting millions of last minute “changes” and your original design concept is going to come crashing down on you like the thunderous tentacles of the Kraken.
5. Don’t simply meet the brief, blow it out of the water… like a fish
   It’s a common theory that as a designer, if we can check all of the boxes on the brief then we’ve done our job. This isn’t true. It’s important to go above and beyond the call to action, by monitoring the end product after it’s been delivered and informing the client/employer of ways to improve in the future. Simply meeting the general requirements just won’t do… Doubloons are great, but why not go for those gold bullion’s? Hell, the Captain may even increase your commission or at least keep your expert services up his sleeve for future endeavours!

In Conclusion…

It’s really not that hard, is it? There you were, thinking pirates were all surly and a little bit dogmatic, but the truth be told they’re only just looking to get a job done. Business owners always have their eyes on the prize, and now that they understand that they can better achieve their goals through a splendiferous web design, it’s up to you to take them that extra step further by providing them with a painless, transparent design process that not only delivers on but out-performs their own expectations. And who knows, they might even love you for it…