Concept Approval Checkpoint: What Is It That You Want From Me, Heather!?
I have a very specific flow when it comes to my clients and the design of their new company website ... certain checkpoints and places where I stop and say: what do you think? Here is how I run sh*t when it comes to my website design projects:
- I gather needed materials from my clients so that I can design a concept using THEIR work and info.
- I go into my creative cave and I create something JUST FOR THEM ... unique to their style, brand, and target market.
- I present the concept I have designed to my client.
Concept Approval is always a hard thing for my clients because it relies a lot on trust and the 'feeling' they get when they click into the page. The images are mostly just placeholders, text isn't completely filled in, the search engine optimization isn't even added yet, and blog posts are missing the text blurbs. It's kinda like walking into a house after they have laid out the framing ... you can get a feel for how it will look and the size and placement, but it doesn't look like a house yet ... imagination is needed, but you still get excited when you see it!
When I send over the link of the design I have been working on so far and I'm ready for my client to peek inside of the online world I have created for them it's always scary for me!! I already know what the finished product will look like ... I've seen it in my head from the first moment I spoke to my client about their brand (and it's GLORIOUS!!!!) ... but I can't expect for my clients to be able to see that same vision. Typically at concept checkpoint we hop on a call and discuss it all: my reasons for this, what I was thinking when I did that, why the pages are designed like this, and why I believe that is going to be a huge tool for their company. It's helpful for my clients to know I have a strategy ... and in my head the strategy is always: KEEP PEOPLE AROUND! And by PEOPLE, I mean a target market client that is typically more on the higher end scale (it's my thing ... read more about that here).
Once I have concept approval from my clients we move forward with: search engine optimization, image selection (one of the biggest assets I bring to the table!), blogging, and filling in all the gaps that need filling. It's a partnership I create with all of my clients ... we work together using my unique skill set and make magic happen online ... it's so much fun!
XO~ Heather