Clients usually have preferences. You just need to show them the right things to figure them out. A client recently came to me for a landing page revamp. Instead of jumping straight into designing, I showed them some of my previous designs to understand which direction they preferred. I found out they liked gradients, so I prepared a draft that fit their brand. They then clarified that they preferred muted gradients with line-based designs. With that context, I quickly came up with a few hero directions based on their references, and they liked the direction I presented. No need to start over or explore completely different styles. This saved me a lot of time because I understood their preferences before investing too much time in the design. Don't guess what your client wants. Show them the right references, ask the right questions, and narrow down the direction before you start designing. Understanding your client's preferences early can save you hours of unnecessary work.