Should you avoid UX when the client don't engage

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Question: "Sometimes I'm faced with clients who run away or avoid the content planning or wire-framing. I hate to work with lorem ipsum, I need the content, I need to plan everything to design it, isn't this what is all about?

Most of website designs require a plan, however, I feel like some clients don't like to be charged for > wireframing.

from StackOverflow

Here is my answer

I would agree. I find the answer to this is most often that they are paying an external service provider (freelance or agency) to take the time and responsibility away from themselves. They do not want to be part of the process as that is what they believe they are paying you for.

So in a way it is more that wireframing and UX are really agile parts often presented back into a waterfall process. You need to try and sell agile to them, and not that you have to do the whole iterative process all the way. Just that if they are part of the process at some stages then the product will grow around them and be a much better fit and sell better to customers.

I have seen this as a freelancer and as a contractor to an agency in the last 3 years. The bit that is a gamble on a project is will you get a good product owner at the client. Will you get someone who has the time to give you 1-3 days a week to do, not their normal job (which is often key, this project is not paying their bills or job description).

So I try to get better at taking small steps in with the person or people from the client at seeing if they get the concept and have the time. Some people who set up the contract are not the people who will use it and have no interest apart from getting a good price so it does not matter what process you give them the most they will do is regular visual briefings and sign off.

If you can sell agile scrum with Release planning meetings and then sprint planning meetings you know they will at least devote some time to planning with you and so may be open to understanding what UX and wireframes are. Most clients do not have the time or the vocabulary to deal with it. For example when as ask them to weight page blocks to a total of 10 they are just happy I do it.

So go with that you keep the wireframing as a cost and be happy they don't engage and that you have had them pay for more up front thinking by you. Or you keep it all in house and dint charge for it. Give clients 10 years more and some might be more into the process.

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