Over the years I have had many client experiences and I have lots of advice about lots of things. Which I’m happy to share with you (just ask!). However, there is one situation that I’ve run into more than once and have yet to find the solution. Can you help me?

What do you do when you have a client who doesn’t know what he wants? He’s perfectly pleasant and professional, but when presented with some design options after filling out a design brief and meeting about his project says something to the effect of:

I want you to know that I appreciate all the work you are doing, but the first two logos are not working for me. The third is closer, but I’m not in love with it. I wish I could guide you more about what I am looking for, but I’m not sure what I want. I think that it’s important for me to really love a logo and connect with it, but I am not sure what I can do to help you make it happen.  Please let me know what can I do to help the process. Should I do more research?

I have no problem with the client asking this. As a professional designer, one of the things people hire me to do is help guide them toward a solution that they may not have known they wanted. I don’t depend on a client to come to me with a fully realized vision (although some do) and I see it as a big part of my job to draw out the information I need to make the client happy. But in this case, the client is stuck, and I’m not sure what to do to free him.

Suggestions? Thoughts? Opinions? I’d love to hear them.

I’ve been very lucky to work with some amazingly talented people over the years. One of my favorite surprises is to have my path cross with someone’s that I used to know and find them going well.

Through Facebook, I recently got back in touch with Teafly, and I was thrilled to see the beautiful work she’s selling at Etsy. If you’re looking for some colorful, whimsical art, check her out: http://teafly.etsy.com

It is standard practice in design to offer three initial design ideas to a client. It doesn’t happen every time or on every project, but it happens enough that if you are a designer, you should know this rule:

If you do three designs, and there’s one you love, one you like, and one you think is crap, nine times out of ten your client will go with the one you think is crap.

Does this mean your client is stupid? Absolutely not. Does this mean that you need to love your third design as much as your other two? Absolutely.

I couldn’t have said it better myself, so I won’t even try. Check out decor8 and the great post Spool Design {& 5 tips for a better shop}. Highly recommended.

I’m late to the party on this, but I just found 20/20: 20 designers in 20 minutes from AIGA. From the site:

About this video

Debbie Millman introduces 20 designers who were invited to show in their own unique way—and in just 60 seconds—how design and business intersect in their practice.

The designers, in order of appearance: Rodrigo Corral, Moira Cullen, Kristina DiMatteo, Julia Hoffman, Kenna Kay, Michael Ian Kaye, Chip Kidd, Josh Liberson and Ethan Trask, Vernon Lockhart, Christine Mau, Bryony Gomez-Palacio and Armin Vit, Bennett Peji, Brian Rea (represented by a papier-mâché doppelganger), Petter Ringbom, Craig Swanson, Lucille Tenazas, Khoi Vinh, Petrula Vrontikis.

The different approaches the designers take, from serious to sincere, amusing to avant garde, are so interesting. Watch now!