Need graphic design services? Finding and hiring an excellent and efficient graphic designer is only half the battle. The other half involves making sure you’ve got a clear, concise graphic design brief on your hands. Articulation isn’t the issue. Clarity is. Don’t have the first clue on how to pull that off? Here are some handy tips from Davidairey.com, Justcreative.com and Snap.com to get you sorted out.
Be as detailed as possible
Make sure to provide the designer with every bit of available information that’s pertinent to the project. Format specifications already covered? Were all the submission guidelines included? Any other special instructions you might have forgotten to note down? Check all that and try to be as thorough and detailed as possible in the brief. This will give the designer the background s/he needs to come up with a design that’s spot-on for you and your business. Don’t skimp on any of the details. There’s really no telling what details can spark the imagination of an artist. Just have the necessary information ready and let the designer pick and choose which details to toss aside and use.
Still need help? Make sure your brief covers the following information: the goal of the design project, your company history, your target market, images you need and the kind of emotion you want the audience to feel. Also, if you’ve already got a site or layout in mind and you want a design that’s loosely-based on that, include that information in there too.
Talk to the designers
In the past, you had to have no less than $5000 to get a graphic designer to come up with a custom logo or promotional visuals for your business. With crowdsourcing platforms like Designhill though, you now have access to a huge talent pool all over the world. A network filled with freelance designers, most of them just starting out, it’s the perfect place for you to get your custom logo at bargain rates. It’s no surprise that plenty are choosing graphic design by Designhill professionals. To make sure the work goes smooth, talk to the designer about the project and your instructions in better and greater detail. Don’t just rely on the brief. Talking about the project helps designers pen down any other detail that might have been missed or overlooked.
Do the research
While it often goes without saying that designers should do their own research on whatever industry or business the project is related to, you can help speed up the process by providing them with your own research on the matter. This way, they can spend more time working on the design. No need to waste extra hours on research. That also means you can get your designs faster. That’s an added plus point for the quick turn-around schedule. However, if you don’t have time to put the research together, make sure to note that down in the brief so the designers can take care of it on their end. Include a few tips to help point them in the right direction. That won’t take more than a few minutes off your schedule so there’s no reason not to do it, even if you’re in a rush or in the middle of beating down a deadline. A little mindfulness now can save you and the designers a lot of trouble later on.
Know your business model
Hiring the best graphic design professionals out there won’t mean a thing if you don’t have a feasible and viable business model in place. Before you invest in building your brand and in brand tools like custom logos, menus or illustrations, make sure you’ve got a realistic business model on your side. That way, every bit of work you and the designer is doing will all be worth it.
Be upfront about the budget
Aside from the deadline, one other important information your brief should cover is the budget. Be honest about it. Only promise the amount you intend to pay for, nothing more and nothing less. If you find yourself happy with the work, even before a few tweaks and revisions has been done, why not consider giving out a small bonus? This will help you get better and faster results. After all, nothing motivates great output in people more than knowing that someone appreciates the work they’ve done.
Don’t try to outdesign the designer
The creative brief basically gives the designer an idea of what you want and need. Of course, being able to draft a creative brief doesn’t mean you’ve got the skills, training, experience and industry knowledge it takes to create a design. Let the designer come up with suggestions. While your opinion matters, listening to a designer explain why this design or that layout simply won’t work is wise. Be willing to modify or adjust your expectations. Don’t start thinking you know better. Things will work out fine in your favor if you don’t railroad the designer in going along with your wishes.