Clients needs and Target

Audience
By Jim Weeks
Typical Graphic Design Process
A graphic designer can be a rewarding and
fun career choice and here we will be
discussing the role of the customer and
graphic designer from the order of an
image to the finished product
The Order
The customer places an order usually
describing the colours, shape and any other
details they think is important
To get a clear picture the designer needs
more information
◦ Who is the target audience
◦ What medium the client prefers
◦ What budget the client has set
◦ What colours the image should use
◦ And many more
Designing the Project
Considering all the specifications set, the designer
has to plan the project. This could be in the form
of a Gantt chart (as you’ve seen in your Project
module) or some form of blueprint to outline the
creation of the project
Target Audience
Thishas a great impact on the style,
message and content of your images
Some factors to think about
◦ Internal (employees) or external (customers
◦ Age
◦ Geographic Location
◦ Gender
◦ Possibly economic status or religion
 Target Audience
Mainly Male Mainly Female Elderly Young

Well Off Oriental Geeks Religious

The Message
What message is your client trying to get
across to their target audience
◦ Thanking customers
◦ Announcing a new product
Establish the ‘mood’ of the piece. Is it
◦ Excitement
◦ Sadness
◦ Compassion
Gather keywords that will help with the
overall style of your design
Specification
A 12 page brochure will take longer than a 4 page
foldout
Amount of content to present, budget, and final
use of the design may all affect your decisions.
Consider:
◦ Dimensions
◦ No. of pages
◦ Black and white or colour
◦ Number of items to print
◦ Amount of images on the website (photographer
needed?)
Budget
Ifa client has a specific budget in mind, it
can help to determine the scope of the
project and your final cost
Time and design options provided may
depend on the cost of the project
Cheap graphic More expensive
Deadlines
Does the project need to be completed by
a specific date?
Product launch
Conference
Other milestones
Creative direction from the client
Larger clients will often have a style sheet you can
follow, while others may just show you some existing
designs
Are there are any designs, design elements or other
cues they can give you, such as:
◦ Colours
◦ Fonts
◦ Other designs
◦ Websites
During the whole process… you must constantly
update the client with your progress as it is essential
you are on the right track for their needs
Lastly... Make impressive and eye-
catching images