Design briefs: what do you love/hate?

[Mark]

What are your pet hates about clients' design briefs? What aspects do you love about them when they happen?

[UK Business Network]

A strange one I must admit, but I love clients who keep finding issues with it, if what some people see as a nightmare client, I see them as perfect, they end up with exactly what they want, so end up leaving as completely satisfied customers, its the one that don't that bad mouth you.

It's also the reason I get so much repeat business, my customers know they can keep coming back to me with changes, and the price does not change, I think far too many designers blame the customer for not letting them know what they want, but could it not be us at fault from not listening correctly?

Afterall, we are doing something they do not (most of the time) understand, so it should be down to us to correct this, if a client does not get what they want, then I believe (and practice) that we should carry on until they have what they ordered, whether that's a business card or a brochure.

[VLAHAKISA]

There is only one thing I won't like about a design brief that a client may present me with and that is if they start describing what they want their 'design' to look like.

IE - instead of receiving creative ideas from me and letting me do my job, they want to literally hold my mouse hand and tell me what to design.

Then because they aren't a designer by profession, they wonder why it looks bad.

I hate that sort of thing. Just tell me about your business, and what you need to be saying to your customers and then me think up the visual stuff.

When you see it, you can then decide if you like it, instead of trying to needlessly control the process and prevent me from doing what you pay me for (creativity).

(Rant!) lol


Amanda

[Mark]

For logos, I go by the maxim: "it's not you want and/or like - it's what's right for your business!" Of course, sometimes, clients do have sound ideas and it's then my job to get the best out of them visually. I'm not too proud to ignore suggestions.

[bobpilk]

I look at this from the other side, I tell a designer what i think and then they give me exactly what I asked for, now thats just silly, I could have designed that.

[Kay]

Mark wrote:

\"it's not you want and/or like - it's what's right for your business!\"

I agree with this in many ways. However, it depends on the circumstances. I hope Mark won't mind me talking about the projects we worked on together.

The Not Delia logo had to reflect what I wanted and my personality, if the 'customers' don't like me, then they won't like the ND blog anyway, so I wanted a logo for me. And that's exactly what I got.

The HouseWiz site, on the other hand was far less personal. We had to figure out what might appeal to the customers. I found this process much more difficult than saying stuff like "I love knives". But I was delighted with the result on that one too.

I think it can work both ways, depending on the particular job.

[Kay]

Bob wrote:

I tell a designer what i think and then they give me exactly what I asked for, now thats just silly, I could have designed that

Yep. I agree with that too. If I knew exactly what I want and how it should look, then I'd do it myself. As well as the actual finished product, what you're paying for is ideas and creativity. It's all very subjective and intangible.

[VLAHAKISA]

Originally Posted by bobpilk

I look at this from the other side, I tell a designer what i think and then they give me exactly what I asked for, now thats just silly, I could have designed that.

That's what I think ... if you have the idea yourself and know what you want it to look like, what are you paying a designer top dollar for?

At the very maximum you don't need a 'logo designer' in the real sense of what a logo designer should provide you with, what you need is someone who will draw a vector for you as specified, which isn't really 'designing' as such, and this should be a lot cheaper than a proper logo design project that demands creativity.

I guess I'm happy to do that, but I think it's pointless for someone to pay me a substantial sum of money for a creative logo design project, and they are paying for creativity, but then they don't want me to create, just follow instructions instead.

Amanda

[JMCDesigner]

Originally Posted by VLAHAKISA

That's what I think ... if you have the idea yourself and know what you want it to look like, what are you paying a designer top dollar for?

I'm not a fan of briefs that are too brief. I agree with the other comments, but I think the clients should have at least some idea of what they want rather than coming to you with a blank slate and shrugging their shoulders. How can a designer know what is required if people they are working for don't know themselves? Obviously good designers will take a little time getting to know their clients, their business and their main target customers - rather than just make something look pretty. Some input from the client obviously helps this.

So it's not all negative, my fav briefs are those where the client is really keen to have me explore my creativity and really push my skills. If my client is really enthusiastic, so am I!

[VLAHAKISA]

If you know the business and the target market that gives you most of what you need to know.

The only other thing I want to know is to gauge what of image/style they want to project and their personal preferences. Personal preferences of the decision maker will influence their satisfaction in the designs presented to them no matter how much the design is meant to be for the target market.

I have a method of procuring that from them their styling preferences by presenting them with a range of images that they need to point out to me which they do and do not like.

This way I narrow down their styling preferences without actually requiring them to give me any design concept ideas or leading.

