Who? What? How?…and so on!

“Questions are a fascinating part of life, and asking them can lead to astounding discoveries, the answers they provoke can open doors, shed light on mysteries and sometimes, even reveal the obvious.” So says Terry O’Reilly during a recent episode of CBC’s “Under the Influence“…and I couldn’t agree more.

Back in the mid-sixties I went to an all-girl Catholic school taught by the Sisters of Charity. I was a hard-working student who always aimed for the top marks at everything. As an adult I met up with my Grade 5 teacher, Sister James Bernard. During one of our conversations she recalled that I used to ask a lot of questions which frustrated her. She quickly interjected saying “Your questions were good ones but they challenged me as a teacher to think of the answers.”

Knowing when to ask questions and how to access the right information is an important life skill and, as a designer, essential to doing meaningful research upon which to develop unique design solutions. Your “Brand Identity” is what you want to communicate to your customers. Every visual related to your business in print and online makes up your “Brand Image”. Building and maintaining your brand affects how you’re perceived and received…or not!

It’s important to be authentic and consistent. Know who you are and what you need. If being your own creative director isn’t something you can or want to tackle, then consult with a graphic designer. Find out what they can do for you. Check their references.

Since everyone’s on a budget make sure to work with someone who’s asking the important get-to-know-your-business questions. If they’re not, then keep looking. There has to be a strong working relationship to get strong creative results. Remember, your brand image must be working on your behalf 24/7.

During an interview with a prospective client—who was a tad apprehensive about hiring, yet another graphic designer —she said “That’s a great question. No one’s asked me that before but it makes perfect sense.” I got the job and several more!

Click here to see some of the questions I might ask you.