People sometimes congratulate me on producing great brochures or newsletters (print or e-) even though they clearly have not read them. I give credit where it’s due: The designer did great work. My contribution (besides writing outstanding copy) is knowing how to get good work out of good designers.
It’s simple, really. I treat designers as trusted collaborators. I respect their expertise and rely on their professional judgment.
Duh.
We pay designers good money to produce good design because we cannot do it ourselves. Yet time and again I’ve seen clients tell designers precisely what to change in preliminary design concepts. “Can you make the logo bigger?” – or the picture smaller, the color brighter, the type fancier, whatever.
The designer typically sighs inwardly and does what the client asks. But what could have developed into a great design is now doomed to mediocrity. You don’t get great design by taking over the designer’s job.
Here are 7 steps to getting great work out of a good designer.
1. Find the right designer.
The person who designed your website may not be as skilled with print pieces. The designer who can make a fabulously artistic event poster may be nearly hopeless with a text-heavy piece that requires advanced typography.
Choose the right person for the job. By all means talk to the designer who made that spectacular website or product catalog. In addition, ask organizations that do similar kinds of materials for their recommendations.
When you contact the designer, ask to see samples of the kind of piece you need. If this designer doesn’t have them or they’re not up to your standards, look elsewhere.
Also ask how the designer typically works with clients. At this point, you may ask for a range of prices for this kind of work, but don’t try to nail down the fee until you get through step 3.
2. Tell the designer what you want to accomplish.
What are your goals? Who are the audiences? What purpose do you want this piece to accomplish? What image do you want to project?
(If you hired me to manage content, we’ve already had this conversation, and I’ll be able to quickly pass along these vital facts.)
If you can convey what you want to accomplish, you don’t need to give specific direction. Rather than saying, “Use green to show we’re growing,” say, “We want to show that we are growing and thriving.” Green isn’t the only design element that can suggest growth.
You may want to give the designer samples of pieces that you think accomplish similar purposes. If you do, be sure to point out what you like about them, being as specific as you can.
3. Listen and look.
Most designers will be visualizing as you are describing. When you’ve said what you’re after, ask an open-ended question: “What do you think?” or “What’s this looking like to you?”
The designer may begin to describe design concepts. He’ll probably start drawing. Let him finish before you tell him what you like or don’t like about his ideas.
Now you’ve got a dialogue going. Keep it up, and you and the designer will be on the same page by the end of the meeting.
4. Provide positive feedback.
“This is completely unacceptable.” Yes, I’ve heard those exact words, as well as “terrible” and “incompetent,” applied to preliminary designs.
Demoralized designers don’t do their best work. When you give feedback, start by citing everything you like about the piece. Then and only then may you talk about what needs improvement.
5. Provide big-picture feedback.
To stop yourself from taking over the designer’s job, talk about the forest rather than the trees. What is the overall effect of this piece?
Wherever possible, go back to your original instructions: You asked for “growth,” but this design looks static. You asked for “bold,” but maybe you didn’t mean quite this bold. Try to avoid expressing personal preferences.
Designers get caught up in their own work like the rest of us. They may not see that, for instance, the colors are reminiscent of Howard Johnson’s. It’s OK to say so as long as you do it with a smile.
6. Limit do-overs.
Sometimes you don’t know what you don’t want until you see it. That said, try to limit the number of times you make the designer take out something you had him put in the previous time.
It may be appropriate to nail down the design and only then correct text and other details. When you get to that second stage, though, deal with all the details at once. Don’t put yourself in the position of having to ask for text changes on the day the piece is supposed to go online or to the printer.
7. Say “thanks.”
If you’ve followed these steps, you’ve gotten great work out of a good designer. Be sure to tell her how outstanding her design is. Double points for offering congratulations in front of a group or in an email to the whole team.