Norman Rockwell

Call them what you will, naysayers, critics, pundits, or any other choice words that I won’t mention here. If you’re developing websites or launching a social media strategy, you will run into these folks from time-to-time. It’s inevitable.

This individual will become evident in many ways. The bold will approach you face-to-face and either is very specific about what they don’t like, or will more than likely, start with a compliment followed quickly with a laundry list of what they don’t like. The timid will email you their complaints or my favorite, deliver via snail mail printed pages of the site corrected in red ink. Then there’s the politically savvy pundit who bypasses you all together and goes directly to your supervisor or the CEO. This person is less interested in the project’s success, and likely has issue with the organization and is using your project as means to make waves.

The work of a web developer & designer requires that you have thick skin, or understand that you will need to earn it. But understand that as you earn that thick skin you are also learning from your mistakes, finding ways to come to consensus, and embracing constructive criticism. If you work in the faith-based and non-profit world, as I do, you are also empowered by the knowledge that your work is making the world a better place.

Early in my career, I was provided the opportunity to manage UMC.org, the official website of The United Methodist Church. Honestly, when hired I hadn’t earned my thick skin yet, but neither had many other people at the time. Needless to say, I soon did. After accepting the job, I quickly realized that I was managing a global website that needed to meet the needs of a denomination with a broad set of opinions, speaks numerous languages, and visits the site serving in a broad spectrum of roles, each needing their own set of resources. It kept me up many-a-night early on.

After some time using a method of trial and error, it occurred to me that I was simply throwing darts. Some hit and some missed. I had to find a solution. For me the answer was user experience design – a methodology where the user experience, architecture and visual design of web applications evolve from the needs of both the user and the organization (stakeholder). So rather than trying to meet the needs of a broad spectrum of nameless people, I could study the needs of a core group that represented the needs of the whole. And it’s critical to understand that the process of listening and learning doesn’t end at the launch of your website or application. It’s ongoing.

Knowing that I can’t make everyone absolutely agree on a single shade of blue, I can diffuse the naysayer, critic and pundit with kindness, but also fall back on research that represents the needs of real people. The needs of your organization and those of your web visitors are constantly changing. You need to be prepared to reciprocate.