Every designer wishes for the perfect client. I would love to work for client that doesn’t  art direct, “show” you what they would do “if” they were a designer, give you less than no time to complete the project or give you “just one more change” after you’ve submitted the final proof. They are as rare and as mythical as a four leafed clover.

Till I find this client, I ask key questions like:

Where and how is the BRAND POSITIONED?
The brand’s position is key when setting the tone of the campaign/project

What is the PROJECT NAME?
By using the same name between the client and the designer helps when discussing it over the phone or via email.

What is the BUDGET?
Determining a budget will allow the designer to tell you what not and what IS realistically possible to achieve with said budget and possibly suggest various options that uses the budget in the best way.

What are the PROJECT REQUIREMENTS?
Is the client launching a new product and needing supporting paraphernalia? Are they  starting a company and require a corporate identity? It is important to determine the type and number of finished products not only to give the client an accurate estimate or quote, but it will also help an designer time and project manage. If the client is revising a campaign or corporate identity, ask to see what has been done in the past to see what has already been done will save time.

Who is the TARGET market / DEMOGRAPHIC?
This is very important to establish as it will set the tone for the project. A campaign that targets girls aged 5 to 8 will look different to a campaign targeting teenage males interested in electronic games.

What is the PROJECT DEADLINE?
Setting deadline helps both client and designer time manage the project. A series of deadline for various stages of the projects such as First draft of concepts, colour selections, etc. can also be set to keep the client abreast and involved. (Although client “design” involvement would ideally be kept to a minimum.)
*Note: Production Time has be considered. Production time refers to the time for the project to be printed / assembled / shipped etc. This time is separate from creating the artwork. The designer can help clients determine this date to ensure a successful project.

CONTENT & IMAGE COMPILATION TO BE HANDED TO DESIGNER.
This will help both parties effectively BEGIN the design process. Waiting for content and images can be a serious drain on time and can cause the project to miss deadlines. A meeting with the designer can help you list out what you may need compile or collect.
TEXT-BASED CONTENT PREPARATION - Acceptable Formats
• Word Document
• Excel Document (for content that contains a lot of statistics/figures)
• PDF {note that some with some PDFs the content cannot be ‘cut and pasted’ - have the designer check it}
• Power Point Presentation
• Company Website (text only - not images)
IMAGE PREPARATION - PRINT READY
Logos and images that end with the following extensions are considered Print Ready. Please note that images taken directly from the company website it NOT print ready.
• .eps - Encapsulated Post Script file
• .tif - Tagged Image File Format
• .ai - Adobe Illustrator file
• .psd - Adobe Photoshop file
• .pdf - Portable Document Format file (high resolution - have designer check it)
• .jpg - Joint Photographers Graphic file (high resolution - have designer check it)
IMAGE PREPARATION - WEB READY
Print ready documents can also be submitted to the designer to be converted into web ready images as well.
• .gif - Graphical Interchange Format file
• .bit - Bit Map Picture file
• .png - Portable Network Graphics file

So, if there are any potential clients out there reading this…make notes of the above too. This will give you a gold star with any designer.

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