Background
It was a UX project with a client from Taiwan. We aimed to improve the user experience and visual design of an app that would manage gym classes and classroom rentals. Due to the time zone difference, our work was entirely remote without overlapping work hours.
We mainly communicated through email and had video calls once a week to discuss our progress. However, four days before the project ended, I received over 50 comments, which caught me off guard. I thought we were on the right track and had everything under control. As a result, I was surprised and panicked when I saw the comments flooding in. Although it was a painful experience, I managed to resolve most of the problems at the last minute. After completing the project, I took the time to reflect on it. Here are three valuable lessons I learned from this almost-failed experience.
Three lessons I’ve learned
Maintain transparency throughout the process and ensure continuous communication with the client.
I must over-communicate when working remotely with clients in different time zones to improve communication effectiveness.
- After collaborating for the second time with this client, we established a rhythm of giving and receiving reviews. The working method we used last time worked well, so I thought we could continue. However, I was too naive to assume that every project would work similarly. The project we worked on this time was more complicated and required closer collaboration and a faster feedback loop to keep everything on schedule. I was aware of this situation in the middle of the project, but instead of taking action to resolve it, I ignored the problem and received a time bomb at the end of the project. I take full responsibility for this mistake and will ensure that I never repeat it in the future.
- I need to juggle project management and design when working solo and fully remote in a different time zone. I was too focused on the design and neglected project management.
Be alert for the presence of a red flag, and do not disregard it!
Confront problems instead of ignoring them and ask specific questions to clarify doubts.
- During the project engagement, I observed several issues that made me uncertain about our ability to deliver the project on time. However, I made the mistake of ignoring them and chose to continue working on the project despite having unanswered questions. I now realize that it was a huge mistake and should take appropriate measures to avoid repeating it in the future.
- Although the surprise came out of nowhere and caused a hectic pace at the end of my project, I am grateful to have experienced it early in my freelancing career. As I am just starting, I know many challenges will be ahead. However, I am determined to persevere, learn from my failures, and strive to improve each time.
“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. You won’t believe what you can accomplish by attempting the impossible with the courage to repeatedly fail better.”
Samuel Beckett
Be a genuine and sincere partner.
Our project always aims to create a fantastic design that offers a welcoming user experience with incredible visuals. Our shared objective is to build something customers love and want to use. However, being an authentic, friendly, and sincere person is more important to me. When working with clients, it is essential to confront any conflicts with genuineness and openness. This will help foster a successful collaboration and a trustworthy relationship with the clients.
“People will forget what you said, people will what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou.
Things I will do differently next time
- Discuss the cadence of an online meeting with the clients and establish a sync feedback mechanism to ensure we identify the problem quickly. For example, sending daily progress notes to the client to share updates and ask for feedback.
- Review the project timeline at the start of each meeting to ensure everyone is on the same page. To avoid surprises, end the meeting by summarizing what’s next.
- Be comfortable transitioning between different roles or getting used to wearing different hats simultaneously.
- Act fast when noticing a red flag.
- Ask plenty of questions to clarify any uncertainties.
The project turned out to be successful, thanks to the last-minute communication back and forth with the client. I was fortunate to work with a very understanding and respectful client. However, I should take this opportunity to learn from the experience and avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.