No More than 2 Concepts. Ever.
Photo by Caleb Jones on Unsplash
When I was in my first graphic design class in college, our very first assignment was to design a logo. The requirement was that we had to turn in 99 sketches of that logo before picking the final concept. To labor over 99 options over the course of a semester to eventually turn out one perfect logo was a tedious and valuable learning experience (spoiler alert: it’s never “perfect”.)
The point was to get potential designers out of their head enough to pursue something other than their initial idea. That through the labor you’d find that “aha” moment where you thought of something you never had before. The result was 2 lessons I still think of today after eventually settling on option 2 of 99: 1) More doesn’t mean “more valuable”, and 2) Who has the time?
More Doesn’t Mean “More Valuable”
There are a lot of cliches here like “less is more”, or “more is more”, or “do more with less”. Have your pick, but ultimately when it comes to designing and pitching concepts to a team or client, focus on the value. A designer may think that presenting more options initially looks like more of a value, but let’s break it down:
Too many options sabotages the pitch. You’ve made time to meet with your client or team and present the work you’ve done. Sometimes that meeting is structured more like a pitch, where you are persuading them to approve what you’ve created. How can you facilitate that if you’re expecting them to pick from 3 or more choices? It becomes less of a pitch and more of a show and tell, which undervalues the research and expertise you’ve put into the designs. Furthermore, you’ve lost focus of the meeting, and given your client too much to consume at once, which can lead to…
Too many options create decision fatigue. I lovingly refer to these projects as “frankendesigns” because once you bombard a client or team with too many options they freeze with uncertainty. Then a thought sprouts, something like “well, I like this and I like that, so why don’t we just put them together?” It seems logical enough, except the end product loses the initial vision and instead becomes a collage of multiple themes or ideas, muddling the message.
Let me reiterate the idea of solid concepts here for a second. If you’re going for quality over quantity, then you have to make sure you have the quality to back that up. When generating concepts or options make sure that the messaging is solid, the visuals are on point, and the overall aesthetic is spot-on. The idea here to invest the time into one or two concepts that are ready to move to final if necessary. It should go without saying that half baked ideas should not make it to the client’s desk.
Who Has the Time?
Obviously, you’re probably not creating 99 options for your client on one project. But taking a look at general turn-around times and the speed at which work needs to be done, even shooting for 3 or more options starts to take a toll on quality due to time. The result is often 1 or 2 solid concepts that the designer feels confident in, and another “filler” option that was whipped together right before the deadline to create the illusion of value (i.e. “Look at all the work I did for you!”). Guess what? Chances are they may pick the filler, leaving your stronger option on the table.
A sure way to prevent that from happening is to not present filler content. The value given to the customer should be based on the quality and relevance of your concept, not the number of concepts presented. Make sure that any concept you present you feel 100% comfortable in executing. You were hired based on your skill and knowledge in an area that your team or client may not have insight in, so relinquishing that in the name of quantity is a disservice to you and the customer.
So, what if they insist on more than 2 options from the get go?
As a paying customer, who doesn’t think they want the most options? Resist. Remove or edit the terms of your contract and instead try negotiating with something like “Why don’t we take a look at a couple options and decide from there the direction we’d like to take?”. Or even with enthusiasm: “I already have this idea that I think will be perfect! Why don’t I pull that together and show it to you in XX weeks?” Oftentimes, redirecting expectations from the start is the best way to a client or team on board.
Future Self: No more than 2 solid, quality concepts. Your education, experience, and talent as a designer is what your client is hiring you for. Therefore, present the work that makes you proud, and make adjustments as necessary. Take that extra time and do more design thinking or creating. Your brain (and client) will thank you for it.