Knowing What Your Client DOES NOT want

Defining what your client wants, whether it be design or functionality, can usually be pinpointed by showing them what they don't want. Example:

"Hey Joe, we need some business cards for our VIP clients it shuold have this info and that info and a line that says such-and-such..."

I know they want something like this:

So I present like this:

NEW

Now we move to another type of "new" design. This only represents what we have done in the past and is typical of what the client considers "safe"

Moving on to the mundane

WTF? We do not want this shit.

Continually heading in the direction they DO NOT want, further defining what they DO want.

The subsquent design process after designing what they DO want is not an effort in vain (you were thinkging that, right?). It should be a successful effort at leading the client where he/she will feel satisfied and excited about this new look,feel,etc.

And if they choose the mundane? They choose the WTF? So what? You spent time designing and a few extra minutes figuring out just who the hell these people are... In this exact case they chose the appropriate design with a few tweaks. Nothing that destroyed it though.... had they done otherwise... same hours billed, same hours paid, everybody spent time doing what made them feel satisfied.