It’s not nosiness. They’re not trying to find out your trade secrets. They’re not trying to catch you out or make you feel silly by asking stuff you don’t know the answer to. When your designer asks questions, it’s for your benefit.
So, as a designer, it does baffle me when clients don’t want to answer questions.
Recently I saw an advert for a logo design job where the client provided little more information than the industry that the business was in. The client then stated that they would not answer any questionnaires, “so don’t bother asking”!
I’d be so curious to see the final design, assuming the client could find anyone willing to work that way. But I pity the designer tasked with creating a logo without being allowed to ask questions. I’d also love to know why the client was so against answering any questions.
You see, questions are good. And they’re super important.
If you’ve ever worked with a designer before, you’ll already know that you’ll be asked some questions at the start of a project, and some more during the course of the work. Before I take on a new client, I have quite a lengthy questionnaire that I work through with them.
Why is it important that your designer asks questions?
Basically, the more information your designer has about your project, the better the end result. So the more you can tell your designer about your requirements, the more likely it is that they’ll deliver what you need.
Sure, you can tell someone you need a logo for your plumbing business, for example, and tell them nothing more than the name of your business. But it’s highly likely that the final logo will be a generic logo suitable for any plumbing business. It will be little more than a piece of clip-art. And it certainly won’t be able to convey anything about what makes your business special. It’ll show nothing about why you are the plumber people should be lining up to hire.
However, if you tell your designer about your business, they can deliver a logo that’s much more than a piece of clip-art. That’s why they’ll want to know all about your business, your aims, your target market and your unique selling point (USP).
Because when your designer knows what makes you so awesome, they can create something that shows other people how amazing you are.
And when they know who your ideal customers are and what makes them tick, they can design something that has those ideal customers eager to buy from you. A design that’ll help you inspire more of those “take my money” moments in people.
[Tweet “When your designer knows what makes you so awesome, they can create something that shows how amazing you are.”]
Plus, when you and your designer are comfortable asking each other questions – and answering them, of course – it creates an open and honest relationship between you. That gives your project a truly collaborative vibe and can lead to some really great design work, which gives you the results you need, or even exceeds them. Who wouldn’t want that?
So please, the next time a designer asks you questions, don’t be alarmed. The more information they can gather from you, the better results you can expect. And when you’re investing in your branding and your business, you want to get the best possible value for your investment. Trust me, your designer is just trying to do the best work they can for you!
You might also like: Can I get a sample design?
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Mark Toce says
Thanks for the great article!
I have come across this dilemma myself many times. Learning from a few projects that did not go the way I planned, I now have separate questionnaires for logo design and web design projects. I like to set up an initial meeting with my clients up front, and advise them of two things: 1) I do not work without a down payment or contract on a project, and 2) No work will be started on any project until they are able complete the questionnaire.
I have found that this technique helps weed out the clients that are not serious about the project (which often are also the ones that do not pay in the end). The clients who are serious appreciate the fact that I want to learn as much as I can about them, and they realize the value it has during the creative process.
No freelancer may ever find the “prefect client”, but any steps we can take to strive and make the process a bit less painful for the client and designer alike is a positive move forward.
Fiona says
Hi Mark,
great technique. I’ve recently compiled questionnaires myself, and found them to be very useful in gathering information from clients. And having the initial meeting is a great way to figure out if you and the client are a good fit for each other.
Thanks for stopping by!