For any web design project I do, I ask clients to tell me exactly what they want so I can successfully meet their goals. While this is common sense, actually getting clients to describe their vision can be harder than you think. If your client isn't "buzzing" with ideas, you might want to reconsider signing on.

In this scenario, I volunteered to assist a non-profit foundation board I was familiar with in designing and implementing their first web site. The board consisted of 14 members, a fairly large number of people to work with. There are a couple of things to remember when you're considering a client with so many voices. First, ask yourself if you're comfortable working with so many ideas, concerns, and opinions. And secondly, even if the answer to the first question is yes, understand that you will never make everyone happy.

To get the necessary feedback and buzz from board members, I presented a list of questions they needed to answer regarding the purpose of the web site, content, and design. They included the following, many of which you probably use:

• Who is your target audience and what is the message you want to get across?

• How familiar is your audience with the Internet?

• What overall look and tone should the site have - formal, casual, contemporary, business professional, humorous, light, etc.

• What color scheme do you want the web site to have?

• What type of banner design or logo should the site have?

• What sections should the web site have and how will they be organized?

• How will movement be incorporated into the site?

• What pictures are being provided and who will provide them?

• What text is being provided for each section and who will write it?

• Completion deadline.

• How often will the web site be updated?

I sent all 14 board members these questions including examples to help them get started and then I waited. And waited. There was no buzz about the web site and I was starting to get concerned. The board didn't have a deadline but I did, so I contacted them a second time. Out of 14 people I got two responses for color schemes and navigation buttons. This was not enough information to build a site, so I took photographs of the museum we were highlighting. Concerned about the lack of input, I contacted several board members and the response was the same, "We trust you to build the best site you can." Here's another tip: When a client tells you they have complete faith and trust in your abilities, do not believe it for a second. It's nearly impossible to design a site without knowing specifically what the client wants. You're designing blind and most clients won't be shy about telling you what they dislike.

A popular approach to developing initial plans in web design is to start with a flow chart detailing the basic components and functionality, then move up a level to comprehensive storyboards. On this board, members came from across the country for five meetings a year. Unable to present storyboards, I developed three small, but functioning web sites offering three entirely different looks and put them on the Internet. Board members could access these temporary sites, navigate through them, look at the structure, colors, photos, etc. and provide me with feedback. Except that no one did.

For the project I had set aside three months over summer, plenty of time to develop and get a web site up and running. Again, there was no client buzz. Not until the board met in July did I finally hear feedback. Of the three designs, they liked a combination of two. Here I made another critical mistake - I and several other board members understood the combined design was the one and I began building pages. What I should have done - and you should too - is have the board approve the design by signing off. Instead, as I started building the site, three board members met and decided they really didn't like the design after all. Hours of work had just been wiped out. With approval in writing, everyone is more likely to understand the web development stage is underway and there's no turning back, at least not without additional cost to the client.

Three days prior to the deadline, the board president informed me his e-mail was overflowing with complaints and changes from board members regarding the proposed site. Again, had the client had to give their approval in writing, the ensuing delays and redesign could have been eliminated. By the time the web site was completed, over 100 hours had been dedicated to the project and the launch was three weeks late. Had I charged $40.00 per hour, the board would have spent over $3,000 much of it due to their inability to give me what I needed and in a timely manner.

So for every web design project you consider, keep the following points in mind:

• Develop your plan and detailed list of questions for the client. If the client can't provide you with answers, seriously consider having the client put the site on hold until they're more organized, or walk away.

• Get the client to sign off on the design with the understanding that any major changes result in a higher cost to them. Not only is it good business, should the client decide they don't like a design you've implemented, you have a written statement of approval and a means of financial compensation for your work.

• Insist that you have all necessary materials before beginning to construct the site. This saves time for you and money for your client. Not having all the pieces also causes delays.

• Keep the client focused on deadline. This can be difficult, especially when working with a large board or team. Ultimately it's the designer who takes the blame when a site isn't completed on time. Worst case scenario - send the client an invoice for work completed and wait to hear from them.

Web designers don't want to walk off a project, particularly if their main source of income is freelancing. However, if a client isn't buzzing with ideas or feedback, the mere suggestion may be enough to move your client to action. If you choose to stick with a project even when clients aren't upholding their end, it can be a very stressful experience. The positive in this scenario is that it can also provide you with concrete examples of what not to do so you avoid such mistakes on future projects.