Client Briefs and Mock Up Concepts

Mock ups… not all design firms do them. I’ve always been a firm supporter of them. Yesterday I completed 3 mock ups for 2 different projects. One billboard, and one trailer wrap. Mock ups have always had the power of making or breaking a sale for my firm. Usually after we provide a mock up, we win the account. But every brief now and then, we’ll get a client who doesn’t understand what a mock up is. A mock up is simply an idea. A direction the project could go in. It doesn’t have EVERYTHING yet, it’s not a final proof and is just supposed to get the ideas flowing.

It’s our job to train our clients to understand the way our industry works. Providing us with all the materials and information that we need is CRUCIAL for us to properly tap into the creativity we need to do the job well. If you have a logo, make sure you provide it to us in a format we can use to get the most out of it. If you have specific pictures you’re looking for, you can save time and money by providing us with those ahead of time. Sketch out an idea if you like of what you had in mind. Colors that you like, colors that you don’t like… who you’re marketing to… who are your clients? All of this information is important in order for us to succeed in designing for a client. When we miss this info, and forget to get a quality brief, then the quality of a mock up will dramatically suffer.

If we’re given little to no direction, expect it to be a bit like a crap shoot where mock ups are concerned. We’ll likely hit or miss. We do not know all the in’s and outs of your company… so when you find a design firm you’re looking to use, make sure you work WITH them as a team.. rather than just telling them to be creative. You’ll get FAR better results, more bang for your buck and your designer will probably enjoy working with you so much more if you do.

J.
www.jwdesigncenter.com