How does a designer exceed the clients needs and expectations?
The designer should understand the clients objectives, his problem, his vision of the solution, the outcome of the solution in his business and create designs that exactly meets the objectives. Not anything else.
Here communication is vital. How can the client let a designer know why he is doing the process, what the solution needs to achieve and how to measure success of the project?
By creating a “Design Brief”, a document primarily created by the client explaining his requirement, needs and expectations.
A design brief should communicate the following details.
- Designers need to know who you are
- What is your business?
- What is unique about your business?
- What are your brands characteristics?
- How do people perceive you now/How do you want them to perceive you?
- Describe your target? What are their characteristics – Occupation, gender ratio, average age, nationality, demographic, lifestyle preferences.
- Who are your competitors? How do you perceive their uniqueness?
- How do you expect the outcome to be?
- How do measure the outcome?
- Your expectations from the design?
- Do you have any specific color preference? Why?
- Details about some designs and solutions you liked and why you liked it.
- Details about designs you didn’t like.
- What is the output? Technical specifications of the output media.
- What is the budget and the time-frame?
- How is the output delivered?
- Who is the decision maker?
- Who are the primary and secondary contact?
Designers might ask a number of questions that are aimed at eliciting a precise brief from their clients. The client must ensure that the brief they submit to the designer completely communicates their objectives and expectations form the project.