Challenging design briefs: how we leverage problem-solving to deliver exceptional results

by Emilija Angelovska

Almost all of the projects at CLEVER°FRANKE begin with a design brief. As a matter of fact, the brief is a "must" not only for the project team, but also for the scoping and planning of the project, before any work even begins. However, as an agency that innovates, we do not shy away from challenging this brief, even if that leads to some difficult conversations with our clients.

The key to great design is understanding the client’s world, their data and the problems that we can help them solve. Often the brief details this extensively and provides us with a good point to begin from. After reading the brief however we also delve into the data, study the user personas and talk to stakeholders. During this research process we can determine a problem that’s different or slightly adjusted from the one listed in the design brief.  As a result the solution to this problem can also end up shifting from what the client might have originally contacted us for.

There are many reasons that lead us to that point, one of which is our skills and experience in data analysis, allowing us to see details that may have previously been missed. Another reason is that we are able to make connections between the data and the user profiles that are able to solve the problem in a much more innovative and impactful way. A third reason is that as outsiders with fresh eyes, our high-level overview gives us the space to think-out-of-the box. No matter what the reason, sometimes our team ends up offering alternative solutions than what the client originally approached us for. 

Challenging a design brief can be a difficult road to traverse. As a project manager, my priority is to keep the relationship between our team and the client strong, while still giving the team the space to do innovative work. Here are three things the team and I do to guide the client through this sometimes stressful process: 

1. Focus on the end goal 

One of our main strategies is to always remind the client that we’re on their side. When suggesting a different solution, the client may feel like we’re in a battle: one of us will win and the other will lose. By focusing on the common goal, reminding the client that we too want to create something amazing, we are often able to bridge the gap that might have been created. In the moment, when the discussions are focused on the details, and each member is invested in their own beliefs and ideas, the comfort that we are both heading in the same direction should not be underestimated. 

One such instance was the interactive wall we designed and developed for Google’s experience center The Foundry in 2011. The original brief detailed the need for an informative data visualization on the role that the smartphone plays in our purchase journeys. As experts in creating data visualization we know the difficulty of informing a generation that lives with information overload. Additionally the space that the installation was going to live in was a space in the conference center, where visitors take rest during their breaks of a full day event, having listened to and learned a lot of information. 

As a result we challenged the brief, encouraging the client to create an interactive game experience instead. By changing the format, we increased the chances of people reading the information. To go a step further and help the users retain the information we also created a conversation starter where five users can simultaneously interact with the installation by using their hand gestures. This led to unexpected interactions at the experience center and increased the likelihood of the users remembering what they were learning.

Even though the change in format may have been surprising and unexpected, we too had the same end goal as the client: inform visitors at The Foundry in an effective and engaging way.

2. Bringing the client into our process

Once aligning on the common destination, it’s important to take the client into our thinking process.

This helps them understand why we are suggesting a certain solution and hopefully gives them the chance to also see the strength of the solution we are sharing. We do this in different ways. Sometimes we show our clients the sketches we’ve done that brought us to the current point. Other times we create extra diagrams or explanatory slides to illustrate the conclusions we arrived at. This keeps the relationship between us and the client strong, as it shows them that our intentions are well, and that our suggestions are well thought through. 

In 2023 when creating a digital installation for the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management we saw an opportunity to challenge the brief again. While the brief asked for functionality, we quickly were able to determine that a dashboard type of installation would make the data too explicit. We determined that in order to compel the user to explore the data, we first needed to create intrigue, curiosity and wonder. Therefore we challenged the brief by designing an experience in which the data was implicit, it would pull the user in and give them the agency to explore the data themselves. By giving the user agency the likelihood of remembering the data also increased significantly.

To help take the client into our thought process we adopted a “technology-first” strategy, initiating the process with the development of data-driven prototypes. We used these prototypes throughout the project, to showcase to the client what we were working on and the opportunities and challenges we were facing. By sharing prototypes driven by data, the client was able to understand and see our vision in a much more tangible way. This helped them understand the approach we were taking even though it was different from the original brief.

3. Feedback loops

Finally, as we align on the common goal, and share our thought process, we also open up frequent feedback loops with our clients. Often when the project begins, some of our team members are exposed to the client’s area of expertise for the first time of their lives. Because of this it’s critical that we gather feedback on whether our understanding is complete. We are always open towards the client that they are the ultimate experts in their respective areas, and being honest about this helps strengthen our relationship with them. It reminds both of us that the project is a collaborative effort where we each bring our strong suits to the table.

One such instance was for the creation of the Dutch Corona Dashboard for the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport. One of the ways we challenged the brief was by proposing to add interpretations with annotations to the data on the site. Adding annotations was major feedback that arose during user testing and one that we couldn’t ignore. By adding projections and interpretations, users shared that they would be able to relate to the data and also make beneficial decisions based on it. However, per the client’s prerogative, we steered away from this addition. The client’s end goal was to report the data without getting into the political sensitivities of making projections and interpretations. Even though the product could have benefited from it, and the user would have been able to apply the data to their own lives more effectively, at the end of the day, we recognized that this was not the site for that. 

Based on this feedback, we adjusted and looked at ways that we could help users relate to the data without adding projections or interpretations. We added information to help the users learn how to read the data, information that explained why certain data was delayed or missing, and also added other content that increased transparency, trustworthiness and the usability of the platform.   

While one of the strongest things about our team at CLEVER°FRANKE is our ability to innovate, we cannot ignore the fact that this has an impact on our client relationships. As a result we always try our best to keep open communication lines with the client throughout this challenging process. Whether by affirming that we both have a common goal, sharing our process, or asking for feedback, we ensure not only that we create innovative solutions but also that the client and our team has enjoyed the process along the way. 

With every new project, and unknown industry we step into, there continue to be learning points on how to approach sensitive situations. However, no matter the challenge, we keep reminding ourselves that communication is always the first step in the right direction. This is especially important to keep in mind as thinking-outside-of-the-box is one of the CLEVER°FRANKE values and part of our approach to everything, not just client work.