All Web Designers are Chicks

Over the years, I have had to endure the pleasure of working with many great web designers. It was not until recently that I realized how much they all have in common:

1. First, they are never on time.

2. Second, they are all quite fussy.

3. Third, they seem to favor purple and pink.

4. Fourth, their mindset is: “It doesn’t matter if it’s functional, just as long as it looks pretty.”

5. Finally, they are extremely sensitive to criticism.

It is the last one that spurred this article. During the recent re-design of this very forum, I had made a comment to my designer that a couple of folks thought that one of the colors, pink (just kidding, it was green), made the site look cheap. After his initial reactionary comments and a night of rest, he came up with the current colors - which I love and which has received a much wider acceptance from our audience.

After the initial phone conversation with my now quite frustrated designer, I turned to my wife and said, “They’re all chicks!”

“Who’s all chicks?” she asked.

“Web designers.”

“Why do you say that?” she asked.

I explained to her that every time I have worked with a web designer, I feel like they might break down and cry at some point in our collaborative process. How do I dare tell them that I don’t like the design, or a particular color, or a logo without hurting their feelings?

My wife then reminded me that the side of the brain that controls a person’s creative juices also controls the emotions. So… it would make sense that a creative or artistic person would be more sensitive or emotional than someone who tends to be more fact-based or analytical. (By the way, she also reprimanded me for using the term “chick” because some people might think that’s not very nice.) Ok, I’m sorry for that.

But web designers need to be a little more sensitive to their client’s needs. They wouldn’t have any business if it weren’t for the clients, and when they miss deadlines or have to take a week off to recover from constructive criticism, it directly affects their client’s ability to run their business. It also adds to the client’s “frustration factor” and doesn’t do well to enhance the designer’s reputation. Web designers should know that a client will keep coming back if they are professional, easy to work with, deliver projects on time, and deliver them to their client’s satisfaction.

The bottom line is that if I’m paying for something, I ought to get it the way I want it and get it on time. But, I will admit that I could be a bit more understanding and appreciate the differences that the good Lord made in all of us. My web designers should also know that just because I may not like the color they chose, it doesn’t mean they are a bad designer or are not perfect in every way. Listen, if it wasn’t for my web designers, I wouldn’t have such great looking websites.

DISCLAIMER: To all the folks at PETA, please know that no fuzzy, yellow chicks, living or dead, were used in the research, creation, or dissemination of this article. And to all the women who may be reading, this article and the term “chick” is in no way intended to be derogatory against women – hey, I will be the first guy to admit publicly that women can do just about anything a man can do (and they do it better!).