It’s human nature — people often try to provide solutions rather than goals but with a little practice, you can communicate your objectives to get the result that best serves your needs.
When you take your car to the shop, you probably don’t say “Please replace my alternator.” you say “When I turn the key, the engine doesn’t turn over.” Maybe you do need a new alternator, or perhaps it’s the battery, or the starter, or the generator, or… If the mechanic just followed your directions, you’d have gotten a new alternator but your car still may not start!
So, you may ask, “what’s the difference, Vin? How do I communicate strategically as opposed to tactically?” In a nutshell, it’s talking about your objectives, challenges, and pain points rather than skipping to potential solutions. For example, you might say “I want users to notice products that are on sale at my website.” or better yet, “I need to get rid of old inventory.” rather than “Make the store button bigger and red”. Maybe adding a closeout product to the home page would serve that purpose better. You could be missing out on the best solutions, even with the best intentions.
Designers, copywriters and other creatives are problem-solvers who specialize in finding solutions—that’s their expertise. An experienced creative will ask the client strategic follow-up questions. And a talented creative will provide you with alternative tactical solutions to make sure they solve the problem. They might even come up with a totally new approach that never occurred to you.
