At the first meeting, we only talk to the client. We do not offer anything. And this is important. A specialist often has a strong inner confidence, which is why he immediately wants to give advice on how to do everything. At the first meeting, we turn into a listener. It is important for us to learn from the client everything that is important to him. And he speaks his own language and often uses cliches like “light and tasty design”, “cutting-edge site”, etc. We accept this without judgment and, most importantly, we write down all the words. Why we do this will become clear later.
After the first meeting, the designers go to conduct research. Their goal is to collect examples of images. In professional language, they are called references.
For example, the client said: “I like light, uncluttered design.” The designers are guided by their taste, selecting the best examples of design that address the client’s words.
Second meeting. The image of the desired
At the second meeting, we help the customer form an idea brazil mobile database of what they want. While verbal descriptions can be obtained by asking questions (which we did at the first meeting), we cannot extract internal images.
Therefore, we act in the opposite direction. We show the customer sample pictures of designs and watch the reaction. This way, both we and the customer begin to understand what, for example, a “tasty and light design” looks like. And here, it is the reaction that matters. Since the meaning of design is in the impression it makes, and not in the technique of execution or the level of skill.
This leads to another conclusion, which has been confirmed in practice. We do not show intermediate results, sketches. Since the customer will react to what he sees. And if he sees an imperfect, unfinished design, then the reaction will be negative. As a result, the customer will not approach the final presentation with the best expectations.
On the other hand, we got a contradiction: if we don’t show the client intermediate versions, we may not take into account something important for him, and again we will get a negative reaction, but already at the final presentation. Trivially, the website layout may have an incorrect phone number or be missing an email, which the customer would like to place in the most visible place, and such a trifle will ruin the presentation.
Question: how to show an intermediate version for verification, but at the same time remove the reaction to it? And at the same time keep the final design layout a secret.
Third meeting. Foam model
As an intermediate result, we show the customer a prototype. A prototype is like a model of a building made of foam plastic. The prototype is specially made black and white, schematic, with those places that may cause a reaction "erased" on it. For example, instead of a logo, there can simply be the inscription "Logo". But at the same time, we fill it with real data and show what is in what places. The customer calmly perceives the prototype, as if he were looking at a building diagram. Such a diagram allows you to agree on the logical structure, texts and other data.