Ask this one question to create better designs…

“Who is this for?”

This is the question every graphic designer should ask for every project. You can ask it out loud or internally, but you’ll need to know the answer to execute a successful output. Graphic design is visual problem solving for an intended audience; that means that the designer should always be considering who that intended audience is. Here are three points to remember as you consider this important question:

Designer / client / user alignment

Oftentimes, you’ll be designing not only for your direct client but also for the customers or users of the client’s product or service. How do you ensure that your designs visually communicate effectively to both parties? Alignment is the key. Your client must first be aligned with the needs of their own customers/users and prioritize those needs first. For example, the design client is a daycare center owner. The owner’s customers are parents and the users are their children who will stay at the daycare. The daycare center owner wants to design fun signage for the interior of the building and also some welcoming marketing collateral for the parents; they understand that the marketing collateral must appeal to the parents and the signage must appeal to the children.