Tips for the Design Hearing: How to Proceed Without Losing the Project
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Category: Side Jobs
Published:
Last Updated:
Category: Side Jobs
Authors: Shusaku Yosa
Are you struggling with "I don't know what to ask in a design hearing" or "I can't draw out the requests well, so my proposals don't land"? In design production, the hearing is a crucial step that affects the quality of the result and whether you win the project. By covering what you should ask and removing gaps in understanding, you can prevent rework and lost projects. This article clearly explains the items to ask in a design production hearing and tips for proceeding in a way that doesn't lose the project.
A hearing is not merely a place to listen to requests. By correctly grasping the client's purpose and aligning understanding, the direction of the production is decided. If this is vague, it greatly affects the later steps.
Conversely, proceeding with an insufficient hearing leads to "it's different from what I imagined" after completion, becoming a cause of lost projects and redoing the work.
If you're unsure what to ask, cover the following items. Confirming these gathers the information needed for production.
First, confirm "what it is being made for" and "what they want to achieve." The direction of the design changes greatly depending on the purpose, such as attracting customers, driving purchases, or building awareness.
Clarify "who they want to reach." Knowing the persona, such as age, gender, and interests, makes it easier to decide on color and tone.
Confirm the atmosphere they're aiming for, such as "cool," "gentle," or "a sense of luxury." Since this tends to be abstract, the key is to draw it out with concrete words and examples.
Have the client show you designs they like or sites and samples they want to reference. This lets you visually align an image that is hard to convey with words alone.
Confirm the elements that must be included, such as text, logos, photos, and campaign information. Since later additions of "include this too" cause rework, identify them at the start.
Confirm by when and on which medium it will be used, and roughly how much the budget is. Since these directly affect the scope of work and the proposal, clarify them at an early stage.
Even when asking the same items, the client's level of trust changes depending on how you proceed. Here are tips for connecting to winning the project.
Research the client's service and industry beforehand, and prepare your questions before you go in. When your preparation comes across, it leads to the reassurance of "I can entrust this to them."
First, listen to the client to the end and draw out their requests and background. Not talking too much yourself and creating an atmosphere where the client can speak easily is the key to drawing out their true feelings.
Rather than taking requests at face value, dig one step deeper into "why they think so." When you understand the real purpose behind it, you can make a more accurate proposal.
Summarizing and confirming with "so, this is what you mean" prevents gaps in understanding on the spot. Leaving no vague points behind helps you avoid trouble later.
Rather than just listening to requests, add a proposal such as "for this purpose, doing it this way is more effective." Showing your perspective as an expert raises trust and makes winning the project more likely.
A hearing goes smoothly when you proceed in the following flow. Deciding the steps in advance prevents missed questions better than asking ad hoc.
Sharing the requirements in writing or notes at the end keeps a record of both sides' understanding and prevents rework later.
Knowing the common failures lets you prevent them in advance. Let's cover the representative ones.
First, confirm the "purpose and goal." Once you understand what it's being made for, it becomes easier to organize the other items such as the target and image. We recommend expanding your questions starting from the purpose.
Having the client show you reference designs, or choosing a direction in words such as "cool" or "gentle," makes it easier to draw out. The key is to align an abstract image visually using concrete examples.
A careful hearing leads to the trust of "they seem dependable," which connects to winning the project and ongoing requests. Conversely, proceeding while leaving gaps in understanding becomes a cause of lost projects and redoing the work.
In a design production hearing, it is important to cover items such as the purpose, target, image, required elements, and deadline and budget, and to remove gaps in understanding. By keeping preparation, listening, digging deeper, confirming through putting things into words, and proposing as a professional in mind, you raise trust and prevent lost projects. First, turn the items to ask into a checklist and put it into practice from your next hearing.
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