After six years of studio work, here is a rough taxonomy that has proven reliable:
The Five Types
1. The Validator — Already knows what they want. Hired you to confirm it and give it professional execution. Success: execute faithfully and don’t challenge the premise. Failure: try to introduce your perspective.
2. The Delegator — Genuinely has no view on the design question. Hired you to hold it entirely. Success: make decisions and report them. Failure: ask for their preference on anything visual.
3. The Collaborator — Has taste, curiosity, and time. Wants to think through it together. Success: bring the process, not just the output. Failure: move too fast or too unilaterally.
4. The Skeptic — Doesn’t fully believe design can solve the business problem. Hired you provisionally. Success: demonstrate ROI early and often. Failure: lead with craft.
5. The Passenger — Has been told to do this by someone above them. Has no real stake. Success: make the project low-friction, document everything. Failure: expect initiative or decisions.
Why this matters
Most relationship problems stem from treating a Validator like a Collaborator, or a Delegator like a Skeptic. The mismatch generates friction that looks like a disagreement about work but is actually a disagreement about roles.
Diagnosis question: in the first conversation, was the client telling you about the solution or the problem? Validators tell you the solution. Delegators tell you neither. Collaborators want to build both together.