What do you do if a client's brand and design needs in graphic design are unclear?

1 Gather Info

When your client's brand and design needs are as clear as mud, it's time to put on your detective hat. Start by asking open-ended questions that encourage your client to share their thoughts and feelings about their brand. What are their goals, target audience, and company values? These insights can be golden nuggets that help you begin to shape a visual strategy. Remember, you're aiming to build a comprehensive picture of what the client wants, even if they can't articulate it directly. This is your foundation for creating a design that resonates.

2 Clarify Goals

Understanding the client's business goals is crucial to delivering a design that not only looks good but also serves a purpose. You need to know what the client is aiming to achieve with the design—is it increased brand awareness, customer engagement, or perhaps a new product launch? By clarifying these goals, you can align your design strategy with their business objectives. This ensures that your creative work not only captures attention but also contributes to the client's success.

3 Explore Examples

Sometimes clients know what they like when they see it but struggle to communicate their preferences. In such cases, exploring examples of existing designs can be enlightening. Encourage your client to share examples of designs they admire or feel are effective. This exercise can reveal preferences in style, color, typography, and more. As you discuss these examples, you'll gain valuable insights into the client's taste and the design direction that will likely resonate with them.

4 Set Expectations

Clear communication about the design process is key to managing expectations. Explain to your client the steps involved from concept to final design, including timelines and feedback loops. This transparency helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures that the client knows what to expect at each stage. Setting realistic expectations also helps build trust and can lead to a smoother working relationship, as both parties understand their roles and responsibilities in the collaborative process.

5 Create Concepts

With the information gathered, it's time to translate words into visuals. Create a few diverse design concepts that reflect the client's brand and goals. These should be distinct enough to offer a real choice but still align with the strategic direction you've established. Presenting these concepts allows the client to react to concrete ideas, which can often clarify their preferences more effectively than abstract discussions. It's a tangible step towards honing in on the perfect design solution.

6 Revise and Refine

After presenting your concepts, it's time to listen carefully to the client's feedback. Their reactions will guide the revisions and help you refine the design into its final form. This stage is an iterative process that may require several rounds of adjustments. It's important to maintain an open dialogue, ensuring that each revision brings the design closer to what the client envisions for their brand. Patience and persistence are key as you work together to achieve a design that meets their needs.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?