Sometimes polishing a turd (and yes you can literally do that, I saw it on Mythbusters, my boy loves that show), is all that is needed. It is just as valid of an approach as is “a better way to use a turd”.
And we agree, which approach to use should be determined by both parties before the process starts.
That is what senior designers, associate creative directors, and creative directors are for. There is a structure to a team, and each player needs to deliver on his or her role. A fresh grad with what he or she thinks are “original out of the box ideas” with no ability to execute is not going to make the cut.
To yo: You truly are a corporate man aren’t you? Maybe that’s why you are so successful 
But does this mean that in a project only a senior designer or creative director may introduce ideas? That surely cannot be the case.
To me a good product starts with a good idea no matter where it comes from or who taught of it. And yes a good idea is just 1% and for the other 99% you need skills. But it is the most important 1%…So off all skills to have this is the most important one, me think.
Greetings and enjoy the weekend
T
True…but if you can get your ideas on paper very fast and present your exploration/ideations to your client instead of fully fledged out concepts than you can discuss all of your exploration with your client and make a concept from that output/input.
I always do what the client ask me to do but I’ll also propose many other solutions and views on the problem/product. All of them very loosely sketched. But the whole range of sketches/ideas will make them rethink and together we’ll think of a conept. So instead of putting lots of hours in making stunning concepts (+5). I use that time to explore further and broader (+100).
So to me scoping the design in the early phase of the design-process is a must.
Bet you know this quote:
“If I’d asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have said a faster horse.”
If you don’t have the skills, you will not make it on my team. Period.
Our clients don’t sell ideas. They sell ideas manifest. If you do not have the ability to both generate ideas and manifest them, your ability to be a designer is severely limited. A director can focus his or her energy in the realm of ideas (in fact has to), and leave the bulk of execution to others. An entry level designer does not have this luxury.
I can see the point that designers might need to lead a client to a different direction - ones that they have not asked for specifically - because they haven’t considered the problem as a designer would. On the other hand, there is also the annoyance of being the client who asks for something desperately needed, and gets un-focused work back (In my experience, it happens often from interns and vendors I don’t use again).
It also might depend a little on why clients approach your company in the first place - going to different design companies, clients have different expectations
Overall, I think it’s the sr designer/creative directors role to make the call whether the great ideas that are out of scope are mentioned to the client. They are they only ones who have been in discussions with them, intimately understand the business objectives & personalities involved, and can decide how to do it effectively.
everyone has good ideas when working on a project that are outside of what’s asked for, some great ideas, but if they are not getting you closer to the ideal outcome - you have to abandon them (at least temporarily). That’s how stuff gets done
As far as whether jr or sr designers get to have the ideas - I think you’d be a very dull designer (at any level) if this wasn’t happening all the time. When I’m running projects, I want other designers to put all relevant ideas out on the table. If they are out of scope, but important enough, the lead guy will make the call what to do, and the decision needs to be final.
yes.