no likey, no goody

A number of years ago we were asked to design a bus livery with a brief that had just two stipulations - keep it simple (for ease of maintenance) and include the client's core colours (for obvious reasons).

The client requested strictly no sub-brands, no links to location, and could they have something back in two weeks, tops?

After some toing and froing, we started work, and 10 days later presented our initial ideas. Two different simple, stylish concepts shown on a single bus, with a view to working them up on other buses if the client gave some positive feedback.

They didn't.

'I don't really like them. Have you got any more?' said the email.

Not the most constructive of feedback for any design team to hear. 

Whether an individual likes something enough to move it forward is largely irrelevant not the most important thing - more, does the work presented do the job set out in the brief? 

If you ask for a bright colour and get yellow, the work has been delivered against the brief. Feeding back you don't like yellow - so can you come up with something else - is missing the point somewhat.

Design and advertising are naturally subjective processes but the professional in you has to come out of that mindset.

Don't ask yourself if you like it, ask yourself if it solves the problem.

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