What if what they want isn’t what they need?

We’ve all worked with clients who have a very distinct idea of what they want you to do for them. Sometimes their input is a useful starting point. Perhaps they’ve seen a sign or truck they’d like you to emulate. Or maybe it’s a style of lettering or a genre that they like.

As designers, listening to what a client wants is a critical component to building a successful relationship. In order to help them, you have to hear what they are really asking for. Sometimes that involves trying to interpret what their challenges are, and then assessing how you can best arrive at a solution that meets their goals. In a nutshell, that’s what good designers and sign artists do—they help solve a marketing problem with a creative advertising solution.

Using your portfolio as a reference point, you can learn a lot about what a client likes. By their responses, you can assess aspects of each design which may help build the framework for an approach that they might agree on.