When you are working on a design project, especially if there are other people involved, it is easy to end up with work that looks good but does not actually meet the needs of the client. You must resist the temptation to get carried away with aesthetics and remain focused on WHY you are doing the project.
- Why did the client ask for this project?
- What does the work need to accomplish for the client?
- What other marketing pieces does your project need to be aligned with?
- How will a prospect or customer be interacting with your work, and what do you want them to do when they interact?
If your design wins all the prestigious design industry trophies, yet doesn’t do the job it’s supposed to do, it’s a bad design.
How can you keep your design focused on the goal?
Start with a creative brief.
A creative brief is a 1-2 page document that holds the key information about a design project. There’s usually information about the client and why they asked for the project. It should contain details about the audience and what needs to be conveyed to that audience. A creative brief may include information about how this project relates to an overall campaign.
Review the creative brief every time you work on the project.
Give yourself a refresher on the goals of the project before you get to work. When you’re brainstorming with your team, have your creative brief handy and double check it as you discuss ideas to make sure you are staying on track.
Review the creative brief before you send the project to the client.
Reviewing your creative brief again before sending your work off to the client gives you one last chance to make sure you have solved their problem with your design. It will also help you be better prepared to guide feedback and respond to questions and change requests.
Get someone who’s not involved in the project to take a look at the creative brief and compare it to your work.
Get somebody who’s not a designer to read through the creative brief and then look at your design. Or have them look at your design first, then have them check it against the creative brief. Ask this non-designer to tell you if you missed anything from the brief. Warning, this will make you sad when you realize how little value “good design” has to the average person. Hopefully you’ll recover and learn that successful design is about more than looking good, it’s about staying focused on the goal.
