How many concepts?
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- mathinc0
I'm so happy to hear these responses. I do a lot of branding and when I started out I always hated presenting 6 or more different logo concepts to a client. A few years ago I switched to doing one logo and extensively explaining the methodology behind it and it's been golden for me.
In my experience giving a client too many choices makes them doubt you, which in turn makes them want to try and find 'their' solution within your myriad of solutions. It also devalues your work because you don't get to show off your methodology. And almost always, in the end, they pick the design you least like and then frankenstein it .. which takes the wind out of your sails and you end up hating the project.
I've found when you can weave together a story behind your solution the client will trust you more because you've shown you understand their brand, and given them something great. It's definitely scary because when you spend so much time on one concept, if they dislike it then you've lost a lot of time.. but so far I haven't had one of them rejected. *knocking on wood*
I think the hardest thing is really to get your client to trust you emphatically. It's important to ask the right questions about their company and their goals. Immerse yourself in who they are and get really intimate so you can give them one perfect, well-thought solution. If you think about it, accountants don't provide 6 versions of your tax returns. Lawyers don't give you 6 versions of a contract. If they did then you wouldn't trust their product. You'd feel compelled to look at each one and find things you liked about each. You'd end up being the shit client who mashed together their work. We need to have the professionalism to give clients something that works and explain why it works, otherwise you won't be respected and your work will be mistrusted.
- not that I disagree, but have had lawyers provide multiple versions of contracts, and accountants provide 2 diff tax returns.bulletfactory
- Sure, revising one tax return or one contract though right? You don't tell your CPA to give you 6 versions and you'll pick.mathinc
- yeah, but nobody's asking the accountant to be creative either, dudersmonospaced
- also, accountants and lawyers can easily cut-paste between documents, they don't have to start over....vaxorcist
- What if the client stamps their foot and demands 3 options?Chimp
- doesnotexist0
if you get an RFP you don't need to show 3 options. it's all laid out for you in words.
- lolmonNom
- to clarify, I don't think I've ever seen a good, clear RFP with any sort of tangible information in it.monNom
- most are templates with the company name find and replaced.monNom
- guess it depends on the type of web work you're doing, but it's always very clear to me.doesnotexist
- trooperbill0
depends on the fee... i'd typically try for one and work through it with the client... i hate showing lesser executions and ending up with a Frankenstein design.
- PurePhase0
Thanks for the sanity check. Much appreciated.
Well, I did 3 concepts and worked up 3 pages for each (homepage and 2 key pages).
However.... they needed to get some one else to finish the job off and ended up sending the client a 101 page pdf with 7 different concepts and approx 14 pages mocked up for each.
WTF!?
- I hate this approach. When will people learn quality not quantity.Chimp
- albums0
The concepts would be nearly Identical with minor differences in layout & hierarchy. I learned a long time ago, letting clients decide from your mock-ups will inevitably lead to them picking the one you hate the most.
- that's why you only present the good ideasmonospaced
- way to state the obvious.albums
- Continuity0
Case-by-case, media-by-media basis, to be dead honest.
The quality of the brief will dictate things a lot. If all of the key info is there — current situation, target/objective, insights, target group, key message, et cetera — are there, then it's usually enough to show one, maximum two ideas.
Usually.
I've got a couple of clients I've got to know pretty well, know what they like and — most importantly — know what they don't like, so I only ever go to them with one idea, well thought-out and articulated.
But, that's for web. Doing ideas for film/TV spots is a completely different animal, I've discovered, and it's usually a very good idea indeed to come in with three or even four ideas and treatments.
- Your client's trust in you counts for a lot, too. If they trust you and your thinking, you can get away with one idea/concept.Continuity
- Continuity0
Also, if you do go in with more than one idea, tell the client outright which one you recommend, and why.
Clients, believe it or not, love being steered. Makes them feel safe and coddled.
