Something I’ve been pondering in my business is how many choices to give clients.
I ordered an açaí bowl at a café recently. I had no idea what toppings to add, because I didn’t even know what açaí is, besides trendy. I didn’t feel qualified to choose.
The conversation
Store clerk: “You can put anything on it! We have this and this and this and this and this and this and this.”
Me, feeling helpless: “Uh…. what would you put on yours?”
Clerk: “I like strawberries, coconut, and granola.”
Me: “Great. I’ll have strawberries, coconut, and granola.”
He snickered.
This annoyed me.
Me: “Also blueberries.” Just to assert my independence.
It was delicious and I was delighted.
How this relates to design projects
Similarly, in brand design projects, it’s common for design studios to offer many choices and rounds of revisions.
“Here are several logos, all great for various reasons. Choose the one you think is best. Need any revisions? If yes, what would you like? Now, which of these color palettes do you prefer? Which font pairing? They’d each work well—which do you want to go with?”
I’ve operated this way, too, thinking it serves the customer. We respect them and want them to feel ownership and autonomy. Offering choices along the way allows them to craft something they can feel more connected to. Right?
Maybe not. In reality, asking people to choose can make them feel tired or helpless. Especially if it’s not their area of expertise. What most people would love is an expert to take responsibility and tell them what’s best.
Give your expert recommendation
If you’re an experienced açaí bowl seller, and a customer looks unsure because they’ve never ordered one, propose one solution. Maybe with a small customization option.
And if you’re an experienced designer, and your clients are not experienced designers, propose one solution. Maybe with a small customization option. Pitch with guidance: “either would work great, but I’d go with this because [rationale].”
Then, because it was the recommendation of a specialist instead of selected all by themselves, clients won’t perpetually wonder if they did the right thing. Give them the gift of confidence in the final product.