When my wife and I were first married I wasn't exactly sure how to be a good host. One might be tempted to think that the more you can offer your guest the more likely they will be satisfied. This is a concept I tried out, and it often reached a comical end. When people would come over I would offer them a drink, listing the various options we had in the refrigerator. Water was often the drink of choice, perhaps because it seemed like the safest option. This was not so in my house. "Carbonated or non-carbonated," I would ask. "Flavored or unflavored," I would continue. "From the jug, filter or tap," I would go on. "Ice or no ice," I would push. "... Crushed or cubed?" By this point the response was almost always the same. "Just GIVE ME the water!" You see, too many options can impair good decision making.
When designers are given cart blanch on a project we are absolutely thrilled. However, that thrill is quickly overcome by sheer terror. The lack of boundaries and directions can turn creative freedom into creative bondage. The fact is that when we are given free reign, we have no idea where we are supposed to go. We can create whatever we want but have no assurance that will be what our clients want. In the end, they are who decide if the job is well done or not. It's a great theory to think that a client simply "doesn't care" and that they just "want it to look good." But, the reality of that situation is horrifying. If a client truly doesn't care what their project looks like, we designers loose all gusto for the project. We are being commissioned by apathy. If the audience doesn't care, the creator is bound to either blowup or give up.
The truth is, despite what the clients say at the beginning, they DO care by the end. Thus, instead of running in the direction of our choosing, we creep in the darkness hoping we are headed the right way. Avenues that we would normally take with confidence are passed by for fear of infraction.
The bottom line is this: No, we obstreperousness designers do not want to be micro-managed, but the alternative is not to abandon us. What we need (and what deep down we really want) is clear direction and complete faith for our clients.