Importance Of Questionnaires In Logo Design And 7 Fantastic Resources
June 21, 2010 | Thoughts & Words By Sneh Roy | 14 Comments
The internet makes the world go around, literally. Because of it, geography is no longer a barrier in commissioning and delivering work created in digital format. Whether it is a website, a logo, a poster or a short film; more and more people are reaching beyond their local confines to seek talent that might have been elusive had technology not evolved so much.
When you are designing a logo and your client is far far away and a meeting is not possible, other means of communications like emails or the good old phone or services like Skype, Google Buzz or MSN Chat come into play. After the initial point of contact and several discussions later, when you are both ready to embark on the project, a questionnaire is the key element that will jump start the task at hand and give the logo process a finite direction.
What Is A Logo Design Questionnaire?
If we look beyond the generic meaning of the word which simply means, a set of questions for someone to answer; in a logo design project, a questionnaire is a designer’s lifeline. It is a document that becomes the client’s written word, a point of reference that the designer keeps revisiting at different stages of the project.
The designer creates a set of questions that he thinks would be useful to him in understanding the client’s frame of mind and preferences. The questions are also a list of tasks that the designer foresees working on during the course of the project. It stresses the importance of including a specific "style", "element" or "feeling" while also outlining areas to be avoided. By developing a questionnaire, the designer is mentally chalking out all the bases that need to be covered. By getting the client to answer the questionnaire, the designer is prompting the client to explore their choices and needs in more detail. For the client, it brings into focus their company’s mission and pinpoints what they are trying to achieve through their company’s brand.
When I embark on a new logo design project, I have 2 lists of questions. One list is the logo questionnaire that I send to my client to be answered by them. The other is a cursory list of questions that I ask myself after receiving the client’s answers. In this set of questions that I pose to myself, I evaluate my understanding of the client’s needs and ask specific steps would I be taking to tackle the brief. It helps me bring the focus of the design process to the very uniqueness of my client’s brand.
- Point of reference for the designer and client.
- A mental task list for the designer.
- A specific list of needs and preferences for the client.
Types Of Questionnaires
Most logo designers use a fixed set of questions for their logo design projects. Because each project is different and the brief received from each client is unique, it is sometimes very important to fashion a questionnaire based exclusively on the initial correspondence with the client. These questionnaires are developed based on how the designer perceives the current project.
Summary- Static set of questions for routine projects
- Dynamic list of questions developed for bespoke and more detailed projects.
Questionnaire Presentation
The easiest and most flexible form of questionnaire is an editable document that can be emailed. This is my preferred choice of a questionnaire. I use a .doc file to present my questions to my clients. Once they have downloaded my questionnaire, they can then take their time to answer in detail at their own leisure, saving their thoughts and stowing them away before picking up and continuing. The advantage of this form of communication with the client is that you can tailor different sets of questions and all you would need to do is open up a new .doc file.
A lot of people choose to present their questions on their websites in the form of a "form". Although this does look very stylish and professional, it is hampered by requiring the client to be "online" while answering it and doing it all at once without the option of saving halfway through and continuing again.
Summary- Editable documents that can be emailed.
- Web forms on portfolio sites or third party websites like.
Resources
- What Is A Creative Brief? – Logo Faqs
- Logo Design Fundamentals Important Questions – Sitepoint
- Logo Design FAQ – The Logo Factory
- Logo And Brand Identity Design Questionnaire – Just Creative Design
- Logo Design Questionnaire – Logoholik
- 20 Questions To Ask Clients Prior To Designing A Logo – The Design Cubicle
- How I Approach Logo Design – Charfish Design
- Corporate Identity Client Questionnaire – Creativebits
(There are 8 resource links and not 7 as the title suggests)
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Final Word
Once you go through a few of these questionnaires, you will notice that they are all essentially the same, plus or minus a few questions here and there. It is very important to focus on the right questions to ask. Probably the most important question to ask, a question that features at Number One on my questionnaire is "What is the exact wording that should appear on the logo?". Start with that and build up a list of questions that compliment your work flow while covering all bases and aspects of the logo design process. 12-15 questions if worded correctly, are more than sufficient. Any less and you won’t have all the information you need, any more and you will end up alienating and confusing your client. Remember, answering questionnaires can be tedious and time consuming. The more precise you keep it, the more your client will thank you for it.
I hope you have found this article useful. If you use a questionnaire on your website, please leave a comment and link to it. We would also like to hear from you about what you think is the most "important" question to ask your client before designing a logo and what is the ideal length of a logo design questionnaire.
Note : Image courtesy of Shutterstock.
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Charlie
Charfish Charlie´s last [type] ..The Charfish Design Manifesto
Hi Sneh,
nice article, wrote a similar article on the gonzoblog.nl:
My Logodesign Questionnaire for Clients, maybe you could use it as an extra resource?
Nevertheless, thanks for sharing this article! Cheers & Ciao ..
Gonzo the Great´s last [type] ..Links for 2010-06-19 [Digg]
Another great post Sneh. I was planning a post with a similar theme but you beat me to it!;)
Getting the length of the questionnaire right is a bit of a balancing act. Too many questions and a lot of clients get turned off. Too few and you don’t have enough information to do the project right. Your recommendation of 12-15 questions is spot on.
I use a questionnaire for clients on our website, but also send clients a PDF version upon request. I find that client who complete the PDF version usually provide more detailed information. My theory is when completing a web form most people just want to get it done and submit it asap. Perhaps they are worried about the browser crashing..
Thanks for the resources. Some useful stuff there as well!
Duane´s last [type] ..Google Reader and Declaring RSS Bankruptcy
Hi Sneh
Firstly, I wanted to say I love your name. It’s so different (in a good way).
Secondly, I wanted to ask how often should you use such questionnaires? Having worked on the other side of the design process and now dabbling in design myself…I’ve been through the questionnaire process once or twice but I’ve never had to repeat it because I guess I’ve built relationships with the designers I worked with.
However now that I’m dabbling in design myself I’m wondering whether the questionnaire process should be done more often as a way to reground myself in the principles of a company. Would love to know what your experience has been.
Sam
Sam Schuurman´s last [type] ..Managing Commenting Energy – An Experiment
Thanks Sam! My name is of Sanskrit origins and means “love”.
I always use questionnaires, always. Even when I am doing repeat projects and the clients verbally let me know what they want and what they are thinking, I always request them to fill out a short questionnaire, just to humor me. It is more structured and focused than sifting through email correspondences and links. It also IMO helps the client sort out any requirement issues they have, giving their brief more definition and purpose.
Nice post Sneh, imjustcreative has some great posts on his logo blog about the process behind his logo designs.
this is so inspirational..
creating logo is not a simple task, but after reading this, it opens my mind..
ndrew´s last [type] ..Hello world-
http://www.blackeye.com.au/forms.php
^ these are our various briefs for clients, for branding, campaigns, websites etc
Thanks for share the tips and resources, very useful for me.
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Sneh, good summary of design questionnaires and nice resources posted. I never thought of doing a questionnaire for myself after they have filled in theirs. I will often have follow up questions for the client after they do fill out their version, just to get a little more detail if necessary. And I agree with the 12-15 questions. It can definitely be a fine line not to push the client away, but still get the info you need.
Chris Lane´s last [type] ..Tips on photographing fireworks that pop
very nice post. thanks for the useful information, now just gotta craft one that is short enough so that it won’t annoy the client, but long enough to give all relevant and needed information.