“That’s Not What I Asked For”: What to Do When a Developer Ignores Your Vision
You click the link to the staging site, your heart full of anticipation. And then… it sinks. The colors are wrong. A key section is in the wrong place. The critical feature you spent weeks discussing is implemented completely differently, or worse, it’s missing. You send a detailed list of revisions, and the reply you get is: “Trust me, this is better.” At that moment, you realize you are losing control of your own project.
This isn’t just frustrating; it’s a fundamental breakdown of the professional relationship. A good developer isn’t an artist creating for themselves. They are an engineer hired to solve a specific client’s problem. If they are not solving *your* problem, they are not doing their job.
Why Developers Deviate from the Plan
This deviation from the plan rarely comes from malice. It’s usually a combination of ego, fear, and a broken process.
Collaboration, Not Dictatorship: The Hallmarks of a Healthy Partnership
A professional relationship is built on mutual respect for each other’s expertise. Here’s what that looks like in practice:
“You are the expert in your business. I am the expert in technology. My job is not to challenge your vision, but to offer the best technical way to realize it.”
- Your Vision, My Expertise: I might say, “That’s a great idea. However, if we implement it this way, the site will be faster and more secure for your users. What do you think?” The final decision is always yours, but it’s my responsibility to provide you with the best options.
- Everything is Documented: All key requirements are documented in a project brief or on a Trello board before work begins. This document is our shared “law.” Any deviation is discussed and agreed upon by both parties.
- Feedback is a Gift, Not a Nuisance: A professional welcomes constructive feedback because it helps make the final product better. If your developer gets defensive about revisions, it’s a sign they lack confidence in their work.
My Process: How We Ensure Your Vision is Realized
My workflow is designed to prevent this “vision hijacking” from ever happening. It’s built on collaboration and transparency at every stage.
The Blueprint Stage is Collaborative
During the prototyping phase in Figma, we work together. You are not just a passive “approver”; you are an active participant. We only move forward to the next stage when you say, “Yes, this is exactly what I want.”
The Power of YOOtheme Pro for Flexibility
Even after a design is approved, new ideas can emerge. Thanks to the flexibility of the YOOtheme Pro framework, many small-to-medium change requests (like “let’s make this section full-width”) can be implemented quickly and efficiently. The system is built for iteration, not rigidity.
A “No Surprises” Policy
You see the results at every micro-stage. There will never be a situation where you see nothing for months and are then presented with a “finished” product that you don’t recognize. You see your house being built, brick by brick.
It’s Your Project. Own It.
Do not let anyone take your project away from you. A true professional partner respects your experience, values your feedback, and uses their expertise to enhance your vision, not replace it with their own.