How to evaluate design concepts
So you just received a design concept from your designer for that new marketing initiative. As the client, business owner or marketing director you get pitched ideas, designs and proposals and it’s your job to look and listen and evaluate. Is this design workable? What’s good or bad about it? Should we go ahead?
Your emotional response to a design is always going to play a role in how you evaluate design work. Some may argue that design is always a subjective process. This is true if we design for the sake of designing with no particular purpose in mind.
However, when it comes to marketing, we have goals. The most important goal being how does this design help grow our business. From there, we can evaluate the design using an objective evaluation. Let’s get started.
Work with the right people
First things first, higher a designer with experience and someone you trust, and build a relationship with your design team.
How to evaluate
The only way to give any design proposal consideration is through proper evaluation. Ask yourself, and your designer these three questions.
Does it achieve the outlined goal?
Is the information clear?
Is it presented/designed in an interesting manner?
These are the questions we ask ourselves as designers, and they are questions you should be asking as the client.
Does it achieve the goal?
At the beginning of any project, you and your design team must establish the objectives of the project as clearly as possible. What are the needs, and who is this for? These goals must be clearly defined before design work can proceed. Any viable design solution must pass this first key test.
Is the Information Clear?
Is the message coming through? Is the hierarchy of information in the right order? Go back to your goal. Make sure your fundamental message resonates. If it doesn’t pass this second test, whatever you’re designing will be ineffective.
Is it interesting?
Does it prompt you to think? In the field of design, marketing, and advertising, we’re challenged to get our audience to think. To cut through the noise and grab attention, and to get our audiences to act. Question whether the creative truly accomplishes this objective. In doing so, you will ensure that the design not only captivates visually but also gets your audience to consider the message.
The next time you find yourself in a situation where you are presented with initial concepts for a new marketing project, it is important to pause and reflect on the direction and potential of the design. By asking yourself these three fundamental questions, you can effectively evaluate and dissect the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed design concept. This crucial step serves as the foundation to understanding the overall effectiveness of the visual communication, and it acts as a valuable starting point for the design refinement process. Only by critically examining these fundamental aspects can you truly determine whether the design falls short or meets the desired objectives of the project.