Increasing Specificity
Specificity and clarity are important to get any project started in the right direction. However, we are only most specific with things we are most knowledgeable about and comfortable with. When there is an inability to articulate specific desired outcomes it can cause frustration between clients and designers. Over the years I have become more comfortable with interpreting with scarcity and piecing together with ambiguity, but I don’t always get it right.
It is not necessary to always be specific in every day life. I imagine my roommate who made this shopping list knew exactly what food entailed and found it cumbersome to get into any detail on his annotation.
Even still, specificity provides clarity which provides better iterations which leads to the correct final desired product - whether it is a website, content, logo, or new process and procedure - and that is incredibly important when it comes to your business and how you interact with your customers.
So, rather than hoping for the best with interpretation, let’s help each other out in providing context and asking better questions that lead us to more specific answers. One way I try to provide context for non-design oriented people is by offering a composition workshop. These workshops are hosted at Sans MOCO Gallery (172 Main Street, Greenville, PA) and are a fun way to gain exposure to the world of art and design with as little commitment as possible.
From all of the variety of businesses I have worked with - I have found the common denominator for the problems they are regularly experiencing: a break down in communication. It isn’t that people aren’t communicating, however, it is a lack of context or specificity in their communication. I try to avoid unnecessary conflict at all costs - just ask me about my stint on borough council - which is why I have become very mindful of the importance of better communication and continue to work on it today.
How has lack of specificity impacted a project you have worked on? Comment below ↓