- totallymonospaced
- < this - and it's our job to make them feel safewhatthefunk
- Ah, sometimes I've had clients rebel against this and automatically disregard the one I recommended as it makes them fell they have control.Chimp
- detritus0
if you've done your job well beforehand, one or one ‘and a bit’ concepts should suffice. This presumes you've kept your client in the loop, listened to them and guided them where necessary as the project has evolved.
As some famous designer once suggested ‘there's only ever one solution’, which I wholly agree with and aspire to.
I've added the ‘and a bit’ because sometimes its good to create a false choice for that final client decision.. or sometimes there migth actually be an element that doesn't have a singular answer.
Overall though - one solution, not many.
Many = not solutions.
- rson0
2-3 homepages with a subpage each. Did you set up expectations with the client?
- mekk0
a good briefing and process only needs one final sketch
- Chimp0
For me there are always more than one way of designing a site so I like to present 2 or 3 routs.
The first idea I design isn't always the best.
- d_rek0
There are a few things I think that dictate how many options/concepts you present to a client:
1) Knowing your Client - Recognizing the type of client you have from the get-go will prevent many headaches down the road. Are you working with a bargain shopper or someone with finer tastes? Do they think they're going to the 'Logo Warehouse' to browse aisles of logos and pick one off the shelf? Or are they going to the Tailor to get a custom-fitted logo made especially for them? Knowing your clients preferences - and getting to know them in general - will be almost as valuable to your career as the quality of the work you output.
2) Confidence and Experience - You have to be very confident in your abilities to propose a single option. Usually this confidence is built up through experience. When I was in school and post-grad I willingly presented 2-3 (sometimes more) concepts to clientele. I would say this was largely because I was not confident enough in myself at that point to say to a client "This is your solution and this is why I recommend it". The past few years i've grown more confident in my ability to perform and also present ideas.
As with most things, Less Is More. I have found that the last two years presenting a single option, supported by ample exploration and a solid understanding of the clients needs and target audiences, has been by far and large the superior way to present to a client.
- jtb260
My 2¢
If you let your client into your process, and let them make decisions about the design with you showing them a single composition shouldn't be a big deal.
I don't think it's acceptable to walk away from your initial meetings with the client and disappear for a week or two, then reappear with a 'finished' design and expect the client to watch the magic website unfold before their eyes without bucking at it.
The client should be involved in the process - if that means doing several different versions that's fine. If that means breaking apart the explorations of color, and type, and layout and then letting them in on the design decisions at each stage, leading to a single solution that's fine too.
- monNom0
A bit of contrast never hurts. I present just as many ideas as the project warrants, Sometimes that's one (say a website redesign for an established company). Sometimes that's 5 (say logomark explorations for a new company).
_Selling_ one idea irrespective of whether that is appropriate for the project isn't serving your client.
- canuck0
1 and then take it from there.
- ETM0
A few years ago I switched to providing 1 home page, 1 interior page and sometimes 1 alt colour scheme in the same design. That's it. I haven't had anyone (yet) complain that they wanted to see other design options.
It's goes to the psychology that people secretly hate choice, especially in areas they are unsure of. I am starting to believe it to be true. But they do know if they like or hate something. So now their only choice is like it, or hate it.
- They do - elsewise they'd not pay someone to make those decisions for them, happy instead to make their own messdetritus
- monospaced0
So, thread consensus: When proposing websites, make sure all expectations are set out at first with the client, and then propose (1) one kickass idea based on the brand and brief. This makes sense to me now.
I rarely, if ever, work with individual clients on JUST website proposals, so this consensus confused me at first. In the world of branding proposals, one idea isn't enough because there isn't just one solution (campaigns, brands, identies, etc).
- ********0
We do one concept. We spent a significant amount of time doing planning and understanding the client need so we don't waste time (money) doing multiple concepts. If we have a $100K+ projects, we'll often iterate from a single concept, but we still only show one final recommendation.
