Tag: Client Brief

A few weeks ago, the mini-client and I were driving home when he asked if we could start a new project. I asked what he had in mind.

He wanted snakes. So we started discussing the materials we had on hand and what he envisioned. We landed on making snakes out of paper-towel rolls.

As he chattered in the backseat, I let my mind wander to how I would engineer a snake from a paper towel roll. In theory, they were similar shapes, both long cylinders. It was the issue of movement I was trying to solve.

Snakes slither in a motion that requires flexibility. So, rather than a solid cylinder that spans the full length of the “snake”, a set of linked smaller cylinders would be the better option.

But how to produce that shape from a paper-towel roll?

I thought my solution was pretty ingenious. I folded a crease into the top of the roll, and used double-sided sticky tape to create a “spine”. Then, I made vertical cuts along the bottom to allow for movement as the snake “slithered”.

The problem? The more time I spent folding, cutting, and taping–the more distressed the mini-client became.

I tried to reassure him how cool it would be. I explained I was making it “move like a snake”. All of my explanations did nothing to assure the mini-client what I was doing was the right way to make a snake.

Why?

Because it wasn’t what he wanted.

When I finally stopped to ask him what he thought it should look like, it was simply a snake drawn on a cardboard roll. And the mouth should open.

🤦‍♀️ 😅 😂

This was a reminder that as creatives, engineers, and ideas-people, it is so easy to get carried away with how cool we can make it. It’s important not to skip over checking with the client to ensure we are building what they want.

I was building the mini-client a web app. He wanted a static page with a gif.

Eventually, we got on the same page and I was able to deliver a product the mini-client was happy with. However, I wasted time and materials in pursuit of my own goals. That is never ideal.

I’m thankful for the reminder to invest time in asking better questions earlier in the creative process to meet client expectations.