Design trade-offs and the Big Idea

Clients want fast, cheap, brilliant creative that breaks through market noise. Then reality sets in. As the song says, you can’t always get what you want.

You represent the creative team – the ideas people. That’s your passion, your expertise. And design is an imperfect process in pursuit of perfection around the Big Idea. What dials can you adjust so the Big Idea wins?

First, clarify expectations with the client. What are their priorities? We’ve all heard their valid clichés:

Time = fast. They needed it yesterday. Cost = low. Budgets are tight. Consistency = aligned with the brand look & feel. Quality = be accurate. No mistakes. Sometimes associated with brilliance or beauty. Beauty = it’s in the eye of the beholder and they think they'll know brilliance when they see it.

Second, explain: You want it fast? It’ll cost you. You want quality? Don’t go too fast. You want it cheap? You risk quality.

Third: Reiterate the big idea. The theme, the unique creative approach, the differentiated messaging.

Let’s say you’ve hit the content creation trifecta. You had the time, money, and ingredients to ensure quality: clear brand alignment, a motivated creative team, and a sense of context for the deliverable – you know how it fits for the business. And you know how the big idea integrates with other communications vehicles across selected media to achieve your communication goals.

But the “beholder” (the client), isn’t seeing the “beauty” or brilliance of the work. The words and pictures, or the big idea aren’t resonating. And now you are out of time and money. Here’s where your account manager mettle gets tested. This is the final step, and the hardest one: show how the big idea works, and how that affects the “beauty” of the solution to your design challenge.

Review the creative brief and the communication goals again. Show the client how their ideas and business needs were incorporated.

Explain the process. Give reasons -describe the strategic rationale- for the steps taken and design decisions made. Remind them of specific past successes with the process.

Talk with them (again) about their personal design sensibilities. What they like and especially what they don’t like. And remind them (with research, if necessary), that the viewer/reader/customer is NOT them.

Negotiate on some of the small design features- give and take on a few details

Show how aspects of the strategy, the design, and the big idea integrate with other deliverables in a cohesive campaign approach.

Finally, bring the client back to the big idea, the business imperative and the importance of brand alignment.

In the end, the big idea will win them over because it considers all the elements above as part of a well-planned (and very human), strategic process. This approach, respect for your expertise, and their trust that you have theirs and the company’s success at heart can carry you forward.