At the start of the design process, meet with your client to establish the client brief. The purpose of this brief is to define client needs, design goals and deadlines. It will also inform your future design decisions and provide structure as you execute the plan.
Your client brief should have the following key takeaways:
- Deadlines, expectations, deliverables and other pertinent information
- Intended audience
- Key information points
You also need to establish the goal of the product. Is it simply a feel-good/branding product, or is there a specific outcome like a conversion (e.g., products intended to increase awareness of safety protocols)? Once you know the goal, you can establish ways to measure success, such as:
- Performance metrics (fewer accidents)
- Consumer visits
- Inquiries
- Downloads
- Revenue
Take plenty of notes during your meeting with the client and listen carefully to what is said. This is the time for the client to discuss the project and the designer to ask questions.
Design is problem solving, so look to provide solutions to the client's requests. Throughout the process, change is inevitable, so be flexible and pivot when needed.
Establish deadline(s).
Use backward planning when agreeing on deadlines. The designer starts with a proposed deadline for product delivery and works backward through the design process steps, ensuring there is adequate time allocated in the schedule to complete each step properly.