Collaboration is necessary when a marketing project requires design. Very rarely will you give a designer instruction once and have them come back with the perfect infographic, sell-sheet, ad, webpage or logo. This is not a reflection of the designer’s capabilities; it’s simply part of the process. Like the rest of us, designers can’t read minds, so it takes teamwork to get the job done. This means everyone on the internal project team needs to be on the same page.
Step one of every design project should be a thorough understanding of the goals, purpose and how the material is going to be used. The more information that is shared up front, the better the outcome.
If you aren’t experienced in working with designers, giving good feedback is critical. There are effective ways to do this in order to avoid endless revisions and miscommunication.
Be clear, specific and descriptive when giving feedback and think twice before you feel the urge to ask these four types of questions:
“Can you jazz it up?”
This critique is one of the first things that designers typically hear along with, “can you make this pop?” or “can you make this look pretty?” What pops or is pretty is a subjective determination. Your pretty may not be someone else’s. Be detailed. If you think a piece of material is dull, instead of asking to “jazz” it up, tell the designer exactly what it is about the visuals that aren’t working and describe what you’re envisioning.
“I’m not feeling this. Can we try something else?”
This is another example of providing feedback that is much too vague. Be clear as to why you aren’t happy with the result and explain what you hope to see instead. You might decide the placement of the visuals needs to be centered or the background imagery should take on a new theme. Either way, specifics are appreciated and will prevent a never-ending back and forth session.
“I like purple, can we use that color?”
Before you start pushing your favorite colors, remember to stay focused on the project’s goal—not what color looks best with your skin tone. It’s easy to fall into the color trap and designers tend to know if you are being subjective. The colors were chosen because they are on brand, attractive to your target audience and have a certain meaning that correlates with the desired outcome. If you do want to swap out colors, make sure it’s for one of those reasons.
“You’re just changing one thing; it should take 10 minutes, right?”
What may seem like a quick edit may end up costing the designer extra hours of work. Never assume anything will take 10 minutes unless the designer specifies that it is in fact an easy fix. Keep this in mind if the deadline is looming.
Stick to these guidelines and the relationship with your designer will remain harmonious and projects will continue to run smoothly.
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