FAQ: What do I need to know about working with a graphic or Web designer?
ANSWER:
I get this question a lot. There are a lot of things that graphic and Web designers wish they could tell business owners, but they don’t. Instead we complain to each other about how this client totally doesn’t get it, how that one is a “difficult” client, and how this other client keeps trying to lowball us even though we are already offering them deeply discounted rates. Well this designer, for one, is tired of the confined complaining. And because my dear colleagues often don’t have the confidence (balls) to tell clients how it really is, here I go…
*Know who and what your company stands for. Before you approach a designer, you need to know how you want your brand to be represented and you need to be able to communicate that to your designer. Any good designer will be able to work with you to ensure your brand will be represented graphically to attract this audience.
*Please determine your needs early on and communicate them clearly front. Do you really just need a business card, or do you really need someone to design your logo, business cards, website banner, hang tags and more? The more we know up front, the better.
*Please ask us questions. You don’t need to pretend to know anything about design or how it works (and we prefer that you don’t, see below). Please ask questions throughout the duration of a project so that we can ensure that we are doing the best possible job we can for you.
*We know tricks that can save you time and money.And yes, we DO want to save you time and money!
*Please be upfront if you do not like the way a design is going, or if you have to make changes to a project scope. It’s better to take care of those matters earlier on, and quite frankly, you are not going to hurt our feelings. You are helping us by communicating clearly what specifically you do not like about a design. If the scope of a project needs to change, the earlier you tell us, the better, so that we don’t waste time (and your money) continuing down the wrong or limited path.
*Please don’t insult us This is perhaps the single issue that fires up my fellow designers more than any other. My husband (Web designer) likes to joke, “well the next time I am at the doctor’s, I’ll just tell him I think the operation should only charge this much, and then to save money, I will only have him do part of the operation and I will do the rest myself at home with my ratty old tools.” What he’s saying is that the designer is the expert in his/her field. We do this everyday. We know how long projects will take, we know every single detail that is involved with designing that you couldn’t possibly know, we know how to design more efficiently and more successfully than you would be able to do yourself, and we charge accordingly. To me, hiring a designer is like hiring a good accountant or lawyer: I don’t pretend to know anything about accounting or legal issues, and because those are important areas in my business that can make or break the success of my businesses, I prefer to invest in a GREAT accountant and lawyer. Which brings me to…
*Please don’t devalue the importance of design in the business world.This is another hot topic of discussion among my fellow designers. We are not just making pretty designs to make you happy; what we are doing is giving you the tools to be successful. Without a solid logo, you won’t be as successful as you could be. Without a solid website, you won’t be as successful as you could be. Without well-branded and designed postcards, business cards, event invitations, etc., your business will not be as successful as it could be. Your brand identity is something that stays with your company for years and is used on many levels on an every second basis: it plays a MAJOR role in the success of your business. And that is something that takes time, a whole lot of energy, expertise, and yes, money. Yes, there are “designers” who cheapen the industry by giving away template logos or will design your website for super cheap. What you pay for is what you get, and by devaluing the importance of your brand identity, you are essentially telling the world that your business is not worth it. If you don’t value your business enough, how do you expect others to?
*The faster you respond to our designs, the more we can stay on schedule. A lot of the time involved in design projects is simply the back-and-forth communication between designers and clients. We want to stay on schedule and get your products to you in a timely manner, and this can only happen if you get back to us with any revisions with enough time for us to make those revisions.
Working with a designer is entrusting someone to help you make your business successful. Do get quotes from several designers before starting a project, but when you look at the quotes, make sure you are looking at more than just the numbers: look at who will be able to best represent your business graphically. On behalf of all of my colleagues, let us tell you: your business is worth it, and so is ours.
PS - I can only write this now because I truly LOVE love love all of my current design clients; they are a joy to work with and we’re great partners because we have mutual respect for each other’s businesses. To the designers who have written me “thank you for posting this” emails, don’t just thank me: communicate more with your clients, stand firm in your pricing and policies, stick to your contracts, etc. It IS a two-way street, after all 
