Whilst making the tea this morning, the very act of making my table a hot beverage on a chilly day got me thinking. Bear with me on this one!
Jonny from Union Room likes his coffee with 2 sugars (i’m almost put into a sugar coma looking at one heaped tea spoon of sugar, let alone two.) Jordan likes a strong yet milky tea (the concept of which i don’t completely understand as that surely just makes it a normal tea?) These are two options I personally, wouldn’t take. However, I’ve done my “research” and I make them how they ask because I know for certain that is the audience I’m making it for. I’d be giving them a hot drink they didn’t want otherwise.
This made me think about the roll of the designer.
Research is important. You need to know what kind of audience the brand wants to attract. What’s more, you need to assess if the brand’s strategy is right. Is what they plan to offer what their intended audience want? What is the best way to sell their service/product? You need to consider all these things before moving forward.
Designing communications for consumers is ultimately for the person the product/service is directed at. You’ve got to put you own personal preferences aside, and live in the shoes of the audience. If I had it my way, Jordan and Johnny would be drinking chai tea. But that would be wrong and I would be being a hot beverage dictator. I wouldn’t impose my own likes upon people. Imagine how you would sound saying it to one person. You wouldn’t end up making a good impression.
Remember, when designing, you aren’t addressing your needs, you’re addressing other people’s in an engaging and well crafted manner.