Choosing a designer can be hard work. You want to be able to trust a designer and know that they have the capabilities to execute your visions and ideas. Everyone has experienced the feeling, where you work so hard putting all of your ideas together, present them to a designer, and then end up feeling disappointed and underwhelmed when the first draft arrives. It’s not the right feel, the focus isn’t clear, or maybe it just isn’t aesthetically pleasing. No matter what the issue - you instantly feel a wave of regret. How can you turn this into a positive experience? How can you steer your designer in the right direction without offending them in their area of expertise? Keep reading and you’ll find out!
First things first... do not immediately call your designer and attack them with your dissatisfaction. If you lead a conversation with emotion, it is bound to offend them and lead to a future strained relationship. Take a moment and collect your thoughts and be prepared to go to the designer with a clear head. Everyone has heard the term, “constructive criticism.” Keep this in mind as you present your feedback to your designer. Instead of completely trashing the whole design, try and find individual aspects that you would improve and remember to point out areas of the draft that you do like. It’s important to keep in mind that your designer has put a lot of time and brain power into coming up with a concept and if you stick to “constructive criticism” they are less likely to feel insulted and more excited to keep moving forward.
For the people that need to hear this... designers are NOT mind readers. There is nothing more frustrating than vague criticism. Take moment and really look at the design you have in front of you. Is it the color palette that bothers you? Is the design too cluttered or too minimal? Are the fonts taking away from the message you are trying to send? Try your very best to break down your thoughts into very technical feelings. If you can give your designer direct and concise feedback, you are more than likely going to get the results you are looking for.
This might seem a little counterintuitive to the advice we previously shared, but as you are instructing your designer throughout the process, don’t forget to let them design! This is their passion, and odds are, they have some creative ideas of their own for your business. If you control every last pixel, your end result is probably going to look a little uninspired. It’s totally okay to have a vision for your brand, but don’t let pride get in the way of an awesome design! Sometimes a designer’s vision might turn out even better than the one you had in mind. Do your best to be open to the creative process!
Here at The Burnette Agency we handle branding, logo development, marketing, graphic design and more. If you are interested in finding out more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out! We’d love to hear from you! You can reach The Burnette Agency by email at info@theburnetteagency.com or give us a call at 404-850-2081.
