[Calibre Designs]

I am sure the design brief was a cracking one Sally!

[sally]

I don't know Kay, was it?

[Calibre Designs]

Yes it was Sally. Probably one of the best received as I did not have many questions to follow through. Just a few which I haven't written about yet

[PremierPDS]

I personally always ask clients for their ideas before going ahead in making something look 'pretty'. However, I've had so many past experiences where the client has given me an idea which I know will look terrible. I recently had a customer who wanted a flyer designing with a brief of 'bright yellow background with pink and purple text'. Mmm, not nice!!! I decided to take a gamble and give them something a little more pleasing to the eye which I passed around a good many people (some objective and some not so) all of whom loved it. I sent this over to the client and they replied with a comment along the lines of 'yeah this is great but not really what we wanted'. I then followed their brief to the letter and designed the flyer with the 'bright yellow background with pink and purple text'. I also passed this around without a word about my own thoughts on it and people actually said to me 'I'd be ashamed to admit you designed that, what were you thinking'. I sent this over to the client anyway expecting them to aknowledge that maybe I was right about the colours etc but the response was 'that is just brilliant, we're really pleased'. Hmm, sometimes you can't tell a client when something doesn't look right- they have their own ideas about things and won't be influenced no matter what you say. A lesson learnt?

[sally]

Oh go on cheer me up let me see it, it sounds ghastly

[PremierPDS]

OMG, no I'm way too ashamed

[Ruth]

Originally Posted by PremierPDS

I personally always ask clients for their ideas before going ahead in making something look 'pretty'. However, I've had so many past experiences where the client has given me an idea which I know will look terrible. I recently had a customer who wanted a flyer designing with a brief of 'bright yellow background with pink and purple text'. Mmm, not nice!!! I decided to take a gamble and give them something a little more pleasing to the eye which I passed around a good many people (some objective and some not so) all of whom loved it. I sent this over to the client and they replied with a comment along the lines of 'yeah this is great but not really what we wanted'. I then followed their brief to the letter and designed the flyer with the 'bright yellow background with pink and purple text'. I also passed this around without a word about my own thoughts on it and people actually said to me 'I'd be ashamed to admit you designed that, what were you thinking'. I sent this over to the client anyway expecting them to aknowledge that maybe I was right about the colours etc but the response was 'that is just brilliant, we're really pleased'. Hmm, sometimes you can't tell a client when something doesn't look right- they have their own ideas about things and won't be influenced no matter what you say. A lesson learnt?

I'd say that was a perfect example of customer relations !!
If ever there was a follow up you'd have a great basis to start introducing new ideas to them !

[harding125]

Hi,
Generally the more information given the more likely the design will be what is required. I would also confirm the design with the client before the development goes ahead.

Gary

[freelancer]

This is a very complete client worksheet, it gives you good indications of what to be thinking about:

http://clearleft.com/worksheet/client-worksheet.doc