The Design Dilemma

Let’s talk psychology for a minute.

It starts with a decision…a person finally realizes they need a website. Maybe they’re building a personal brand. Maybe a business. Maybe they just want to be taken seriously.

That one decision sets off a cascade that usually ends in confusion, frustration, and a product that doesn’t feel like them.

It starts with hope.
And ends with a half-finished site, half-hated.

Not because the person didn’t care.
Not because the agency didn’t try.
But because they never actually saw each other.

The Invisible Tug-of-War

The client knows what they want. They just don’t know how to express it.

The designer knows how to build. But they don’t really know what the client wants.

So what happens?

The standard playbook:

* Client starts looking for an agency.
* Gets overwhelmed by choice.
* Ends up with someone they *hope* gets it.
* Pays a deposit or in full.

Then the fun begins.

The agency says: "Tell us what you want."

But that’s the problem. If the client *could* have articulated that, they probably would have built it themselves. 

So the client gets:

* A logo brief (make sure it fits your personality).
* A copywriting prompt (write like a pro?..Yeah, right).
* A request for 5 websites they like (so we can copy and blame you later).
* 10,000 templates to browse (in the wrong colors, industries, and styles).

The agency waits. The client burns out. Everyone gets frustrated.

Why It Fails (And Keeps Failing)

 It’s not a design issue. It’s a translation issue.

The client is walking into the agency’s world.
Speaking a language they don’t know.
Trying to describe a feeling they’ve never said out loud.

Meanwhile, the designer is trying to reverse engineer meaning from fragments.

* A Pinterest board.
* A vague brief.
* An incomplete copy deck.

It’s like trying to build a symphony from a few humming voice notes.

The Real Problem: Psychology

The client is on edge. They’ve likely been burned before.

The designer is guarded. They’ve dealt with "difficult clients" who change their mind 10 times.

There’s no trust.
No shared language.
No bridge.

Until that’s fixed, every revision is just rearranging the Lego bricks.

What If There Was a Better Way?

What if the process didn’t start with "Tell us what you want"
but with:

* "Who are you, really?"
* "What do people feel when they meet you?"
* "Where are you going and why does it matter?"

What if the designer didn’t just get your brand colors...
But understood your shadows, your scars, your essence?

What if, instead of sending you 3 template options,
you got a mood board that *felt* like you?

And what if your finished site didn’t feel like something you bought,
but something you *became*?

That’s what we’re building at Influence.VIN.

We don’t design websites.
We translate identity.
We create digital homes that feel like soul mirrors.

Because when you see yourself clearly...
The world does too.