What do you find to be good/thought-provoking/insightful questions to ask a client at the briefing stage of an identity project?
The specific project is an identity for a new campaign.
I'm looking to gain insights from the client which could help inspire the creative thinking (and copywriting) – and lead to a successful and well thought-out solution, rather than one which is purely instinctive from reading the brief written by the client. Thank you in advance for any help.
Replies21
- @Daniel Futerman Thank you very much Dan. Both very useful questions and they would definitely help inspire some creative thinking. Best, Scott
- @Stefania Xytakis (Nia) thank you so much. Really nice way to approach questions and I'll definitely use this. Best, Scott
- @Tom Gravestock thanks Tom, really appreciate you coming back to this. Best, Scott
- Many great replies here already. I'll try to add a couple of things I didn't see yet.1. Have you worked on a project like this before? How satisfied were you with the results?2. Can you share any references similar to what you are looking to achieve? What specifically do you like about those projects?
- I don't have an exact question but questions starting with "what" and "how" leave much more room for the client to express their values and insight.
- The internet cut out here as I was typing! I believe I was typing. What do you aim to achieve with the project was my initial response!
- @Scott Waring Glad it was useful!
- @ɐɹoᗡ ɐuu∀ ˥ Thank you so much. That's a great question to ask. Best, Scott
- Hi Scott,I usually ask something like what is their unique value proposition.
- @Matt Percival this is great, exactly the sort of thing I'd like to ask to begin a more informed discussion. Thank you so much, really appreciate your help on this. Best, Scott
- @Jake Barnes thank you very much for your time. It's great to get your thoughts on this. Totally agree, there's not 'one size fits all'. Best, Scott
- @Vikki Ross Thank you so much. That's a great insight, exactly the kind of thing I had in mind. Appreciate your time on this. Thank you, Scott
- Hi @Scott Waring here's the quick answer, but there are lots of questions to ask because an identity has to tally with the audience's expectations of a brand, and be a memorable evocation of whether it's a brand they choose to engage with or not.A brand is not something you control, it is an idea in the minds of your audiences, a mix of experiences, memories, feelings, and even pre-conceptions, mixed with how how they think, what they aspire to or desire.So the big question that unpacks all the others (that will inform a brand's purpose, vision or value proposition) is: How or what do you want your audience(s) to feel, and then do, when they encounter your brand?Hope that helps.
- @Vikki Ross I couldn't agree more. Whenever I chat to clients at this stage, I try to allow the conversation to flow and not be too locked into asking a structured set of specific questions. I think you can go in with a loose plan on what to ask, but there's no 'one size fits all' when it comes to forming a brief. I think the end goal should be that it has to feel personal.
- I'd just chat and see what comes out - I find clients reveal more when they're talking freely than when they're restricted to specific questions. BUT some helpful questions are things like:What do you wish people (audience/customer) thought of you?What do you hope people would say about you if they were referring you to friends?
- @Joe Blaxland if this is a lil joke about budget then it's a good shout – can't exactly do any work without some budget. Thanks Joe, appreciate your time on this. Best, Scott
- @Tom Gravestock Thanks Tom, appreciate your input. Best, Scott
- How much you give me?
- What are you looking to communicate?
- @Keva Epale Thanks so much! Really appreciate that, I'll give it a read. Thank you, Scott
- I would recommend the Brand archetype by Kaye Puteman, great to do together with your client. And then preparing a nice and engaging set of questions, I would say deep dive that you record (super important).You can read my article on Brand archetypes here: https://kevaepalestudio.webflow.io/blog/do-you-know-your-brand-archetypeI used to do a lot of quizzes to get to know my clients. I think you must decipher Key areas to bring awareness of what is the DNA of the Brand.I will be creating a digital product around this in September.DM to receive the final product.Good luck!Keva.
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