Are you (who are amongst some of the best graphic designers in Trinidad and Tobago) confused by what "a clean look and feel" means?
Don’t worry, the client’s confused by what they mean too.
A few days ago, I received a call from someone wanting to have a logo designed. Immediately, the person began telling me about the different logos they had for me “to draw inspiration on the look and feel of the design from”, and wasted no time telling me (after receiving them by email) “to design a few to choose from.”
That’s the double-edged sword of Google; people get an opportunity to flex their knowledge. Rarely (especially in Trinidad) is the brand considered. Thankfully, having a pattern for executing designs, not only ensures that it is, but reframes the thinking of a “know-it-all”, and prevents you from looking wet behind the ears; if not, like an apprentice. That said, it’s not just what the client mean’s by "clean" that needs clarifying, but also whether or not there is a project on the table. Both situations have the tendency to be very misleading. A design can look and feel like it's what the client wants to express when it’s not, the same way a conversation can look and feel like a job when it's not. So to avoid the confusion
1. Let Your Process Raise The Level Of Understanding The Prospect Lacks
If you’ve ever experienced someone trying to make a fool of you, you know how insulting it is when that person thinks you’re oblivious of their intentions. Therefore, feeding the illusion that a prospect understands what they’re talking about when soliciting your services is not only insulting but rude, and communicates that you don’t know how to move someone from ignorance to clarity, and that’s justification for being passed up.
The intention behind how your process unfolds alone can quickly help someone understand that there’s more that goes into achieving what they want than what they think it takes.
Even when the person is speaking a mile a minute and it feels like there is no way for you to get a word in, the moment is always there. You just got to know how to listen for your entrance. For me, the word was email. “I’ll be happy to give consideration to your email once we’ve established there’s a project on the table first. If you'd like to do that, I can send you a link to book a 15 minute chat with me. Then, should this be a project I’m interested in, I’ll invite you to book the design interview where I’ll get the opportunity to understand what you’re about and align the design with the insights that make you recognizable to those you want to serve.”
…And yes, I get the occasional jitters making sure I know what I’m dealing with, but when you’ve been burnt before by the appearance of a potential client, that feeling doesn't last long.
2. Stop Guessing What The Client Means And Actually Find Out
...a few days later
"Why does it have so much white space?"
"Leh we put some color here and fill up the empty space with something nah."
Yes, 'clean design' typically means "uncluttered, simple, easy to parse and more white space.” But, as with the case of Ebempire, clean can also be illustrated by dropping a white tint on an image. You can’t just abandon creativity and put everything on a white background, or assume you know what modern looks like.
...Mine Your Information From The Client!
Consider the brand, then find out if the definitions match up!
During my design interview, the client kept telling me how her clients always tell her after a pedicure “how clean their feet felt.” Naturally, I had my ideas illustrating this, but in hindsight, it wasn’t until I presented something called a moodboard, that she was able to align what was visually presented with what her clients were saying. And on that note, there’s no shame in a client needing more hand-holding determining their look, if the designer is able to provide it! They aren’t expected to know everything, just like a designer isn't expected to know everything.
I’ll let you in on a little secret. In my then 14 years of professional designing, prior to the aforementioned project, I never used a moodboard. But the experience taught me one thing. In order to understand what a client means, there must be space (beyond the design interview) dedicated to clarifying what was learned, the absence of which is what causes a client to feel like you're robbing them and by extension, justified butchering of what you’ve designed.
I am the Founder and Visual Brand Strategist at The BrandTUB **Put the service you provide online with The One-Page™ **Do the research on your own with The One-Page Workbook™ **Sign up to receive these weekly articles in your inbox if you’re not quite ready to work with me yet.
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