Do you ever wonder where some people get so many great creative ideas? How do they create logos, visual identities, and other products? You sit down in front of a computer screen or a piece of paper and… nothing? It’s time to dispel the myth of inspiration that falls on a designer from the sky. The design process is definitely more than that.
In my professional career, I sometimes hear the opinion that design comes down to “drawing something” on paper or in a graphics program. When we talk about pricing – there is also surprise that something that “someone could draw in 5 minutes” costs so much. I assume that this type of point of view stems from ignorance and lack of information about what a designer does.
Well, what exactly? In this article, I would like to talk about the design process.
Let the design process begin!
The design process begins at the moment of contact with the client, when the decision to start cooperation is made. Remember that it is not only the client who decides who will do the project for them. It is also your choice.
For example, from my side, if I realize that the client "knows exactly what he wants" and is only looking for someone who will transfer his idea to digital reality - I politely thank him. This means that he has found the wrong person. He is not looking for a designer, but only someone who knows how to use graphic programs. In such a situation, I advise finding someone like that. This will allow you to avoid unnecessary negative emotions, waste of time and money.
The beginning of cooperation is also the perfect time for an open conversation about mutual expectations and terms of cooperation. It is at this stage that I inform the client what journey awaits us and what they can expect. Very often this is new to them - it is the designer's job to show what the design process looks like.
Another important element at this stage is to establish the project guidelines. To make this possible, you should ask your interviewer a series of questions about their needs and expectations. You can obtain the necessary information in several different ways:
- by phone,
- during video conference,
- by email,
- personally.
Brief with the client, i.e. collecting the first information
A brief is a document that contains information that may be useful during design. It is a good idea to start by obtaining preliminary information such as:
- brand name,
- customer contact details,
- website address,
- how long have they been operating on the market,
- what position does the client hold in his company,
- Who will be the contact person and will approve individual stages of work?
The above questions may seem trivial, but they are necessary to move forward. What can you ask next? The next questions should allow you to construct guidelines for the project. Below you will find some sample questions.
- What does the brand offer?
- Who is he selling it to?
- At what prices does it offer its products/services?
- What are the goals of creating a brand identity?
- What values should be associated with the brand identity?
- What kind of work results does the client expect?
- Who will be involved in the project on behalf of the company? Will other external entities be involved? What is the scope of their competences?
- What makes a company want to start a project at this particular time?
- When would the client like to receive the final design? Is the deadline dependent on something?
- What kind of project budget are we talking about?
If the client has started talking – let them talk. Even a seemingly trivial story can contribute a lot to the project. So listen carefully to everything and don't disregard any word :)
Of course, after the first interview, there will most likely be more questions. That is why it is so important to know who on behalf of the company will be responsible for contacting you and will help you gather all the information you need.
It is important not to make it seem like your questions give the client the opportunity to impose their terms on you. The relationship that is created between you should be based on trust and partnership. Asking questions should serve the project and bring us closer to a happy ending.
Time for your analysis!
Once you have gathered all of your information, it is time for a detailed analysis. Carefully reviewing what you have learned will help you create a project brief. Questions like the ones below can be helpful.
- What is the customer afraid of?
- What is worth paying attention to?
- What is the brand promise? What are its values?
- What is the brand's mission? Do they have a vision?
- What distinguishes the brand?
- How do you want to position yourself on the market?
At this stage, you are able to create a project brief. This is a document that can be reduced to notes from conversations with the client. However, it is worth ensuring that the final version is a concise work that can be easily shared.
Such a document is necessary to remember what the project assumptions are. Why are you doing it? What is your mission? What are the goals you want to achieve? It is also a help for the designer not to stray too far off course. Each of us sometimes experiments and exceeds the established framework, but we must constantly consider relevance. This is the element of the project that is key, and the guidelines will help you not to get lost along the way.
This brings us to the end of a big stage, which is defining the project. I'll stop here for today. Don't worry - I'll tell you soon what the next steps in the design process are.
- Written by: Agnieszka Untimely
- Posted on: 12 Nov 2021
- Tags: client briefing, design thinking, brand bottom, visual identification, Brand communication, design process