Pro tip: A client once said "just make it pop" and I finally asked for 3 examples they liked

Overheard a designer at the library say they wasted 6 hours guessing colors before using that trick so now I always ask for references upfront, has anyone else found a shortcut for those vague requests?

3 comments

3 Comments

dylan_ward15d ago

Just ask for three reference images upfront and save yourself the headache every time.

viola_garcia5614d ago

Read a piece not too long ago from a designer who called this the "mood board insurance policy" and that stuck with me. They said never accept just one reference either because clients will pick one detail from each and expect you to merge them perfectly. Better to ask for three and then ask them to circle what they like about each one, that way you're not guessing what "modern" means to them. It's a little extra work upfront but man does it save the back and forth later.

paige_bell8115d ago

My buddy runs a small web design side gig, and a client kept saying "make it modern" without any examples. He wasted three full weekends guessing before he started asking for specific reference sites upfront. Now he refuses to start any project until they send him at least two or three examples they already like, saved his sanity for sure.