So how much does your opinion really matter anyway?
I recently encountered this question when I was working on a website redesign for a client. The client came with some pretty strong ideas in mind. In this case, the aesthetic included flash along with a number of non-search engine friendly components. Additionally, the design they had in mind did not incorporate industry best practices and, as a result, looked quite outdated.
But who was I to tell them that? Did my expertise in the marketing realm override their expertise in their field and their strong opinions as to what they wanted?
Initial attempts at gentle persuasion didn’t work. A frank conversation didn’t work.
Here is what did work. A bit of self examination. I thought about what mattered in this case. I could live with a design that wasn’t my favorite. We all know that taste is very subjective. What I couldn’t live with was a design that didn’t meet basic search criteria, a design that incorporated outdated practices. I couldn’t disavow my professional ethics and agree to a design that could actually damage their brand.
With this in mind, a second frank conversation was had. With an emphasis on the structural aspect of the site and no mention of the aesthetic of the site, we found a great middle point. They are thrilled with their new website and I am thrilled with their search rankings. My job here is done.