We’re working on a new project, with a new client. Starting with a new client is always delicate. There is a short period of dating before things get comfortable and fluid. We are pretty careful when deciding to work with a particular client. Things like project type, team size, client experience, mindset, and an overall fit for the project based on our skills are important, very important. We prefer to work with smaller teams since it fits our fast paced iterative process and allows us to make decisions quickly.
The other day I was talking to a client about a mockup. At some point, he said something like “...well just some ideas. I know you all are the experts. :D.” It might be a usual statement for some people, but I never take statements like this for granted. There is an amazing difference between clients who trust you and clients who just want you to apply their ideas. Our clients decide to go with us for specific reasons and put full trust in us to deliver. We rely on them to understand their business, they rely on us for the concepts, community, design, and implementation. We both understand our roles and rely on each other to get the job done.
There is always a grey area with this stuff, but when a client puts full trust in you, the work and quality just falls into place. Of course, this needs to be backed up by a good history and track record. In most cases, if the client is trying to dictate the specific work and tasks, then it might not be a good fit and the trust is just not there.