Finding a ‘Graphic designer’ is as easy as pie in this digital age. Everyone including our younger ones can whip up a design from the computer. What sets designers apart we often wonder. Why can’t i just save myself some money and get my Computer savvy friend or sibling to help out? ‘Is it not just logo?’ we ponder. We are going to answer these questions and let you know what our friends and siblings are missing and why they usually get our design works wrong.

To start with, we all should note that aside differences in creative prowess, an equally important factor that sets graphic designers apart is professionalism. A Professional Graphic designer knows to ask certain important preliminary questions to know the client, client’s business and brand.

Here are some of the questions we ask our clients before showing the initial design concepts:

1. Tell us more about your business and what you do?

It is best to assume no previous knowledge of this business to get to know the intricacies of the business and also the client’s challenges.

2. What is your mission/vision?

What do you stand for? What are your passions?

3. Describe the top three values (adjectives) you want your company to convey

How can the logo convey these values? It’€™s our job as creatives to translate words and concepts into imagery.

4. Who is your target market?

We get as specific as possible (gender, age, geography, hobbies, what brands appeal to them, etc.) This insight helps figure out the proper logo design.

5. Do you have existing brand colors or font styles?

This lets us know if you already have color or font preferences that should be used. This usually is not so they could be automatically adopted. They are only used after being analysed for strategic impact in your specific industry.

6. Who are your main competitors and their websites, if applicable?

Get a sense of the competition to see what is already out there.

We usually ask our clients more questions as we pride ourselves with having a reason behind every design detail to give our clients that special a-ha! moment. However, we will like to keep this post short.

Are you currently in a fix with a bad design job? Are you embarking on a branding or design project. Save yourself the re-brand cost and seek a Professional Graphic Designer for a conscious and purposeful design today. Contact us, we are ready to listen to your concerns.

Thanks for reading and kindly leave your comments below. We always appreciate them. Let us know why you think graphic designers often omit this vital requirements gathering phase.