What should one ask when gathering graphic design requirements for a website?

Question

I'm a software/web developer and recently we've been working with a graphic designer that lives in another state, so the contact with the client falls into my responsibility in all aspects, and one of those is gathering requirements that have to do with the website's design.We've done some projects, but the distance is a little problematic for some clients and I've detected that this has to do with the initial requirement gathering (we can take care of minor graphic details, such as backgrounds, textures, photos, etc.), but for one project the designer actually had to redo the whole design from scratch.The designer is very good, and I personally don't have problems when working with him remotely; in addition I haven't had any luck with local designers, so I want to make the most of this situation.---Given the context, my question is: when going with the client for the first time, what should I ask to grasp a complete sense of what the client wants? Some stuff I already ask is: - Are there any other websites you want us to take as a reference of what you want yours to look like? - Do you have any pamphlets or corporate image related material you want us to base our design on? - What is your target audience?Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Hi,

When I'm sussing out a new client I like to ask very simple questions about their brand feel, their ideal customer base, and how they see the final project. I do this by asking about familiar things like "If your brand was a car, would it be a Mercedes, a Toyota, or a old truck?" or "If you were to pair your brand with an alcohol would it be a fine wine, a craft beer, or a Bud Light?" Here you can help your client express to you if they want a refined feel (monochrome, sharp edges, and modern fonts): a friendly reliable feel (bright colors, rounder corners, san serif); or a more young hip feel (trending designs which may feel a bit strange for older consumers). Work with your designer on a 10 question survey that they would help them understand what your client desires.