As a designer, I must have an idea of where the customer wants this idea to go. His company name, product, services, target customer base, history, location, etc. But the client hires me to come up with ideas and designs – things that he is not able to do – and to use my experience and training in reproduction/printing/signs/web/etc. I need a serious initial meeting to get direction from the client. Then I retire to let my creative flow begin. I come up with a minimum of 3 rough ideas. I always have an idea which is the best and the one the client will prefer. I am usually, but not always correct!
Then I meet with the client for a second time. From this meeting I will get a very clear indication of the direction and style preferred by the client. Sometimes the client will find one of my ideas to be exactly what they were looking for, but I always know which direction to go from this second meeting.
Sometimes a client will want to sit at my elbow and watch, or guide the process. If this is what they want, then this is what I do. It can lead to some amazing ideas. However, I prefer to take my ideas into my space and work on them alone, presenting them to the client for judgement and approval. It lets me allow the creative process to “flow”. I think it produces a superior product.
I never present a finished project until I have approval of the idea that is the foundation of the finished project. To do so would be probable wasted time and energy.