Every small business has to work with a graphic designer from time to time to put together marketing materials and if it’s not managed well it can be quite a time-consuming process and – in some cases – unsuccessful.
If you’re just starting up, or you’ve been in business for generations upon generations, a graphic designer can assist you with shaping your company image as well as achieving brand recognition. Through creative ideas, innovation, and effective marketing, working well with a graphic designer can help you take your business to the next level.
Here’s how to get the absolute best out of working with a graphic design and communications firm.
Allow Your Graphic Designer Creative Leeway As Opposed to Forcing Them To Paint By Numbers
You will not get your money’s worth out of your graphic designer if you want them to do precisely what you have in mind, as opposed to letting them add their imagination to the equation, so take a leap of faith and discover what they can come up with. Be open-minded to fresh concepts which offer the possibility of making your message unique as well as memorable.
Be Realistic When Determining Time Frames
Agree with your graphic designer on the timeline for the project. Be clear on when you need things such as the first draft, the final proof as well as the print-ready piece. Appreciate, however, that some things in graphic design can be more time-consuming than you think. (For instance, it only takes you a second to say “clean up that background” however it could take the designer hours to do it depending on the image). Keep in mind that there’s a lot of specialized skill and knowledge that goes into a professionally designed piece.
Be Clear And Have An Idea
The clearer that you are in your vision or goal, the better off you’ll be with the result. This may seem self-explanatory however you’d be surprised how many people will come to a graphic designer with no clue what they are wanting, hoping that the “They’ll know it when they see it” method will work.
This method typically doesn’t work well – particularly if you’re on a budget. If you truly don’t know what you are searching for or what direction is best for your project, make sure to have a conversation to communicate with your designer as many details about your graphic design project as possible. The graphic designer will be able to give you some ideas or a direction to utilize as a starting point. Make sure that you’re both on the same page design-wise before you give the okay for your designer to start on the project.
Know Your Brand Color Codes
You may already have a logo and require some collateral materials for your company. You must know your brand color codes to ensure that the colors utilized across all of your marketing collateral are consistent with your brand if you are having a piece designed for print, web, or – alternatively – another platform.
If you don’t know what your brand color code is, your graphic designer will be able to access a vector image of your company logo and then find the codes in their design program. If you do not have access to brand color codes, your graphic designer can assist you with coming up with colors for your brand that will help keep your brand consistent and would form a part of your brand design guidelines. This color scheme should be utilized across your marketing materials such as a brochure or website design.
Don’t Let Your Emotional Attachment To Existing Marketing Collateral Get The Best Of You
You may feel attached to a specific snapshot that you took on holiday and be convinced that it should be included in a design, however, if the professional photographers tell you the lighting or resolution in the photo make it unusable, believe them – really.
Similarly, although you may have grown attached to a specific font, if your graphic designer says it’s obsolete or has specific connotations you are not aware of (for instance, Comic Sans or London Olympics 2012, or Papyrus) trust in them. Part of a graphic design professional’s job, and one of the reasons you’ve hired them, is to stay current with these trends – whether it’s the latest Pantone color or what’s most likely to engage people on Facebook.
