Whether we want to admit it or not, I’m sure we all have had our moments in business of ‘throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks’. Some problems require to try all options and throw spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks, and yes, as a child it was fun to literally throw spaghetti against the wall… or so I’ve heard… I’ve never actually done that myself… But when it comes to designing a brand or a website, that is really the last thing we want to do. That’s why at Full Scope Creative, we start all of our design projects with an in-depth questionnaire for clients to complete.
When we initially talk with a client and agree to a design project, we will usually send the questionnaire at the same time we send the invoice for the project. The questionnaire covers some things that we have likely already talked with the client about, such as describing their business, their industry, or their Unique Selling Point. But it will also go into design specifics such as colors they like and colors they don’t like, as well as competitors’ names and websites and what features on those sites they do or don’t like. By providing all of that information to our design team, they can put together designs that will achieve the look that the client likes and by having the industry and demographic information, we can be sure to have the site match what our clients need it to be.
Some clients have specific design features they want to see on the site. Of course, there’s a section for them to include those things, but with the questionnaire, we can often discover what those specific design features are, even if the client doesn’t mention it outright. When we review their competitors’ sites, we may find certain design features that jump out to us as things that need to be on the site.
Once we have that first draft of the site or branding material designed, we will email it to the client and go through up to three rounds of revisions to hash out the final product. Going through this process saves a lot of time and money for both Full Scope Creative and our clients.
Following this process has been working great, not only for Full Scope Creative but also for our clients, and has resulted in some great sites and projects. ‘Throwing spaghetti against the wall’ has its place, but planning a company branding or site designing is not one of them. After all this spaghetti talk, I think it’s time for lunch.
