“Most of the successful people I’ve known are the ones who do more listening than talking.”
― Bernard M. Baruch
Most of us have handled customers before and perhaps we get too excited to work with them or their project that we forgot to ask the essential questions before we start on our concepts or proposals.
Here are some tips on how to understand customer requests and hit the mark on your proposals:
- Who will view the designs? Who is the audience? Keep in mind that not only your customer will see these designs. Most likely these designs are made for a business or for your customer’s customers. Maybe these are for print or social media. Who knows, right? Well, you should! Try to put yourself in your customer’s shoes and think about what you want to accomplish with these designs! This will create a sense of empathy and understanding towards your customers and their businesses.
- What vibe should the designs have? We cannot assume, for example, that the design is for a scary Halloween party, a funny one, or even a sexy or cute one! Always ask questions and listen to your customers. Maybe they have an initial idea of what they want. If they don’t, don’t hesitate to go the extra mile and come up with some options for them. Everyone wants a proactive designer!
- What parts of the design will grab the viewers’ attention? Pay attention to the information your customer gives you, but let your design skills shine! A great font selection combined with a well-thought-out hierarchy and a proper color palette will do the trick. Identify which parts of the provided content you should emphasize to grab the viewer’s attention.
- What is the final medium? Is it for print or digital use? Remember to think about how people are going to see your work. Whether it is an online Facebook post, a printed magazine, or even a huge billboard, think ahead and adjust to the task at hand.
