How to Communicate Effectively With Your Graphic Designer

“I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”
– Voltaire

This is for all you clients that need a graphic designer to do your work. You  need to learn what to expect from such a professional relationship. You need to meet your graphic designer halfway, and you should listen to his advice because he has way more experience than you in the domain.

I’m here with a short tutorial on how to effectively communicate with your graphic designer – you will save time, money, and the most important aspect of all, you won’t get frustrated, or annoyed. Happy reading!

1. Be clear about what you want

Be clear on what your goals are, on what you expect from the end product. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind, and don’t be afraid to be open to new ideas, new things. Remember that you are seeking a professional’s help, a professional that knows the trade way better than you.

Some things may seem out of the ordinary, or just plain wrong, and when those things come up, you should have a discussion with your designer and let him explain why he is taking that path. Designing isn’t easy, nor it is a mystery, but for the untrained eye it may appear confusing.

2. Be clear about what you don’t want

When you first talk to your graphic designer on what you want from the project, you should also make it specifically clear what you don’t want to be present. And have a discussion with him based on your arguments of why you don’t want those particular things.

This will ensure that your message has been clearly sent, and your designer will know what to stay away from.

3. Make yourself available

Keep in mind that your designer has a job, as you do, and you are not his only client. Keep appointments, and try not to be late. Be on time for Skype calls, or answer your phone. You may, unknowingly, delay your project if you don’t answer.

And don’t forget to provide regular feedback, when it is asked, and when you think it may count. It can alleviate further stress and frustration, in the long run.

4. Pay proper money

Don’t forget that if you want quality, you need to pay up big bucks. Don’t delay your payments. Your graphic designer has taxes, bills to pay  and probably mouths to feed. Don’t take out the humanity out of your graphic designer, just because you have only Skype calls with him – he has problems like you do.

And one of the most important things not to forget is that if graphic designing was easy, we would all be creative professionals, but it clearly isn’t. Pay the rate accordingly, pay your graphic design his designated overtime work. He deserves it!

5. Be open minded

Don’t forget that the sky is the limit, and you should be open minded to new ideas, new perspective, and new designs. Take surrealism, for example, everyone thought of it to be a fad, something that will disappear in a couple of years, that it will not stand the test of time.

6. Be aware of time zones

Remember that you are hiring a graphic designer that can be working from another continent. You need to take this in mind when you try to call him, or you get frustrated that he didn’t answer to your mail in an hour – he may be sleeping, he may be on his lunch break.

Be considerate of those who work for you, for a better end product.

7. Use examples

Take this, for instance. I want my new website to portray the joy, the happiness of innocence. I can’t clearly express what I want in words, so I send my graphic designer this picture of a dog eating a cheeseburger.

Don’t use just words to tell your graphic designer what you want. Give him references to web sites, pictures, movies, cities, anything that will count.

This was my advice on how to effectively communicate with your graphic designer. If you follow every step that I listed here, you should have no problems working together.

If you have anything to add, a tip that I didn’t think of, a better way to communicate together, please feel free to post in the comments section below. I’d love to hear from you!