Whenever you onboard a new client, a systematic approach helps set a healthy companionship between the two.
Remember, your first interactions with your clients set the course of how seriously they take you and how professional they think you are.
So, Congratulations on getting a new project but gear up now because this is where it all starts!
If anything my experience of working with people across all ages and geography has taught me is : ask as many questions you can from the get go.
This not only helps you get an excellent base to work with but also reduces the chances of errors and re-do's.
Plus, No client likes a designer asking questions at every interval. That's annoying.
Let's say you don't have a guide and follow a "I'll ask everything on the call and take notes" approach.
High chances are you'll receive one of these messages :)
"Oh shit! I missed telling you we wanted pastel colors"
"Oh no, we definitely did not want the language to be this bright"
"I think you should refer so and so brand - we were looking for something similar"
Erggh..hurts right? "Why didn't he/she tell this to be before?" you might wonder.
The truth is - you never asked!
Relax! I'm only here to make your job a tad bit easier.
I'm no gatekeeper! So, here is a systematic guide, list of questions you can edit/customize and send to your future clients.
Ideally you can send it in an editable pdf or an online sheet format.
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Heading - Branding and Identity Design (Checklist or Questionnaire)
A friendly greet - most likely thank them for on-boarding you on the concerned project.
Start with a human touch.
A brief introduction - to help the client get excited about the long list of questions you're about to shoot them with
Basic Questions - Name, E-mail, Company name etc.
A) Brand's Story
Question 1 : Tell us briefly about your business. What industry do you belong to?
Question 2 : Give me three keywords that define your Brand's personality. (eg : Bold, Eco-friendly, Happy, Recreational etc.)
Question 3 : Name your brand's strong suits, differentiators (eg: Handcrafted, Superior taste, Customer service, Affordability etc.)
Question 4 : Any specific emotions your brand evokes in customers? (eg: Excitement, Curiosity, Energetic etc.)
B) Target Audience and Market Position
Question 5 : Who exactly is your ideal customer?
Question 6 : Where do you see your brand in the next 5-10 years?
Question 7 : Can you name some competitor brands in the market?
Question 8 : What makes your Brand different from it's competitors?
C) Visual Language and Design Preferences
Question 9 : What colors do you prefer for your brand, and are there any colors to avoid?
Question 10 : How would you describe your brand's visual style? (e.g., minimalist, sophisticated, playful)
Question 11 : Any references? Any brands that inspire you? (need not be from the same industry)
Question 12 : Any strict NO's for the Visual Language?
D) Brand Personality Spectrum
Where does your brand lie in the spectrum?
Personal and Friendly - Corporate and Professional
Creative - Analytical
Modern -Traditional
Fun - Serious
Economical - Luxury
Non accessible - Upscale and Exclusive
D) Miscellaneous
Question 13 : Are there specific design assets that you've already produced or want to use?
Question 14 : Any pre- existing guidebook that we need to refer?
Question 15 : Your space to type in anything before we proceed.
E) Re-branding
Question 16 : Three things you like about your current Brand language?
Question 17 : Three things you hate about your current Brand language?
Question 18 : What elements from your logo would you like to keep?
Question 19: How is the current Branding failing your Brand?
Question 20 : Any specific constraints we need to keep in mind before going forward?
Thank you for reading my blog and hope you learnt something of value today.
I tried to keep it as informative as possible and would love to hear your feedback, suggestions and good movie recommendations in the comment section.
Follow along for more blogs and if you like to buy me a coffee, do check out my shop :)
Love,
Ria.