7 Tips for Effectively Communicating With Your Graphic Designer.

Successful creative projects require a considerable amount of focus and perseverance. It is essential to make sure that the graphic designers you collaborate with, whether they are independent contractors, smaller specialized firms, or large corporations, understand your organization's goals, intended audience, and project requirements. Below are seven tips to help you better collaborate with your graphic designers.

1. Know the answers

Any good designer will what to know your business goals and target audience. To save time know the answers to these questions before approaching your new design partners:

What’s your brand’s target audience?

What’s your brand’s message?

What are your project goals?

Who’s your competition?

How will this project be used and published/distributed?

2. Be detailed

By providing as much information as possible you can save time and extra costs spent on design revisions. Information such as company brand style guidelines, explaining your expectations, and your overall marketing strategy. All graphic design projects are part of a bigger marketing strategy, any designer you hire should know and be familiar with that marketing strategy.

3.  Provide examples

Regardless of the design project, it is always useful to provide examples. Providing examples will give your graphic designer a feel, not only of design but also of the quality of work that is expected.

4. Agree on a deadline

For a project to run smoothly a realistic schedule must be outlined and agreed upon.

Ensure that your schedule is as detailed as possible, including such items as design draft dates, approval dates, responsibilities, and target completion dates. Good scheduling and execution will help minimize frustration as the project moves along.

5. Be there to answer questions

Receiving questions from your designer is a positive sign. It indicates that they are actively involved in the project and working to solve any issues that arise. Your resposibility is to promptly provide accurate responses to their inquiries.

6. Be flexible

Micromanagement can stifle creativity and productivity. If you’ve hired professional graphic designers you should trust them. Hopefully, the design team you hired has been working for years in the field, making them more experienced than you. Allowing for flexibility and trust in the people you hire, shows respect and encourages creativity.

7. Organize your thoughts and edits

Concise, well-thought-out edits and comments can save hours of editing and money spent. If you’re reviewing a design, write down all the edits that you would like the designer to address, and explain why – in one document. There’s nothing more frustrating, for you, or your graphic designer than coming back to the same edits again and again. Communicating your edits with as much detail as possible helps your graphic designer to understand the purpose behind the changes.

Entrusting someone with your brand and marketing materials can be daunting. However, by following these steps and establishing a positive working relationship with a designer you trust, your next marketing project is sure to be a success.