10 Graphic Design Questions For Client For the Win

Knowing the appropriate graphic design questions for clients will help you maintain your old ones and win new clients. 

Understanding your clients would mean knowing the appropriate sales pitch to win them over..

Especially if it’s a lucrative account and will involve a lot of hard work. 

This is a client that you want to hang on to and build up a great relationship with. 

Suppose you play your cards right and manage the client correctly.

In that case, this could lead to further campaigns and projects down the line,.

This work will push you into another league in your industry with an outstanding portfolio and reputation.

Getting to know your client is key.

This information will give you the knowledge to understand who they are, who they represent, and their ideals and goals. 

Build on that relationship and understand your client before you even consider sitting down in front of your computer to start on any project.

Remember, the more knowledge you have about your client, the better your work and designs will be. 

This will also minimize the number of reverts and revisions, saving you time and saving your client money.

Understanding your client’s product would entail being armed with the correct information and know-how on addressing their requirements.

You will be providing compelling selling materials and holding your audience captive with creatively and cleverly designed components.

Consider asking these graphic design questions for clients below.

They will help you gain the extensive information needed to successfully provide the final campaign to keep your client wanting more.

1. Who is the Client?

You must know exactly who your client is. 

It will help if you have a deep understanding of their personality, their likes, and dislikes. 

Are they a small business or a large corporate? 

Dealing with these two very different types of organizations require different mindsets. 

A small business will usually involve a more personal relationship as you’re dealing with fewer people in the process. 

Big corporates generally have a host of people involved in the briefing and approval process, often leading to you waiting days for feedback. 

A small business may require a few jobs at a time. 

These could range from logo design through packaging to a website banner. 

A large corporate may require only one job, but it could involve many elements making up one big campaign that they will launch.

How successful is the client? 

Are they a well-known brand, or are you ultimately responsible for launching them and helping them become a new household name?

Could you get to know their history? 

Research past projects and campaigns they have done and get a feel for their target market’s overall reaction. 

This will give you an idea of their personality and how the public perceives them.

Getting a feel for the different mediums they use to display and present themselves will also help you understand their personality. 

Are they trendsetters?

Or do they prefer the more traditional means of marketing? 

This will instantly tell you how disruptive you can be with your ideas or whether you need to keep them in one lane, sticking to their current style.

You might want to read more on how to deal with graphic design clients here.

Industry Quirks

The industry your client falls under can have a big impact on the work you will be producing for them. 

Asking some in-depth questions about their industry will give you an idea of what the job will require,.

Moreover, you’ll know if you’re the right fit for the client and whether the client is the right one for you.

Advertising Guys

If it’s an advertising agency, you can be assured of a high pressured but fun environment that will allow you to push your creativity to the limit. 

You’ll also be allowed to work across different brands, which will enhance your scope and portfolio.

Manufacturing Gurus

A manufacturing firm may require your skills to develop new packaging or branding for their different products. 

Commonly known as “industrial, graphic design,” this could also involve making models and prototypes for mass production. 

There is certainly no lacking of variety if your client fits this industry. 

Think toys, kitchenware, furniture, and food packaging just for starters. 

Publishing Honchos

The publishing industry will involve print campaigns.

But with the world moving more and more to digital platforms, your digital design skills will be a bonus here. 

Keeping to the deadlines will feature a lot with this client as you’re required to meet the print and publication cut-off with no leeway. 

But if layouts, illustrations, and logo design are your passion, then you’ve landed a great client.

Gaming Big-Shots

If your client is a gaming producer, this means unleashing your creativity. 

You already have a passion for gaming, so you will have a good understanding of what’s trending. 

You’ll be functioning as part of a team, so sharing a workspace with your colleagues and working open-plan should not be a problem for you. 

You should also have sufficient knowledge of computer programming and storytelling.

All these skills can be pulled together to create the next chart-topping gaming craze.

Know more about the importance of graphic design in businesses here.

2. What is their Motivation and Relevance?

Find out what is the motivation behind the brand and their relevance.

Are they launching a new product, perhaps? 

Or a simple flyer or brochure with a call to action?

Does the design require longevity, such as a logo, or is it a layout used for a short period?

Understanding your design journey will lead to you delivering a functional end product that will have ticked all the client’s boxes and serve the purpose of the required target market.

What is the personality of the product? 

Are you targeting the youth or the elderly? 

This will have a marked influence on the overall look and feel of your design. 

While bright, funky fun designs will work for the youth market, this may not resonate with the older generation. 

Understanding your client’s brand’s relevance will lead to using the correct elements required for the relevant channels and mediums that will showcase your final work. 

The use of fonts and color is paramount to getting the key visuals and message across. 

Read more about brand relevance here.

3. Who is Their Target Market?

This is probably one of the most important questions to ask before you even pick up a pencil. 

You must understand where your final message will land and that it lands correctly and appropriately.

Your design will most probably be aimed at a niche market, so you need to focus on that specific group with a well-thought-out idea that hits the mark. 

Important facts you need to grasp are the demographics. What are their age and marital status? 

Where are they situated geographically? 

What is their monthly household income? 

This information will allow you to work out where the best opportunity lies and how to reach it.

Do you require a political or cultural look and feel? 

If so, here is where you need to get the facts to avoid any misunderstanding or incorrect information and views that could offend the viewers.

What are the passions and hobbies of your target market? 

What are their values and priorities? 

