I’ve always felt pride of authorship in my work, including my web designs. Of course, that has rarely been validated, because customers, clients, etc. just want me to implement their designs. Today I saw how this works with another designer. It was on staff, but the two content owners literally stood behind the designer, telling her what to move around in Photoshop and trying to figure out what they liked. This sort of behavior would make me crazy in a hurry. I prefer meetings and presentations. But the designer in this case seemed fine with it…she was part of the discussion too, but had no control. Is this typical? Is this is how design is done now? What’s the point of having a trained designer, then?
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Can’t speak for the general population, but our designers at my work (when we were doing a redesign) were given the option to submit proposals for the design. With some modifications discussed at meetings, we used her original design although very slightly modified. So basically, we had the “norm”, while I classify yours as being unique…but I’ll let others chime in.
That was just my experience with it anyway.
Great question, @jackweb. There is no single answer to this of course, and artists have always had to struggle with clients (think of Michelangelo having to negotiate the whims of the clergy all those years ago!)
One thing to consider is to change the process entirely. You can change the conversation by approaching the subject of design differently. I always think it’s a bad move to jump straight into visual design at the start of any project—be it web-related or not.
Start by discussing with the client the purpose of the site, what it needs to do, what it needs to say, etc. Build up a picture of how the content needs to be organised to meet its goals. From this kind of discussion, a basic site structure tends to suggest itself, leading to a wireframe that the client can understand.
The last step is to add some sugar, basically—the “design” if you like … and with the previous steps completed, the clients are usually less picky about the design details, because they see the need and rationale behind the whole process. They will understand that the design is there to enhance the content, and will be more likely to appreciate the expertise of the designer in bringing that about.
So I’d say it’s more about how you lead the client into the process of design. Lead the horse to the right end of the cart at the beginning of the process. 
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I’ll tell you that after being a freelancer full time for several years, when I came to this job and had to begin redevelopment of their main informational platform and was essentially told “You tell us, you’re the web guy, that’s why we’re hiring you” was a pleasant surprise and a nice change of pace.
I’ve been here six months now. Now the president of the company stops by and gives me detailed instructions and drawings and the [main] website is not really mine anymore. The only projects I have free reign to design / have designed myself or determine the functionality of are those that are too small or too quick (a landing page for something, a change to an admin panel, etc) to be noticed or fought over 
Oh well.
lol
I’ve worked on both kinds of team. My favourite way to work is “pair product-ing”, where we put a design brief together, the designer brings in a first version, and we work together on the final version.
I’d be curious to hear thoughts from other designers in that position. @katja_bak, @alexmwalker, what do you think?
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Thanks for asking, @Ophelie!
Very good question and I think it’s something most designers struggle with throughout their careers. I think it’s important to remember that you are hired for your skills and talents, and are valuable because of that. But there is a multitude of different ways organisations work, and you need to observe and adapt to that. Of course, that doesn’t mean giving up your creative vision or simply becoming a ‘tool’ or ‘resource’.
Being hired as “the designer” doesn’t mean you will be explicitly given free reign on design decisions. There is so much more that goes into a product and a design than just what a designer can offer, and it does need to be a team collaboration. Personally I am in the same boat as @Ophelie. A brief explaining what is needed, what it needs to achieve, what it’s for, what specific content needs to be in it, and an example of a style they like. Then it’s my job to interpret that with my unique skills and knowledge. Then it’s our job as a team to tweak and craft it together with everyones expertise to come to the final and hopefully best solution.
Some workplaces are the kind of over-the-shoulder type environments, where you are given strict instructions on what to make and your job is simply to produce that file. I have worked in this kind of environment and it’s easy to become defensive and feel undervalued, under appreciated and bored. What I found was that throughout those interactions I would interject with my suggestions, and show the team my ideas side by side with their ideas. If they suggested something that I thought was bad practice/design/UI, then I would speak up and explain why, and how it could be better or improved. You are not always going to be offered the opportunity to have an opinion. Having said that, it does take a while to learn to function this way.
In the situation you describe it sounds like the content creators essentially do not know what they want, or what is possible. And they can be scared about that and try to control the design to find what they like. Some designers are okay with being utilised in this way, and sometimes the situation may call for it. If you aren’t one of those designers then the key is the continue to offer your opinions, ideas, knowledge and back it up with examples.
Essentially you need to value your colleagues, their opinions, their intentions, their skills and their expertise. You will get the same in return. If that’s not the case, however, and you are getting steam-rolled, there may be a disconnect in their understanding of your opinions, intentions, skills and expertise and it’s your job to assert that constructively and in a collaborative, supportive team environment.
So to answer the questions more directly:
- No, it’s not typical. It is how some work places function though. And it can happen anywhere, especially if you allow it to happen.
- No, it’s not how design is done now, but it is increasingly more collaborative. I don’t see anything wrong with that. If you’re making yourself valuable beyond being a ‘tool’, you are as revered and uniquely skilled as designers have always been in the past.
- Trained designers still offer unique and important skills, opinions and ideas. They are still needed, even more so now as design becomes more important. However, it doesn’t mean you’re simply going to be offered up content on a silver platter and told to work your magic as only you know how. People want to be part of the process, and that’s okay. As long as you make sure they’re just part of it.
Sorry for rambling, but I think I got my point across. Great question, really valuable! I encourage more of these tough questions around here 
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