A graphic designer’s goal is to provide clients with marketing that materials that get results while working within budget and deadline. To do this, graphic designers need as much familiarity as possible with their clients’ goals and expectations, obtained through a graphic design brief or consultation. Good communication from the outset with these six steps will save time and re-design costs, allowing your designer to provide you the best value-for-money.
1. Supply a Business Profile
For a graphic designer to understand your business, it helps if they know your company’s history and goals. While a designer can research your company, it’s better to receive the information from you up-front so that there will be no misunderstandings with regard to the way you prefer your company to be perceived. Don’t be shy! Openness and clarity will quicken the process. Don’t assume your designer will know everything about your business. That extra snippet of information might be the piece that makes it all fit together in your designer’s mind.
2. Provide Marketing Background
This may include your company’s current industry position and examples of previous marketing materials, as well as examples of competitors you admire – and those that you don’t. It’s helpful if you provide information on what you do or do not like about previous marketing efforts, and be as specific as possible.
Aside from your personal preference, talk to your designer about what worked in the past – and what didn’t. If a particular offer did really well, run it again. Keep running it until it stops working. Sure, you might want to update pricing or product information – but if you’ve stumbled across a winning formula keep using it until it stops performing for you.
3. Start With The End In Mind
Whether it’s announcing a new product or service, or convincing former customers to give you another try, it’s critical that your graphic designer is aware of what you hope to achieve from your project. Also include project goals and your target audience, outlining and key points which need to be included in the design.
4. Let Your Designer Know What Not To Do
It’s equally important to provide your graphic designer with information on what you don’t want to do. If certain colors would be unacceptable, particular imagery is over-used in your market, or there’s anything else you don’t want to see, let your designer know!
5. Provide A Budget
It can be a sensitive subject, but it is important to discuss your budget. Your designer can guide you through what options are available and set realistic expectations. You will both be disappointed if no budget is set and it turns out that you aren’t able to afford the options that you’d hoped for.
6. Discuss Schedule And Deadlines
Most design projects will have four stages: research, concept design, production, and delivery. With this in mind, provide your designer with a schedule including all deadlines, and ensure the deadlines provided can be met.