By Kenneth Ott
If you're a business owner, it can be difficult to work with designers or creative types. And let's not forget, it can be difficult for the creatives as well. There is often a misunderstanding, a disconnect.
In fact, it is a different way of thinking: right brain vs. left brain. So what can you do to avoid road bumps throughout the design process and end up with the best possible result? Here are a few tips:
1. Realize it's going to take a lot of work.
If you're new to the creative process, you might expect the first design you see to be everything that you imagined and more. Don't.
Design is never a one-draft process. In order to get a great end product, you need feedback, meetings, and revisions. If you plan on having a kickoff meeting, and then sitting back and relaxing, you won't end up with the design of your dreams.
2. Know what you want.
Make sure your goals for this design project and for the creative are well defined. If you don't know what you want (or can't communicate it), you can't very well expect your designer to create it for you, can you? You need to set the strategy and the vision, and be able to define what success means for this project.
3. Set up your creative for success.
In order to set up the creative you're working with for success, you need to provide the full context. It's important that your designer not be taking orders blindly. He should understand the full scope of the project with its purpose and goals, and how it fits into your overall business strategy. Without that knowledge, you're limiting his ability to design the most effective solution.
4. Take responsibility.
If you're having a problem with a creative you're working for, 99.9 percent of the time it's at least partly your fault. So before you lash out, make sure to think about the role you played in the issue. More likely than not, it's the result of a communication problem based on your different ways of thinking.
5. Be specific about timeline and milestones.
Talk about all deliverables and set a clear timeline for each phase, making sure to include space for your requested design changes after each deliverable.
One of the biggest issues we've seen business owners run into with creatives is small design tweaks and changes. Even if all you want to do is try a different font or change a color from red to blue, don't expect your designer to be able to turn it around immediately. Unless they are full-time employees, remember that they have other clients and likely schedule their days around set deadlines, so give them a reasonable amount of time to complete any requested changes.
The key here is not to underestimate the value of your creative's time or set unrealistic expectations.
6. Plan in a buffer.
Even though you've set out a clear timeline, you should still make sure to plan a buffer into your timeline. We tend to underestimate how long things will take. It's just human nature. So build in a buffer to avoid a stressful project crunch at the end.
7. Give clear and specific feedback.
This goes back to knowing what you want. You need to know what you want in order to know when you see it and when you don't. Comments like, “I don't like that,” or “That's not doing anything for me,” are not helpful in reaching your desired goal.
You need to be able to explain what specifically you don't like and, more importantly, why. What do you want the design to accomplish that it is not currently accomplishing? You need to take that time to think through your feedback in detail and to be able to communicate it effectively.
8. Be open to feedback.
The designer is the expert when it comes to design. You hired her, after all, which indicates that you think she has the skills to get the job done. So be open to her expert feedback. This is a partnership, not a dictatorship.
9. Don't be stubborn.
Don't hold on to your ideas too tightly. Be willing to try things. If they work, great! If they don't work, be willing to admit you may have been wrong. Quickly adjust, come up with a new idea (with the help of your designer), and move on. No one is right ALL the time.
10. Understand this is an ongoing process.
Success always takes hard work. There is no one-and-done. There are no shortcuts. Design is a process. Your site and your designs will evolve over time as your company grows and changes, so don't stress too much about minor design decisions. If it's an improvement on what you currently have, ship it and then continue improving it for the next iteration.
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