Your client is unhappy with the design progress. How can you help them pinpoint the changes they desire?

Start by acknowledging their concerns, finding out their expectations and making them feel comfortable by showing empathy and understanding. Then follow up with a meeting to discuss in detail the issues they are concerned with. come to the meeting prepared with information and pictures, drawings, ect. to help put your client at ease Make sure to ask plenty of open-ended questions to gather as much feedback as possible. Summarize their concerns and repeat back to them to make sure there is clarity on the conflict at hand. Explain the current status of what step you are on in the design process and propose solutions if necessary. Set clear next steps and a follow up meeting or call by a specific set date.

If your client is unhappy with your work, your priority should be to ask for feedback. By understanding the client's situation and their problems, you can provide a solution. Clients might give you positive or negative feedback, but it's important to always take feedback positively. Try to make iterations and give clients 2 to 3 options to choose from. This helps clients make better decisions. I have found this method very useful and use it every time.

Understand the problem by gathering specific feedback. Ask detailed questions about the design to identify the exact issues.

Designers and clients speak different languages. There’s always the assumption we understand each other but we often don’t. Designers must always create a visual guide for the direction of the work (ie moodboard or stylescape). If the client is not satisfied, there’s always the visual direction to fall back to align with each other.

Engage them in detail and understand what outcome they're expecting. Avoid a design process that is wholly based on what you want rather than what the client is asking for. Offer more than one design option/concept that is inclined to what the client wants. This will create little room for back and forth changes.

After gathering feedback, look for common patterns and recurring issues. Identify which comments are based on personal taste versus actual design flaws. Evaluate how the design meets industry standards and use this analysis to guide your revisions, ensuring the final design meets both professional standards and client expectations.

After taking client feedback and understanding their problems, make short notes of all their suggestions and feedback. Some changes might be quick and easy, while others might take more time. Get detailed feedback from the client and ask about their deadlines. This will help you prioritize tasks and decide what to do first. Or tell your client how long each change will take. By fixing the most important issues first, you can improve the design quickly. By following this approach, you can make the client happy.

Once you understand the feedback, decide which changes to make first. Some fixes might be quick, while others could be more involved. Let your client know how long each change will take. Address the most important issues first to quickly improve their view of the progress and show you're committed to their needs.

When proposing solutions to a client, provide them with a few options to choose from. Suggest your favorite and explain why you think it’s the best choice. This approach helps you clearly communicate your design decisions. During the design process, keep asking for feedback and get approval at each step. This builds trust and improves communication between you and the client. When presenting the final work, use mock-ups and prototypes to show a visual representation. This makes it easier for the client to understand how the product will look in the real world. A proper presentation also helps you explain your design choices and the reasons behind them.

Not a lot of clients will understand the design process, especially the ones that want it done quickly, supervising the work personally, or ask for revisions on the spot. This is why it's important to always have a portfolio or personal style to begin with. To inspire confidence in you and your work is a big contribution on keeping your client's trust in your design process, therefore enabling you to have more leverage. But in case your client is still unhappy from the design process whether it be from how it doesn't match with their expectations or time scale; stay calm, take in the feedback, implement feedback and/or create alternative designs as well.

After deciding on the changes, give your client clear solutions. For example, if they don't like the colors, suggest new ones that match their brand. Show them examples or prototypes to explain the changes. This helps them see your expertise and feel involved and valued.

I would initiate a constructive dialogue to understand clients concerns. Schedule a meeting to review the design, asking specific questions to identify what aspects they find unsatisfactory. I would also encourage them to provide examples of designs they like and dislike to better understand their preferences. Propose a detailed feedback session where they can point out specific elements they'd like changed, and consider using visual aids or mood boards for clearer communication. Document their feedback and outline the next steps to ensure alignment and regain their confidence.

To save time, an all-or-nothing approach is how I have worked (in the realm of book cover design and publishing services), because it is truly literally impossible to merge two abstract ideas from two different minds. Only compromise is possible, and it can be very time-consuming to fuse ideas. So if clients have a vision, I expect them to provide as much of it as they can up front. Otherwise, for those who have little-to-no visual acumen, I ask them to trust me, and they do. I am open about conserving time since I work by the job rather than by the hour.

At the end of the day we as designers must remember that we were selected to be the recipients of this project and the clients “hard earned money”! (I know how hard I work for my money, so I would consider that their effort first. And then focus on a realistic timeline to match that paycheck. We must be clear when the process starts of how we work, what they can expect and a timeline that is agreeable to everyone.