My Experience With an Arrogant Designer

We have all been there. You’re working on a project, ready and contributed, and then… you meet a coworker.

The person whose confidence overflows into arrogance, making collaboration difficult.

Today, I want to discuss my experience working with a designer who pretended to have all the answers, even when they didn’t.

Buckle up, web developers; this one is a doozy.

The Story

I was assigned to create a new e-commerce platform for a small clothes business.

As the developer, my task was to turn the designer’s concept into a functional and successful website.

This is when everything became interesting.

Meet the Designer

Enter Vincent, who was the designer. From the start, the way he spoke screamed “arrogance.”

He laughed at my early inquiries regarding user experience (UX), saying his design was “intuitive enough.”

Any suggestions I offered were answered with a dismissive smile and a one-upmanship comment about an obscure design trend.

Collaboration? Not on Vincent’s watch.

When Arrogance Became a Roadblock

Let me tell you: this “intuitive” design was anything but.

Vincent focused on a complex layout with unnecessary animations, completely ignoring the user input I gave.

He refused to accept the possible loading time issues, instead saying, “Real designers prioritize aesthetics, not milliseconds.”

Needless to say, this approach caused major issues between us.

The Turning Point

The turning moment came during an important design meeting.

Vincent once again took down a solid point made by the marketing team.

That’s when I decided to take a stand. I respectfully but strongly offered facts from user testing that directly questioned his design decisions.

It was a difficult time, but Vincent surprised me by genuinely listening.

Encounter with the Arrogant Designer:

The reason for this created a change in our communication.

I focused on conveying my ideas while keeping facts and user experience in mind. Vincent gradually noticed the positive effects of collaboration.

We weren’t best friends at the end, but we did find a way to work together successfully.

Challenges Faced

What is the toughest challenge? The first delay was caused by Vincent’s opposition.

We had to back a few design components, which pushed back the official release date.

Also, constant pressure hurt the team’s mood. Thankfully with better communication, we were able to save the project.

Lessons Learned

The situation taught me some essential lessons:

• Communication Strategies: When dealing with designers who might have a different working style, focus on user experience and facts to back up what you’re saying.
• Red Flags to Identify Arrogance: Be careful of designers who continuously insult others’ work or refuse to explain their design decisions.
• Collaboration Techniques: Setting specific goals and using design sprints or workshops can help create a collaborative workplace, even if egos struggle.

Insights for Readers

Here’s what you can learn from this:

• Navigating Difficult Relationships: Set limits and communicate effectively, even when it is uncomfortable.
• The Power of Data: Use facts and user experience research to back up what you say.
• Collaboration is Key: Remember that even with challenging personalities, a collaborative approach results in greater outcomes.

Conclusion

Working with Vincent was not easy, but it offered outstanding learning opportunities.

It showed me the worth of efficient interaction and collaboration to achieve the project’s goals.

Have you ever worked with an arrogant designer? How did you handle it? Please share your experiences in the comments below!