We want our clients/colleagues/bosses to like our designs. We really do. We have the need to be liked.
It took me some time to realize that I should stop making ‘I need them to like my design’ a goal. Rather, my goal should be to make a design that solves their problems.
But to get to the real problems lying beneath the surface, we must begin by asking questions.
Less WHAT More WHY is the key.
How to ask the right questions? Start with what motivates the request. More than likely, the client will dump a ton of requests and very few of the reasons behind the request on you from the beginning. As designers, we tend to get carried away by how “clear” these requests are. We started to ask questions like “What kind of style do you like?” “What do you think about this direction?”. People, this is how to dig holes for ourselves without realizing it.
Questions starting with why go a long way.
Why do you need to do this at all?
“You said you need a new logo, WHY is that?”. We can then dive into the real reason that they think they need a new logo. We could end up realizing what they need is actually better customer service.
Imagine if we proceed with making a new logo. The actual need is to increase sales. Would they ever be satisfied with the new logo that you made?
Why do you think this is the style we should go for? Why do you think this is the direction we should be heading?
There are clients who understand their business, there are clients who need our help to understand. It’s up to us to communicate with the client to understand the market, the target audience, and the goal. With more research, we can then be able to determine whether ‘this is the right style for the design.
Ultimately, all the ‘why’ questions can back up our design. Therefore, our dreams come true – Less to no revision. Why? Because everything we did was in line with the goal. Unless of course, the client changes their goal…