How it’s transformed my creative process and outcomes for my clients

As an industry standard, designers are accustomed to presenting clients with, on average, three design concepts.

While this may seem to provide more value to a client and serve them to a higher standard, in reality, by providing these options and handing over the decision-making process to the client, you may actually be doing them a disservice.

Minimise the confusion with the One Concept method

By presenting multiple options to the client, you are now handing over the final decision to them. And in the end, this can cause more confusion than clarity. We as humans don’t like the feeling of missing out on something good. By allowing the client to choose between several similar, appealing options, you could potentially be creating this struggle, or “FOMO”. Aka. where the client may not feel completely satisfied, regardless of which option they decide upon!

Let’s look at an example, that has been proven in study, which basically outlines the theory that more is not always better.
Two groups of customers in a grocery store were presented with two displays of products. Group A was presented with a choice of 26 different variations of a product. While group B was given the choice of just 6 variations of that product. The study demonstrated that customers in group B were 10x more likely to make a purchase (presented with fewer options), when compared to group A (who were given a much wider selection).

What does this prove?

Less is better when it comes to decision-making in the human brain.

This example can be applied directly to your design process. By eliminating the number of choices presented to a client, you are more likely to have fewer revisions and a happier client. But this cannot be done without our second point.

A deep dive into the strategy and concept phase

As a designer, you should be able to employ your experience in design and industry exposure to be able to be the one who makes the ultimate decision.

The client has come to you for a reason. They recognise that they are not an expert in this field and have handed over the process to you, the expert. Let’s think about this: if you were to book a consultation with a specialist, for example, a financial advisor, this is because you know that you have little to no knowledge of this field, and in essentials, you want this expert to tell you what you need to do. They should dive deep into your financial history, your spending habits, any secret debts, and then be able to hand you a complete strategy that will allow you to reach the goals you have.

By spending considerably more time in the strategy and concept phase of the project, and focusing on connecting with the client’s target audience, you should be then able to present one exceptionally well rounded and intentional design concept to the client, that will typically result in zero, or minimal revisions. 

The outcome? An excited and fulfilled client who is enthralled to see their vision come to life, and a relatively painless process for both the client and yourself. By doing the extra groundwork, in the beginning, saves time and confusion and results in a client who is going to be singing your praises.

The end result?

I’ve been applying the one-concept method in my business for years now and it has completely transformed my creative process and the client experience, for the better. It results in a high-end design experience where the rationale and strategy are rooted in the brand’s vision, goals, and ethos—and is created exclusively with their target audience in mind, resulting in higher connection and conversion rates.

Would you try the One Concept Method in your business?