Ultimately you have cracked the deal and now you are heading over to a great project where you have to design a scintillating website for your client. You must be so excited that you must have already visualized the picture of your website, right? But what if your imaginary web design does not match the client’s imagination? Most of the time, you feel that you are designing website as per the client’s requirement but later you realize that you are completely out of track. This is because of poor design brief. There is no doubt that your creative bugs will certainly deliver an appealing website but you have to concentrate on various other aspects too that a client may require. So before you jump into any project, you need to ask your client some basic questions which are essential for a perfect website design.
What is your company all about?
Having detail information about your client’s company is the foundation for your website. Often clients confidently assume that their product or company is known to all but sometimes it turns out to be a misconception. Web designer may have some brief idea about the client’s company but that is not enough for designing a website. Hearing the company story from the owner’s mouth is more effective than just reading or hearing about company from here and there. Ask the client about their company, what is their goal, why do they want to launch a website for their business etc. Don’t be afraid about asking even the simplest questions as it will be beneficial for you only, if you concentrate even on minute details.
What are you looking for in the design?
Sometimes the client’s are bewildered about what they want from the web design but you have to keep yourself cool and tackle with the situation. First ask the clients on what product or project are they concentrating on and what outcome are they expecting and how much are they dependent on the website. Also ask them that what functions or activities are they expecting from the website, for example, do they want their customers to sign up on the website or do they want to contact them through phone or e-mail.
You should be clear about the company’s objective behind designing the website. Ask the client how their website should look, what colors or images should be used. Though they may not have any technical knowledge, you can just make a point of their preferences. Sometimes client may ask for some glossy effects which would not match the professional design, so you have to convince them tactfully. Also ask the client what they do not want, so that you can avoid using those factors.
Who is your targeted audience?
Web design may differ according to the age, location, gender of the audience. Hence it is necessary that you know your client’s targeted audience. You should mainly focus on the age group and the income bracket of the expected website visitors. If you come to know about the targeted audience then you can concentrate on the appealing and engaging factors that would instantly catch attention of the visitors.
Available objects:
If a client already has a logo, brochure or product photo then this may help to trim down your workload. Starting from scratch requires much more slog, so it would be better if you ask the company if they have these elements as it will be easy to design the website with the help of these features. You can coordinate colors with the logo colors and take idea of designs or content from brochure. If you reach halfway and later when you realize that the logo color does not match the website color then it will be an uphill battle to change the design. Therefore ask the clients that what factors already exist.
What do you don’t want on your website?
If clients have certain likings then they must be having disliking too. There may be some features which they completely abhor. If you come to know about their disliking then you can totally stay away from such factors and save much time. The fear of rejection also gets reduced to certain level.
What is the budget?
Imagine you have designed a lavish website with finest elements for which you spent good amount and later you were shocked to hear that the client can’t afford this budget and deny paying the amount. This usually happens when you are not clear about the budget. But sometimes even the clients feel reluctant to disclose the budget as they fear that the designers would overcharge them. They often fail to understand that a web designer can tailor their services only by knowing the budget in advance. This is the time when you have to talk to your clients attentively and gain their confidence so that they can willingly quote their budget.
What is the launch date?
You must flowing with your own speed and suddenly the client may appear asking is the website ready when you must have completed only with the homepage. To avoid this scenario, ask the clients in advance, when are they planning to launch the website, according to which you can manage your workflow. If the client asks you decide the deadline, then be realistic and assert a date, till when you are sure the project will be completed. It’s better, if you accomplish your project before time but delay in work may lead to loss of clients.
If a client wants to urgently launch the site for any event, then you can have a word with client and tell them you will designing the essential phases now and not so important element will be delivered after the launch, this will satisfy the client’s need as well as reduce your stress level.
Design brief works as a reference for your project. For a better outcome, refer to the design brief at every stage of your process rather than just having a glance at the inception of the project.
