Designers are trained to take feedback, but it can still be a stressful experience. If you want to get the most out of your designer, it's important that you provide them with helpful feedback. This means being clear about what you want, giving them enough information and then letting go of any expectations or preconceived notions about how they should create your website or graphic design project. Here are some tips for giving your designer helpful feedback:
Clarify your design needs before the start of a project
Before the start of a project, it's important for you to clarify your design needs with your designer. You should provide an idea of your timeline and budget, explain what you need to be able to do with the design, define your goals, outline your expectations, and give examples of what you want and don't want.
Give feedback in a timely manner.
You're likely to get a much better product if you give feedback early in the process. It's easy to forget things or overlook small details, and it's best to nip these problems in the bud before they can grow into more serious issues later on.
If you notice something that needs fixing after your project is complete, it will be more difficult for your designer to fix because he or she may not have any idea what went wrong. By providing immediate feedback as soon as possible, you'll make sure that your designers understand exactly what improvements need to be made so they can focus on providing solutions instead of spending time trying to figure out where things went wrong.
Ask yourself if you've given them enough information.
Before you jump into a critique of the work, ask yourself if you've given your designer enough information. If you want them to create an image for your website or social media page, but don't have any copy ready to go with it, how can they know what images will fit well with your content? This can be especially difficult if you're trying to get a logo or branding design done: how can they know how many colours would work best for your brand if you haven't told them what colours represent your company's values? It's possible that there aren't enough details about their design for them to make any major changes—and it's also possible that the design isn't representative of what they had in mind because there weren't enough details provided by the client!
Never assume your designer is an expert in your field.
It's easy to assume that a designer is an expert in your field, but that's usually not true. A web or graphic designer is an expert in visual design and communication, but they are not experts in your specific industry.
For example, if you own a restaurant and want to create an online menu, it would be helpful to explain the purpose of the menu and how it fits into the overall marketing plan for your business. In addition to helping them understand how their work fits into your overall business plan, this also allows them to offer suggestions on how best to position yourself online (such as adding reviews from local newspapers).
The best way to get what you want is to provide detailed information about your business, including:
· Who your ideal customer is (ex: young professionals who are looking for a place nearby that serves great food)
· Where do they live? (ex: The area around the college campus)
· What kind of message do you want to convey with your website or project? (ex: Friendly atmosphere without sacrificing quality of service).
Come with questions, not just answers.
When you’re reviewing a design, don't just tell the designer what you think should be changed. Instead, ask questions to clarify your thoughts and understand the rationale behind their decisions. If you have suggestions for improvement, make them—but don't expect all of them to be implemented. You might also want to ask questions about the design process itself, or even get a second opinion from someone else who wasn't involved in the project; this will help you see things from a fresh perspective! If any feedback comes up in conversation that seems like it could improve something on screen (even if not directly tied back into what was being reviewed), be sure that it gets mentioned so that both parties are aware of it.
Talk with them face-to-face whenever possible.
Face-to-face communication is more effective than email or phone. It’s easier to read body language and understand the tone of voice, you can look at a designer’s face and see when they are confused or frustrated, and sometimes some aspects of design are hard to explain over the phone or text, so being able to view it in person and give feedback over certain aspects can help a lot and save time.
Being clear and letting go of expectations can lead to great results with design projects.
To get the best results from your designer, be clear about what you want and don't want. It's important to tell them what the project is, who their client is, how long it must be completed by and any other factors that will affect the design process. If something comes up that they hadn't considered before then they need to know so that they can make changes accordingly.
You also need to be open and willing to ask questions if anything comes up while working together with your web or graphic designer. Some clients may find it hard not knowing what's going on during certain stages in a design project, but this will lead only to frustration for everyone involved (including yourself).
We hope these tips help you communicate more effectively with your designer. Remember that their primary goal is to help you create something great, so focus on giving them the information they need to do that! Contact us for any web or graphic design needs, we're happy to help.
