As a business owner, hiring a graphic designer shouldn’t be the last step on your list. It is crucial that you work closely and collaborate with your designer. By doing so, you can strengthen your brand personality and efficiently convey your message to your audience. Here are our 5 tips to better communicate with your designer, and how you can save time and resources for you both!
5 ways to communicate with your graphic designer
Try to learn the language
You can take the initiative and learn the basic vocabulary used in graphic design. This way, you can clearly point out which aspects of the design you want to be changed, or specify your preferences. There are many resources on the internet that can help you out, but ideally, you should have an idea about your color, fonts, images, and overall aesthetic.
Incorporate, don’t copy
Sending the design from other brands you liked can be really helpful, but you shouldn’t ask your graphic designer to copy it. You’ll most likely end up sending revision after revision to your designer, and the design will end up completely different. To avoid frustration and to save more time, you should instead brainstorm with your designer how to incorporate them. Think of ways how you can adapt the preferences of other brands and how it can strengthen your own brand identity and marketing campaigns.
Ask Questions
Never hesitate to ask your graphic designer about their creative process, what elements they have to decide on, what services can they offer you, and what they don’t. Your graphic designer should be willing to answer and explain any queries you might have, and you should trust them in their skill and ability!
Set clear expectations and realistic deadlines
Set a deadline before you begin a project, but also identify some room to give your feedback. For example, as a business owner, you might have a specific idea of what you want your logo to be, and you must communicate this with your graphic designer clearly. You can send them drafts or a sketch if possible, but also allow space for their creative freedom. More importantly, be open to suggestions from your designer. They’ve been in this field of work for a long time and have worked along with other businesses, trust that they know what they’re doing. By mutually listening to each other, you can avoid going back and forth over the drafts, saving you a lot of time and resources.
Send constructive feedback
These images will carry the visual aspect of your brand identity, and it’s very important you get your message across. You should send systemic, frequent, and constructive feedback. Avoid sending feedback on a whim or spontaneously. You can do this by providing a document that contains your feedback for the project. Additionally, you shouldn’t be delaying feedback, that would waste a lot of time that your designer could have used to revise! Make sure you have a clear vision but also trust in the creative input your designer is providing you, that’s what you’re hiring them for, after all!
