When working with larger clients, design by committee becomes almost inevitable. Everyone has an opinion of how a new website should look and feel and each opinion will be different. When you work in London, web design is all about larger clients, so this is often unavoidable.

If allowed to continue unchecked, designing by committee will have watered down the initial concept, complicated the process and made it the least exciting or offensive it could be.  While there is a place for those kind of sites, they are mainly government organizations or public bodies, not commercially minded companies. 

The more stakeholders involved, the more the committee mindset rules.  In an ideal world there would be us designers and the client who signed it off.  All too often there are managers, consultants, advisers and other interested parties who all want their input heard, and addressed.  This can slow the design process to a standstill before the initial design is even agreed.

So how can we avoid becoming mired in bureaucracy? 

The best way is to limit those stakeholders, but that isn’t always possible.  A little planning can still find a way round this by getting everybody to agree a process before you begin.  This will not only give a professional appearance, but also limit the interference during the design phase.

For example, a process could be to provide the concept that you could use to produce an initial design.  Refine it so it meets the requirements of the client while not compromising the usability or design.  Then you can meet with stakeholders individually, walk them through the concept and collect feedback on the design.  By meeting them individually you minimise group thought and “brainstorming.”  There is also none of the ’round the table design to a consensus’ activity which can stifle, if not kill a creative process.

Once you have the feedback you could initiate changes as much as practical.  Then, when you have a working demo you could proceed with usability testing.  Make any changes if necessary, test again, then present the design to the stakeholders for final review and approval.

While there is still quite a bit of committee involvement.  It’s removed as far as possible from the design process itself.  Stakeholders are still included at key stages in the project, as defined by the process.  Their feedback is used in the final design where possible, but they cannot interfere during the design phase or during testing.

It isn’t always possible to remove the committee aspect when dealing with larger clients.  By approaching it strategically, it’s possible to avoid as much of it while still appearing co-operative.  By instigating a specific process from the very beginning, you not only make yourself look professional, but can also insulate yourself from the bureaucracy.

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