A friend of mine saw my website, liked it and asked me to help her get hers up and running. Since this is a service I am considering adding to my list, I thought I'd use her as a "guinea pig" of sorts.

Before I spend time designing a questionnaire to help her focus her thoughts and to share her ideas/vision with me, how do the rest of you consult with your clients when doing website design? What forms do you use?

I visited the Document Library but didn't see anything there.

Charlotte Flowers
JUSTCALLCHARLOTTE
http://www.justcallcharlotte.com

Charlotte,

I don't use forms. I just talk to them and try to get an idea of what they are looking for. I have them send me sample websites who have styles they like, and I also talk to them about color scheme, fonts, etc.

I always upload the draft of the site to hidden pages on my own website, so they have a chance to see it before it goes "live"...

Charlotte,
I used design forms, checklists, or worksheets for a very short while early on in the development of our business and just found them to be kind of pointless and more work for myself and the client than they were worth.

Now, I simply ask the client (via email) a series of questions about what they like to see/use on the web (a few favorite domains), what they don't like to see, what they envision their website 'doing' (for specialty features), and if we're building and integrating a user-interface like member registration or a shopping cart or similar I ask them what they envision their user's process is from start to finish.
From there I can reply with my vision of what's going to come out of the project, reiterate their wants in my own words, and add anything I think is necessary or explain why I recommend not doing anything in particular that may have come up.
I also always ask about keywords and have them send me links to their top three competitors - this is crucial for on-site SEO.

If they have a site already and just want a redesign, I ask similar questions but provide my own take on what could/should happen earlier on, make suggestions based on what I can see, etc.

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I just bascially ask the clients via emails or in person what they would like on their site.

Sometimes I had them show me few web site samples that they like or dislike and I'd make some suggestions.

I also like to ask them for their logo so I can work to make sure the web design blend well with the logo.

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Brenda A. Jones
www.brevos.com

Thanks. Once again you all have come through. I took your advice and sent the client an email with a list of preliminary questions and letting her know that she and I would be spending a bit of time on the phone and on emails while we worked on the concept.

I'm thankful that I didn't have to spend time creating a questionnaire, but could get right to work with her.

Sometimes the simple answers are the least obvious ones---at least to me!

Another caution: I try to provide my client with a mock-up of some kind very early-on, so there can be feedback at the beginning stages. And then, when ready for client's review of first version, I make sure to expect many edits and changes, and take care not to get attached to anything I've done so far.

Most important, maybe, is to agree with your client how many drafts and edits will be involved, before you start working. So then you can monitor progress and keep the process collaborative.

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Mary H. Ruth/Virtual Writing & Communications
http://www.writingVA.com

I dont use a form per say, after doing it a few times you know what questions to ask. But basically I just talk to the client about what they are looking for and ask them for links to a few websites that they like for features as colors. If they have a logo I make sure it can be incorporated into the site if not its essential that they get one and I will usually make them one or they will do one themselves.

Just echoing what a few others have said, just chat with them and have them send you a few websites they like. Then, have them explain what it is about those websites that they like. Often, they won't have any idea what they want. LOL

Some clients like flat, simple color schemes - others like the "web 2.0" reflections and textures. Some like lots of 'white space' while others want to fill their site with tons and tons of modules and widgets and junk.

Good luck! Just be sure to communicate clearly with clients so they know the mantra "revisions cost extra." It is so easy to become a victim of what's called "project scope creep" - your client will say, "Oh, that's nice, but move that whole section over to the right...and change the blue to gray..." - the don't realize how long it takes to make all those changes.

I do a business and technology assessment so I have a very good overview of the kind of business my client has, their vision, what technology they are comfortable with and what they are open to embrace, their budget and their style preferences. Then I do a prototype design and get the client's reaction to it until the website is to their liking.

Hope this is of help.

Best regards,
Grace Long

I'm actually designing two websites at the moment, one client sent me image files he had created of the exact design he was looking for (which was nice). I simply recreated the design he wanted, with several design changes I thought looked better than what he was looking for. Then I uploaded a single page to a blind page on my own site and sent him the url to look at and make changes to. Fortunately he loved all my changes!

The other client is clueless. Has no idea what he wants, so I'm just designing something that I find pleasing, and will make changes based on his input. I am also only designing his splash screen and first page. I don't want to do too much work on a design and discover he doesn't like it.

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Kathy Harmacek, Your Virtual Aide
http://www.your-virtual-aide.com

Charlotte - your website look great! And I am glad to see another fellow Virginian on here. I am just getting started and am looking into doing my first website as well.

Thanks, Naoma. Virginia Beach isn't that far away. I feel I've just met a kindred spirit. I wish you all the best as you get started. I started in February, but I'm still a newbie, too. We can encourage each other!!

Thanks for the great ideas here, I am incorporating web site design into my VA business and the information here has really helped me to know what to ask future clients .. and also helps me with my current project I am working on right now.

Jenne