Ultimately, in any project, we want the client to receive a website that not only works, but is easy to navigate and visually pleasing to them. So let’s say we did our research and cranked out the best design ever made, if the client doesn’t like it, then tons of time has been wasted and it’s back to the drawing board. Clients can help the designer more than they know when trying to research, conceptualize and eventually execute a website design.
First off, we need stuff. Pictures, logos, graphics, movies… anything that can help us in the design process, especially stuff that you want in the actual design. I have designed multiple websites where I didn’t even know what the logo of the company looked like until the design was finished, because the client did not provide it beforehand. Without those crucial elements, your design might not look like what you had in mind.
Another great thing clients can do to help is to let us know what you like. Give us the URL of other sites that you like. Don’t just pick some sites really quick, but actually look around and find out what you like and dislike and tell us. Don’t limit yourself to your field either, elements in different websites are not limited by field. Tell us what you like about them, color, navigation, layout, expandability, movement, theme, texture, mood, fonts…anything you like and even dislike. We can’t know what you want unless you tell us.
By doing these simple tasks, you can help out tremendously in the entire website development process. Take a little bit of time and thought, and we will be able to better understand what you want, allowing you to receive a website that we, and more importantly you, are happy with.
We all have on and off days, and as a designer, I can say that this is especially applicable to my design work. Somedays I feel creative and I can think of excellent ideas and can execute those ideas, whereas other days my mind goes blank and I just can’t think of anything good. That can be so frustrating!!