What if a designer could combine the first three steps of any design process into one sit-down session with a client that only lasts about an hour? As graphic designers, it is our duty to create a piece of art for the client, to the client’s specifications, and on the client’s time. The typical routine goes like this: Introduction, project brief, thumbnails, thumbnail selection, rough, rough selection and tweaks, comp, possible revisions and/or corrections, then a final draft or finished piece.

What if the client was more involved in the thumbnail process? I’d like to encourage designers to do a little experiment, whether online or at a face-to-face meeting – try to get the client to draw something for you. It doesn’t matter if the client can’t draw, because that isn’t their job, just get a pencil or pen in their hands. Let them be the artist, you can be the brush.

Under normal circumstances an introduction, project brief, and thumbnail sketches can take up to three hours if done separately, but bringing an extra pad of white paper to a meeting and handing it to the client while you’re going through a project brief can really get ideas flowing, it opens up more direct communication in regards to what the customer wants, and you may even be able to pick a concept on the spot.

If you are doing business online, use an online meeting tool that allows users to draw back and forth. Something as simple as Windows Live Messenger is capable of this, though I highly recommend Queeky. Queeky creates a shared canvas between users, and you can have as many people in a ‘room’ as you’d like. The only downside is that new users must register (for free) in order to use the service. If your client would rather not have to register for anything, a much less feature-filled option is Imagination Cubed by GE.

The point here isn’t to make the client do your work for you, but to get their ideas on paper as well. Seeing what the client wants is better than reading it or hearing it. After that, it’s just a simple (or extremely complicated) polish-up in Illustrator or Photoshop.

Note: Attribution for the Pen Icon image above goes to Babasse under a CC Attribution License. Image found at IconsPedia.com (link).

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