Joe No Brand

I was working yesterday with Joe who runs a screen printing company based on Mabgate in Leeds. I was painting a van for him as I used to take on a lot of spray paint commissions. We were talking about his business and the troubles that can occur when dealing with clients. One thing he mentioned that seems relatively simple but sounds as though it can cause problems if not dealt with properly is making sure you have a clear brief and both yourself and the client know what the brief is. We often complain about briefs being too restrictive and limiting our options but a vague brief can be much more troublesome when dealing with clients. Joe said that he gets a fair number of clients that say they are not too fussy about colours or fonts when he is designing work for them but that they almost always want changes made when they receive his work. Joe thinks that the clients usually have an idea in their head of what the work should look like but they may not be confident enough to explain it to you so you should try as much as possible to encourage them to give you a clear idea of what it is they want by showing examples of previous work, possible fonts, colour schemes. This all seems fairly clear cut but I have noticed in my own practice that I only realise potential problems or important decisions once I start the work. I think it is important to try and deal with these issues before work starts. Experience will help to learn the common problems that can occur, making a note of them will help to take them into account for future jobs. Joe mentioned using a checklist that you fill out with clients before the job starts as a way to make sure you have covered all the important information.