Three Keys to Getting the Graphics You Want

Like any relationship, the one between you and your graphic designer, as it turns out, is a two-way street. Not every partner is a great one to have a relationship with. That’s true in choosing a dry cleaner, a doctor, a spouse and, yes, a graphic designer. But as relationship coaches have been telling us for decades, “You teach people how to treat you.” This is where it gets a little different from a personal relationship in that, unlike every date, it’s fairly safe to assume that every competent graphic designer wants to be your partner and wants to give you exactly what you want. And pretty much every experienced, competent graphic designer can tell you that sometimes, finding out exactly what the client wants can be worse than pulling teeth.

The situation, when it goes badly, usually plays out like this: You have a new business, a new product, or a new idea to sell. You need a package that will help you do it. So you go to a designer and explain your business, product, or idea. And then the designer asks the critical question, “Do you have any ideas in mind?” And like a deer in the headlights, the client too often freezes and says, “No. Whatever you think.” Well, poppycock. Of course you have ideas. You’re a creative, dynamic person who’s chock full of ideas. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have a great new business, product or idea to sell in the first place.

Here are three simple ways you can help ensure that what your graphic designer comes up with will be perfect for you:

Know What You Like
A trick that hair dressers use is keeping stacks of magazines filled with hairstyles in the shop. This makes it easy for the client to find something that they like as a starting point. The client’s hair may not be suited to the chosen style, but at least the stylist knows what the client would like to look like, in general terms. You can do the same with your graphic designer. If you can show a few items, logos, or designs that you like, and maybe some that you actively dislike, and share them with your graphic designer, then your graphic designer will at least have a general guide for the styles that do and don’t suit your tastes.

Know What You Are
The hardest part of the design process is something that you’ve probably already accomplished, either formally or informally. That’s branding. The key to branding is not the images and colors that come to represent the brand, but the ideas that the brand represents. When you’re able to articulate the philosophy of your brand well, it will not only save you money by making the graphic design process much smoother and faster, it will also come to drive every decision you make in your business. That consistency of philosophy is one of the things that makes successful companies successful.

Know What You Think (And Say So!)
If you’re not in love with a design, there’s nothing wrong with you. There’s probably not anything wrong with the design, either. What’s guaranteed to make your graphic designer crazy if you give initial approval to a design, after which the designer begins working on the deeper aspects of the design, perhaps developing a scalable vector version for you… only to learn later that you don’t really like this design. When the design that’s right for your brand shows up, you’ll know.

The graphic designers at VisualArtistics are experienced professionals who can help guide you through the process of developing a graphic design that will represent you, your brand, and your own personal style. Contact them today for a consultation.