As a business owner, you have or will have noticed you end up working with a ton of different professionals you never thought you would interact with on a normal basis. Whether it’s getting to know another business by working for a client skilled in another area or hiring someone to help you dial in on a part of your brand, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the best ways of working and communicating effectively.
If you’ve decided to invest in yourself through any number of ways — a new website, logo refresh, branding overhaul — you’ll want to know what it’s like working with a graphic designer. We’re here to help! In this blog post, we’ll cover the do’s and don’ts that allow your designer to quickly and efficiently. Let’s get into it!
communicate, communicate, COMMUNICATE!
The first, and quite honestly the most important, tip we can provide is to hone in on your communication skills upon hiring a designer for a project. Whether it’s a team signed on or an individual, they’re going to set clear expectations on what they will need from you and your business to make the perfect product. I can promise that those in my field do not want to give you anything less than 100% as a finished product, so we want to drive home just how important it is to keep you involved in the process.
One of the biggest roadblocks we come across is getting to a point in a project, asking our client for input or answers… only to play the waiting game for two weeks to hear back. Designers get it: we all lead busy lives, juggling multiple balls and wearing one-too-many hats to keep our business going. It’s hard to prioritize! But if you want your website launched or your new logo available to show off, your designer is going to need quick and timely responses to ensure they can keep the workflow flowin’.
What’s really important to avoid is committing to a project and going completely radio silent for weeks or months on end. Life is a roller coaster and things certainly happen, but designers do not enjoy taking your money without a job and a finished product. A potential consequence is your project being pushed down the pipeline by the time you come back.
Remember: designers have to work to keep their lights on as well, and other assignments will take precedence to ensure that! Without proper communication, we cannot immediately leap back into your projects unless a rush fee is included and trust us: we hate putting rush fees on things like this.
e-mail is your (and your designer’s) bestie
Depending on the type of person you are, you may prefer face-to-face, Zoom or even phone call meetings over corresponding through emails. Understandable! Emails can feel generic or stiff, but it’s often unstated how important it is to use them.
This goes double for when you begin working alongside a designer on an aspect of your business. Accountability is something we can all use, and emails allow for a paper trail that both sides can reference for multiple reasons. As a business owner trusting another professional, you will want to be able to refer to when you submitted the feedback your designer was asking for or confirming prices for particular services.
Additionally, it allows you both to set boundaries. We want to ensure there are no 11PM text messages on either side so you can enjoy your evening after work or before bed or phone calls going over long details that we may not be able to write down or remember.
For us designers, we like to establish a timeline with very few holes in it if possible. As mentioned before, when projects fall on the wayside because of emergencies or just from simply forgetting, both sides can enjoy peace of mind by relying on receipts of what was last sent.
the triple r’s: read, review, and respect
No one likes paying for a service only to be told they have homework to do it. It sucks, but it’s also a huge part of making sure you get something that was worth every dollar you spent. In order for that to happen, your designer is going to proooobably load you with a ton of information throughout a project. Designers are often very informative people, so not only will they give you ETA’s and details on what they’ll be doing for you, they will be specific on what they will need as well.
Reading everything your designer sends is paramount to unnecessary delays and confusion. If they provide a list of questions, ensure you try your best to answer them in detail! If they ask for you to send files (photos of your business, staff etc.) in a specific format, PLEASE make sure to send it in said format. If there’s a specific deadline created for your project (i.e. website launch), make sure to respect the importance it has for YOU!
A designer becomes your ally and we want to see you succeed, but we must be able to communicate effectively within the scope of work as well as tend to your individual needs as a client.
Designers will usually be sending several proofs of projects throughout the process for you to review as well. It cannot be understated how badly they will need your feedback. Honest feedback, too! It’s perfectly reasonable to not know how to put into words how you feel about something, so just be sure to communicate with your professional so that they can offer advice or alternatives that might resolve any issues.
hire someone you can trust the knowledge of
There are plenty of fish in the big sea that is known as design. You will find a variety of designers with unique skill sets, and knowledge in particular areas of design will vary considerably. You will ultimately want to hire someone that has proven they’re proficient at what they do. And when you do? Give yourself (and your designer) the peace of mind in trusting said knowledge and experience.
There’s a reason this is what they do, and there is a reason you’re paying what you’re paying for them to do it. Doubting their prowess, second-guessing their reasoning for why they did X, Y or Z — it doesn’t add to the quality of your finished product.
As we said, feedback is utterly important, but when your designer tells you that certain colors won’t work together, please believe they aren’t saying that to undermine you. Designers want to create something that is in your vision, and they can and WILL do that for you should you give them the chance. There are skills that designers have developed through experience and education that allow them to make your vision a beautiful one and one that helps you stay competitive while branding yourself efficiently.
Just be honest, patient and thoughtful and they’re going to get you to the finish line no problemo.
did you know that I’M a designer?
Juuuust kidding. I had to figure out how to segue into the part where I remind you I’d love to be YOUR designer is all. To say I love to design is an understatement. I love to work with people who love their brand and story more than anything. If you’re in the market of looking for someone to create on your behalf, my team and I are here to ensure we provide you everything you dreamed of and more.
Contact us today if you have any questions, or schedule an appointment so I can learn more about you if you’re interested! If you take all of the advice from this article into consideration, I can promise you we will have a perfect relationship.