I don't actually ask clients for design briefs, I lead them by giving them my own list of questions and images to build the type of design brief that I need from them. I don't think you can/should entirely rely on a client to know what information is best to give you when they aren't experienced in design, it's only likely that the information will be incomplete or not really what you need.

Amanda

[Mark]

Originally Posted by JMCDesigner

If my client is really enthusiastic, so am I!

Ditto!

Rarely, I have to say, but sometimes I'll get feedback on a set of five or so logos and it'll go:

1. Naah.
2. Don't like it.
3. Maybe.
4. Naah.
5. Yup, good.



I mean, c'mon - throw me a frickin' bone here!; what don't you like about them? What aspects do you like? What aspect works for you? What doesn't?

[VLAHAKISA]

Originally Posted by Mark

Ditto!
I mean, c'mon - throw me a frickin' bone here!; what don't you like about them? What aspects do you like? What aspect works for you? What doesn't?

Haha!

[KevJaques]

heheh, One of the things I try and leave till later on is colour, I do try and factor that aspect in soon in the project but it can get in the way as emotions take over as it's not the colour the client wanted.
In that respect I try and keep things grey-scale where possible and colours are subject to change throughout the project, it's imperative this is conveyed as the design process still has to remain objectionable in order to give scenarios/personas and one way might not appeal to some people.

I normally have a pretty good grasp of most things now but that has come through experience and I'm still learning. I think that's one of the main reasons I still like it as you can never rest on your laurels and to keep pushing yourself to do better is one of the best experiences anyone will get.

[JMCDesigner]

Originally Posted by KevJaques

I think that's one of the main reasons I still like it as you can never rest on your laurels and to keep pushing yourself to do better is one of the best experiences anyone will get.

Defo, especially when our line of work involves constantly changing technologies and new software editions coming out all the time..CS5 is getting close now aint it?

[Conceptstore]

I usually provide a brief for the client to fill out WITH INSTRUCTIONS because they'll usually do one or many of my pet hates (even though i've given instructions.)

Pet hates:

1.) More then one person fills it out:
Ever had a board of directors fill it out?
Ever had a partnership business where both partners fill it out?
Better yet their life partner (husband or wife) decides to help them fil it out.

Its fine if the answers are the same, its a nightmare when each one answers the questions differently!

"How do you want your business to be percieved"
One will say traditional & prestigious and one will say modern & funky!

2.) A go between: Even though i've requested to communicate with only one person being the one who has the final say, a go between is introduced.

The client says : we want something traditional, orange with a star in it.
The go between tells me: we want a modern red hexagon


3.) One word answers!

4.) The wrong idea:
Sometimes a client will fill out a brief fully with a clear idea of what they want except that idea is not actually what they wanted, its the total opposite. The brief states "We want something traditional", after 5 designs it turns out that they actually wanted something modern.

Its all fun and games

[SparkCreative]

I agree with much of the above. My pet hate is frustrated creatives who don't ask questions but try to give you the answers.

[Nathan-Hall]

any client with multiple contacts.

Contact A wants a traditional corporate website, looking similar to site A, using darker colours and companies new logo. then they provide a copy of the old one telling you its the new one.

Contact B: Says the design is all wrong as you based it around the old logo, and why is it taking so long to get it done.

[Mark]

Design by committee... blearrgh.

[matt.chatterley]

Originally Posted by Mark

What are your pet hates about clients' design briefs? What aspects do you love about them when they happen?

Very quick, off the cuff answer - I hate briefs like this: "Basically we want it to be just like Facebook, but.."

When someone is able to articulately lay out what they want then I'm happy - more so if it's a well thought out brief which they've read back before hitting send!

[katiestar]

i particularly enjoy it when a client describes their UPS to be that they are innovative and funcky, so apparently a unique selling point isnt so unique any more.

[Paul Norman]

I think the worst one is when the design brief is too vague. You try to interpret it, and then it becomes mega specific!

I have a tip for people giving a design brief. Back off with your own 'bees in the bonnet', and think function, and think customer!

You know...the MD is the wrong person to get the final say here!!

[Mick Johnson]

A big niggle from our designers are the 'here's a list of websites I like, could you base our design around these' type of briefs....

Site 1 - very 'web 2.0', styled, bold and clean
Site 2 - obviously table based, 'information overload' cluttered type of site
Site 3 - different again.....
Site 4 - you're getting the idea!!

So you want a cluttered, web 2.0, clean, open, tightly spaced, bold, brightly coloured and pastel coloured website then. Just give me a minute.......

Customer input is vital in the design process, but you're paying a designer to be creative, let them be creative, it's what they're good at.