A good website or logo can mean the difference between success and failure in today’s competitive market. Chances are you’ve retained a website or graphic design specialist to handle these tasks. So, you will find there are times when your vision and your designer’s vision don’t seem to line up well. Here are some simple tips to help you maintain a better relationship with your designer and ensure great results.
1. Be Descriptive
It should go without saying that your specialist may be a wizard with computers, but that doesn’t let them see into your mind. For this reason, it’s important to give them a good starting image of what you want. There are a few ways you can do this:
- Show them a website with a similar design to what you want. Tell them what you like and don’t like about it.
- Make a rough sketch of the page layout or image you want so they can then create an initial mock-up without guessing.
- Let them know a bit about your company, product, any campaigns, and the target customer base. By doing this, they are better able to create pages and graphics that best reflect your business.
- Make sure to let them know of anything you wish for them to avoid, and not just things they should focus on.
2. Work as a Team
Your website or graphic designer may be an employee, but it may be better to think of them as a partner. When working abroad, your translator handles turning your words into something the listener can comprehend. Likewise, it is the designer’s job to translate your concepts into a visual format the customer will be able to relate to.
Take some time to pick their brains. Their expertise may help you to spot potential flaws in your concept, as well as inspire new ideas. By letting your passion show as you discuss the project, web and graphic designers are able to translate those feelings into their visual medium.
Also, be sure to provide some means for good communication, whether by phone, email, or some other means. The easier it is to get in touch, the more likely it is that you will both be happy with the final product.
3. Don’t Micromanage
There is a huge difference between being descriptive and standing over your designer’s shoulder. No professional wants to feel as though they are back in school. Make sure all your feedback is constructive and has something positive mixed in with the critique. Also, be sure to give them some leeway for the best effect.
If you are providing your designer with a list of things to focus on and avoid early on in a project, then the phrase “this is all wrong” should never have to enter your conversations. That’s not to say your designer is going to get the product perfect on their first try every time. Yet, it will save a lot of revisions and potential conflict if you get them all the details before they begin and not after.
Sometimes it may seem problematic when a designer can’t seem to take the image in your head and put it into visual media. Yet, following these simple tips should make the process better and ensure all parties leave each project satisfied with the results.
