Working with graphic designers can be great: it’s one of the most flexible forms of collaboration, and the end result is an immensely satisfying representation of your brand. But if you aren’t very experienced working with graphic designers, it can be daunting. Thankfully, it’s rather easy once you know how to approach it:
- Make sure you hire the right person for the job. Graphic design is a surprisingly diverse field, and lots of designers tend to have specializations. If you’re looking for someone to design websites or UI, a typical logo designer might not be the best choice.
- Figure out what you want. This might seem a bit obvious, but it’s important to have a clear idea for the project. During your communications with your designer, you’ll be able to refine your idea, but without any concrete ideas the process will likely take a lot longer.
- Prepare a creative brief, or at least be prepared to fill one out. Creative briefs are the easiest way to convey your needs for the project in clear, concise terms for your graphic designer.
- Have all your necessary resources ready. The more established your brand, the more you’ll need to provide. Logos, style sheets, and sometimes even access to your website are the most common, but your graphic designer will be sure to tell you the specifics.
- Clarify the scope of your project. This includes the amount of work, general timeframe, and (if necessary) pay. However, if you hire a freelancer, you’re more likely to have less control over the latter two.
- Set realistic expectations. It’s never a good idea to expect perfection on the first go. The creative process includes lots of collaboration, and part of that includes reviewing what’s been done so far and improving upon that.
- Don’t be afraid to be honest with your feedback. Holding back won’t help anyone, and the earlier you’re upfront about your opinion, the quicker the project will be complete. The job of a graphic designer is to make the vision in your head a reality, so the more precise you are the quicker it’ll come out.
- Remember to respect the designer’s time. Remember that your project almost certainly isn’t the only one on your designer’s plate, so incredibly tight timelines won’t make you popular. Lots of variants or redesigns can also take up more time, and consequently more money, so keep that in mind as well.
- Treat your designer like a part of your team. A little goes a long way. Not only will you be more likely to form a meaningful connection, you’ll be able to streamline the creative process.
- Keep them in mind for the future. Recommendations are the lifeblood of a graphic designer’s career, and even if you don’t plan on commissioning any graphic design work in the future, giving them a shout-out to professional associates will help tremendously.
Comment (1)
Theo
says January 06, 2021 at 2:14 pm#7 is the best. I’ve perused the logo design subreddit and I was astonished to see how brutally honest and critical people were to fellow designers. This needs to be more commonplace.