If “Game of Thrones” Characters Were Your Design Clients

Clients are the lifeblood of any design business. To work with the perfect set of clients requires a combination of luck and keen insight. However, most designers face a diverse range of clientele, each with their unique demands and work styles.

Typically, clients are categorized as ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ Yet, there exists a fascinating third category: the Game of Thrones types. These clients mirror the distinctive traits of characters from the Game of Thrones series in their behavior.

As a long-time fan of Game of Thrones, I’ve been captivated by its stunning settings, intricate costumes, and unexpected plot twists. While enjoying the series, I couldn’t help but see some of the main characters as lively representations of the various clients encountered by designers daily. And it’s more relatable than you might think.

Daenerys Targaryen: Impatient & Impulsive

Daenerys Targaryen stands as a central figure in Game of Thrones, known for her impatience and impulsiveness.

Similarly, some clients display a complete lack of patience when it comes to project timelines. These ‘Targaryen clients’ make quick decisions and have a tendency to impulsively reject designs. For them, deadlines are as immediate as their tempers – everything needed to be done yesterday.

Yet, much like Daenerys’ dragons, they are appealing when it comes to payments, often ensuring fair compensation for your efforts.

Tyrion Lannister: Calm and Wise

Tyrion Lannister is one of the most compelling characters in Game of Thrones, known for his composed and sensible demeanor, despite occasional lapses.

Clients similar to Tyrion focus on their brand’s unique voice, setting aside what competitors might be doing. They are receptive to well-reasoned designs and flexible with deadlines. While they are articulate and persuasive, they are also open to logical arguments, ensuring a two-way communication that is fruitful. Importantly, they are prompt with payments, much like Tyrion’s punctuality in his dealings.

Sansa Stark: The Downtrodden

Sansa Stark, the eldest daughter of the Stark family, has faced numerous hardships throughout the series.

Designers often meet clients who resemble Sansa, having previously endured poor service from other design firms. These experiences have left them cautious and skeptical about embracing bold or unconventional ideas. Instead, they prefer more conservative approaches, favoring safety and familiarity in their brand’s representation.

Arya Stark: Hot-Headed Vigilante

Arya Stark, the youngest of the Stark daughters, is known for her fiery temper and acute awareness of her environment.

Clients resembling Arya are intensely focused on maintaining and advancing their brand. They keep a close watch on their competitors’ moves. Often, they will present you with competitors’ designs and challenge you to create something so unique and striking that it eclipses their rivals. These clients are also adventurous, willing to embrace bold concepts that invigorate their brand.

Stannis Baratheon: Blind Follower

Stannis Baratheon, deeply influenced by his enigmatic advisor, is a character that follows any advice that he believes will lead him closer to the throne.

This character often reminds me of clients who rely heavily on their communications managers. These clients will typically redirect any direct communications back to their manager. In these scenarios, the manager can become an obstacle, ensuring that you have no direct interaction with the client. Such clients might demand extensive work hours for their campaigns and, unfortunately, may not always have sufficient funds to match the effort you put in.

Jon Snow: Knows Nothing

Jon Snow, a central figure in Game of Thrones, resides at the edge of the realm, oblivious to his origins and largely unaware of the wider world’s happenings.

Clients resembling Jon Snow are often unaware of how to effectively design their communications. They tend to be uninformed about current design trends and the activities of their peers. Presentations to them may yield indecisive and confused reactions, resulting in numerous requests for alterations. They might provide one set of instructions in person and then send completely contradictory guidance via email the next day. When it comes to payments, following up often reveals that they are also unclear about financial transactions.

Conclusion

A designer’s clientele is as diverse as their backgrounds, industries, and cultural origins, especially in the realm of online design. Many clients exhibit traits from several of these categories.

Light-heartedly, it’s wise for designers to maintain a mix of both easygoing and challenging clients, the latter serving to hone their skills and patience.

More seriously, a varied client base not only keeps a designer’s mind sharp but is also essential for a thriving design business – it’s the spice that sustains creativity and growth in the design world.

Editor’s note: All images in this article are sourced from the Game of Thrones wiki page.