Are they family orientated or singletons? 

Homemakers or employed or entrepreneurial?

The more you understand the target market, the more you will create a relatable brand for your client, which will lead to a lasting working relationship with your client.

4. Who is Their Competition?

This is another important question you need to ask. 

Once the client has given you the information, research the competition in depth. 

Look at their work, get a feel for their messaging and personality so that you don’t run the risk of creating similar work.

Understand the industry and learn what your opportunities are, as well as limitations. 

Your message and design need to be positive and on point, avoiding any grey areas. 

Look at the brand positioning. 

Re-invent and take risks if you need to because you want to present highly recognizable work that stands out and puts your client above their competition in a unique way.

5. What’s the Brief?

Taking a comprehensive brief from a new or existing client is key. 

This information will arm you with all the details required for the job. 

The more information you gain, the more chance you have of creating a design that will hit the nail on the head the first time around.

Hopefully, you will wow your client.

Working as a team with your client instills trust, so understanding their requirements and end goals is vital. 

If you can meet their needs while working together in fun yet professional manner, you’re guaranteed a lasting relationship that will hopefully bring on a regular work supply.

Make a list of questions before you approach the client for a brief. 

Present yourself in a confident yet approachable manner. 

This will immediately instill trust in the client while you come across as professional and knowledgeable.

The Budget is a Good Place to Start

This sets the bar and expectations from the start. 

Once you have this, you’ll know whether you can expand on your idea or rein it in and simplify it down to a more realistic deliverable.

Find out what the goal of the task is. 

Ask about the client’s taste and personality.

Do they lean towards a specific type of layout or design?

Check if there are any specific requirements in terms of elements, which fonts do they prefer, and specific color schemes.

Where will the design be used? 

What format and locations do you need to be considering? 

What will work for magazine print may not necessarily work on an outdoor billboard next to a busy road. 

If your design is going to print, ask what the printing specifications are. 

You may find this limits your color usage, or it may open the door to creative layering and an unlimited color palette.

Finally, but certainly not least, find out what your deadline is. 

Time management is vital in the fast-paced world of marketing and advertising. 

Know your limits and work to the given deadline with set goal dates for each phase mapped out, and stick to them. 

A missed deadline is the next missed opportunity.

6. What is Their Communication Style?

Another important aspect of building a trustworthy relationship with your client is understanding how they prefer to communicate.

Some clients are happy to send reverts at 3 am on a Sunday, while others are content with setting boundaries. 

Put these into place at the start of the project.  

Both parties are then fully aware of cut-off communication times and have respect for “family time” and “personal space.”

Do they want constant updates as you progress through the job, or will you set deadlines for each phase of the project work to your advantage? 

Perhaps the client is happy to give you free rein and only request a presentation at the end of the project.

It’s important to establish this at the beginning.

7. What are Their Likes and Dislikes?

It’s important to know what your client likes and what they dislike. 

A smaller client may be prepared to divulge this information in the form of a mood board. Showcasing a selection of fonts and colors and examples of work they like will help get you on the same page. 

Asking why they like the examples given will also give you a good understanding of what not to use in your work going forward. 

Looking at some of their competitor’s work may also give you an idea of what they don’t like.

Find what their preferred style is. 

Do they lean more towards clean designs with simple fonts and muted tones and color palettes, or do they favor something more dynamic and experimental?

It’s crucial to learn whether your client is a risk-taker or prefers to keeps things in line with a certain format. 

This can make or break a working relationship, so understand what you need to avoid from the start.

8. What are the Existing Brand and Design Elements?

This is when you need to collect and identify existing elements of the client’s brand and aesthetics. 

Find out what needs to stay and what can be dropped. 

Is there a corporate identity format that you need to follow, for example, Pantone colors, fonts, font sizes, layout rules, and regulations? 

What about the fine print? 

Some products have certain legalities that exist and need to be carried through all design elements, regardless of whether it’s being used on TV, Facebook, or magazine print. 

Many global brands will have a book or document of some sort that will list all the rules you need to follow for the above. 

Make sure you use it and stick to the rules. 

There’s nothing worse than realizing halfway through a design that you need to start all over again.

9. What is the End Goal?

Your final brief should, by now, also give you a clear indication of what the end goal is and what the client wants to achieve.

Are they looking for longevity in the finished work or a short-term project that will be used across various mediums for a limited time?

Either way, it needs to be memorable. 

It needs to be visually impactful so that the viewer will remember it and link the design or logo to a product that they instantly relate to.

10. What Roles are Needed for a Good Work Relationship?

Once you have comprehensive answers to your graphic design questions for clients and have compiled a detailed brief, you will achieve great results for your client.

Remember, too, that you are the professional at the end of the day.

The client is relying on your skills and talent to provide their dream design. 

They will be leaning on you for constructive feedback, advice, and suggestions as well.

It’s a team effort.

Having this client as your point of contact also makes the whole experience more personal, rather than dealing with many different people. 

This also minimizes the risk of confusion when providing or receiving feedback. 

Remember the old saying, “too many cooks…”

Establishing common ground with your client also helps with the bonding process. 

The client will open up to you, know they can trust you, and in time they will almost become a friend. 

Once you’re at this level, your client is now on your side. 

They want you to succeed in their project and produce the wow factor.

You’ll then end up with a gem of a client with whom you have built up a great working relationship. 

This can only lead to more work and a thriving partnership.

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