Working with a graphic designer, freelance or agency, should be a pleasurable experience for both parties that ends in a finished product that both can be happy with and proud of. We’ll walk through some general tips here but the overall point that we will keep coming back to is that the key is to be very specific in the process.
1. Colors
A good place to start will be what are the colors you want for your design? Now, most people are able to tell their designer what colors they want but the key again is to be specific. For you, this means don’t just tell your designer you want red and blue in design (because there are literally more than 50 shades of red), show him/her/them what you are looking for. A great reference site is HTML Color Codes where you can easily browse through all the colors and pick the right one for your brand. This will allow you to give your designer the exact colors you want in your design. See, specific.
2. References
Have some images of things you want in the logo. Let’s use an example here and say you want an eagle as a part of your design. If you Google “eagle” you will see a wide range of pictures, types, and drawings. Take some time and select a few pictures that are representative of what you are looking for in your design. This will save a lot of back and forth and a lot of time and help you get what you are looking for.
Like in the AltraNutri project where the client showed me the style of the food pyramid that they liked. It was very helpful in the design process and saved us a lot of time.
3. Design Style
Design styles can vary vastly from artist to artist. Another best practice here is to take some time and find some styles that would work best for the end result you are looking for. Once you’ve selected some make sure to send these over to your designer.
4. Always communicate
Clients always ask me: “What is the best way to make sure this runs smoothly?” And I always have the same answer: “Communicate.”. Like every relationship, the partnership between you and your designer can only work when you both have an exchange of ideas and information, it will help your designer understand your needs better and likewise, you’ll understand better the design decisions that were made.
5. We are not magicians or mind readers.
This is no magic trick experience where you just wish the design into existence. Graphic designers are very talented people, but they are not to be confused with mind readers. That is to say that while they have the skill to take your idea and materialize it, they cannot do it without clear and helpful direction from you.
The goal here is to streamline the process and make it more efficient for both parties. Your designer is interested in getting you the design of your dreams but using guesswork to get there is far from the best method. For both parties involved, having a clear strategy and design style will make this process much easier and happier for all.
