It is very important to have a good rapport with the graphic designer you are working with, especially since design can be a very personal thing. You may have seen a helpful resource circulating that is titled: “How to Brief Your Graphic Designer”. It gives insight into the initial information to send a designer when starting a new project. Often times designers aren’t provided with clear enough direction, so you can’t just hand them something and expect to see exactly what you want from the first draft without proper communication.
Here are some steps you can take to ensure you keep a good working relationship with a designer and get the final design you want.
Language
Of course you use words to tell a designer your thoughts, but I think it’s worth mentioning that the words you use can dramatically improve or hinder what results you see from a designer. Words like ‘modern’ and ‘different’ and ‘simple’ are often overused and under-descriptive. Rather than saying, “I want it to be simple” tell them “I want to see more white space in this area.” Use compound descriptive words like bold, block fonts or fluid and soft lines to help your designer get a better visual in their head. The more information they get from you, the easier it will be to come to the final product you have in your head.
Visuals
A sure fire way to get results that visually resemble what you have imagined is to find actual visual examples to give to a designer. This can be other designed pieces you have seen or a sketch you made of what you have imagined. This gives a designer a very clear understanding of a layout or arrangement you have pictured in your mind.
Be Kind
Remember when your mom or Thumper from Bambi said “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”? Well you can’t not say anything to your graphic designer if you want a change, so make it constructive. When using negative language like, “I don’t like this” or “I don’t know why this is here” your graphic designer can feel targeted. You know when I said design is very personal? Try to speak in a way that is positive about what you want changed, such as “Can we try moving this here” or “How about changing this color”? It’s really important that you get the final product you’re looking for and if you use constructive criticism not only is it easier to understand, but you’ll also steer clear of offending your designer. If you are unhappy with something or don’t grasp your designers design concept, then try asking, “So can you explain your design process for this to me?”. Once you hear their concept and ideas you may better understand or appreciate it and your designer will appreciate your kinder words.
Step Away
Don’t send edits immediately after first viewing a design draft or revision. Take a good look, make some notes, and then step away. Take a break to do something else and then come back to it later. Seeing something new is not easy for our brains to process all at once, especially if you’re working on a large project. Once you come back to it again, you will notice things you didn’t notice at first. It gives you time to reflect and think of new ideas for a revision. Plus, it’s always great to proof-read content again before okaying a design!
Always Stay Flexible
Of course, you have a vision. And it’s probably awesome. If you don’t, then this part will be much easier. When designing with someone it’s really helpful if you keep your mind open to other ideas. Remember, they are the designer and if you hired them for a project, you probably appreciated their work. They may have a whiz-bang idea for your project, so don’t dismiss giving them any creative freedom if you have a clear vision of what you want.
What If I Don’t Know What I Want?
Sometimes a client won’t know what they want something to look like. As long as you have content (such as text and images), a graphic designer can help you land on a design you will like. Designers like to get some creative freedom when working on a project (that is what they went to school for, remember?). It can be a fun, creative challenge for the designer and take the pressure off you. Don’t be afraid to get their ideas or thoughts on a project. You did hire them for a reason so let them do their stuff!
The main points I’m working to get across are try to be clear, open and positive when working with a designer. Just because a first draft doesn’t come back exactly like you pictured it doesn’t mean you won’t get the end result you want. Creative ideas can be difficult for you to explain and for the designer to understand, but with good dialogue and a little patience you can get a fantastic result!
Sources:
Here’s How to Talk to Graphic Designers, Allison McCartney, September 29, 2014. http://ift.tt/1sA82P2
How to Brief Your Graphic Designer, Longmuir, V., December, 12, 2012 http://ift.tt/1yuaJFa
Visual Design Basics, June 3, 2014. http://ift.tt/1sA835r
How to Speak in a Language Your Graphic Designer Understands
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