HOW TO WORK WITH YOUR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

by Alex Mysels (Creative Director and Senior Designer)

If you’re beginning a project with a graphic designer, your goal is most likely to bring your creative vision to life. Likewise, it’s the designer’s job to use their skills to ensure that happens. Seems simple right? Not always. In this blog we will discuss how to effectively work with your graphic designer so you both can achieve the best possible result.

The Importance of Design

It’s important to understand the role and value of good design in the success of your product or business. Thoughtful design can enhance the success of your marketing. It has the ability to convey a message of who your company is. It’s a potential first impression that can either instill trust between your brand and the target market, or trigger red flags.

Provide Examples

Be sure to give examples of what styles you like (and dislike) to save time and effort. Your examples can be anything. Even if it seems unrelated to the work they are doing for you, it helps them better understand your vision. If your graphic designer knows your preferred aesthetic before getting into the process of creating work, it’s much more likely that the entire process will take less back and forth – saving you time and money.

That being said, don’t make your proactivity set you up for unrealistic expectations of perfection on the first draft. Your feedback is integral in the design process, so get involved (but try not to micromanage).

Feedback

Make sure that your feedback is specific. There is an inside joke in the design community about clients asking designers to make their design “POP!”

Do not fall into this stereotype, give valuable and specific feedback. Instead of saying “make it pop”, try saying that you would prefer brighter colors. Instead of saying that you don’t like the design, mention specific pieces that you dislike, such as the fonts or the images. This gives designers the knowledge they need to hit it out of the park!

Trust Your Graphic Designer

There are designers at every level of skill, but attempting to art direct the process too much can cause some to become disillusioned with the project. If you find yourself questioning a decision your graphic designer has made, ask what their rationale is. More often than not, the thought process behind the creative will surprise you! Be engaged and willing to learn, but trust that they are giving you something valuable.

Finishing Up

Design is never done, but know when to call it a day. If you are a perfectionist this can be particularly difficult, but try to look at the work from the perspective of the public. Depending on the type of project (brochures, websites, logos, etc), limiting excessive revisions is important. The best part about websites is that you can continue to adjust and add content long after it’s live. It’s much better to not hold up the launch of your site for minor tweaks. Your logo and branding however, is much more important to get as close to your vision as possible before launch. Once a logo is finalized, stick with it – it’s important not to be fickle with your brand.

Suggested Read: Designing a Successful Logo

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