We’ve all heard them: buzzwords in business and design. You probably use some of them yourself.
When a customer tells you that they like what you did for them, but it’d be that much better if you made it a little more Funky, or added some Sizzle – what does that actually mean? Think Outside the Box and make me something a little Cooler, maybe with a bit more Pop – that leaves many things up for interpretation. Depending on the person doing the changing, you can “fix” that in a variety of different ways and still not even come close to their expectations.
Buzzwords are sometimes not the most useful things, and they can actually get in the way of understanding each other, or leave your audience confused, and who needs that?
What can you do? Aim for clarity. Get or show examples so everyone is on the same page. Ask what Cool means to them, or what they specifically like that’s Funky, or has the kind of Sizzle or Pop they’re looking for. This way, you avoid terms that can be interpreted a variety of different ways, better convey your wishes, and get more defined direction from the customer who is almost-but-not-quite-totally-happy with your work. Getting them to Happy without a whole lot of misdirection and misunderstanding is what’s really Cool.
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