In design agencies, communication with customers is usually the responsibility of project managers. However, user experience designers also actively take part in briefing the client. Only they know what information they need to create an outstanding design. Let's take a look at the top questions to discuss before getting started.
What does the company do?
This is probably a fundamental question. If we are talking about a grocery store or a hairdresser, the field is clear. But if a client is engaged in the manufacture or IT, details are needed to understand the company's work. The specifics of work in B2B firms are not always familiar to outside people (and designers in particular).
But even if the client's work seems simple and straightforward, it makes sense to learn more details. The deeper the designer understands the scope of the business, the more opportunities for creativity. You can focus on the nuances of the work or find exciting metaphors.
Who are the competitors, and how does the customer differ from them?
Knowing the leading competitors and the unique selling proposition of the product is also very useful. Typically, corporate identity and advertising are trying to differentiate themselves from competitors to stand out. And it is the unique advantages of the brand that should be reflected in the design to stand out and be remembered among competitors.
Who is the target audience?
Pensioners are unlikely to like the TikTok logo, and teenagers will not appreciate the corporate identity of Post Bank. UX/UI design is largely subjective and will not be liked by everyone; you need to understand who should enjoy it in the first place.
The target audience's description includes people's age, education, marital status, occupation, and income. You will understand who these people are, where they go, what brands they interact with. This will help you in your work.
What tasks should design solve?
If the client himself does not understand why they need a product, it will be almost impossible to please him. Therefore, it is important to discuss the design objectives with the customer.
How does the client see the design?
Some clients do not have a clear idea of ??how the design should turn out and completely trust a specialist. Sometimes, this is a justified move, but it is often more challenging to work with such customers: if they do not have specific expectations, it is impossible to predict their result. Fortunately, most clients are happy to formulate their wishes - either on their own or with the help of leading questions.
When developing a project, it is worth clarifying the style, functionality, and other details that will be displayed.
To better understand the customer, you can show him several examples that differ in style and rate. Also, at the discussion stage, it is helpful to use mood boards - collages that demonstrate the color scheme and mood of the project. Based on the customer’s preferences, you can create several such collages and determine the vector of work more accurately.
How to present the result of the work?
Perhaps you decide to present the corporate identity elements in separate pdf files, and the client is expected to receive a full-fledged brand book. Or you send a poster design layout for printing, and the customer wanted you to make a mockup and show how the poster will look on his door.
Designers often prefer to show new clients only small jpeg files before receiving payment to protect themselves from intellectual property theft. Of course, this is a dubious measure because the most valuable thing in design is the concept. But a presentation in jpeg will at least save you from direct theft of your particular layout. If you are ready to coordinate work only in this format, it is also better to discuss this with the client in advance.
Conclusion
You cannot escape these questions when briefing the client about the future project. The efficiency of your communication will strongly affect whether the product will result as expected by the client. UX/UI designers should pay special attention to quick questions. Do not be afraid to add more questions to the list and ask the client more details after having posed these fundamental questions.
