Throughout my adventures of being a designer, I have had to design some logos and materials for myself. This includes my own business and a few subsidiaries, which can be labelled “it’s complicated”, “under construction” and “in progress”. I can therefore speak from experience that giving vital feedback isn’t always that easy. The most important aspect to consider during this process is, how you feel (otherwise known as “your gut”) about your design, regardless of what it is.
Does it make you feel satisfied, content and happy or does it make you uncomfortable and disappointed? Identifying your gut feeling is the first step to giving your designer the feedback he/she needs to bring your project to fruition and sending you home with a million-dollar smile.
If you fall into first category, a.k.a “happy”, great for you! If not, try to answer these questions accurately to resolve the problem:
1. What does my business stand for?
Let’s say you are a young hairdresser who wants to focus on a younger generation clientele: Young usually means modern and modern, in turn, can sometimes mean sloppy, especially to older generations. So, what to do?
Write a list of elements that you take seriously in your craft:
1. Modern
2. Talented
3. Professional
4. Experienced
5. Dedicated
2. Does the design summarize point 1?
Design constitutes a variety of fundamentals such as typeface (or font), colour, elements (such as icons, shapes, layout and composition) and body copy (the information). Does your design shout out all the aspects listed above? If not, it should give you a clear indication as to why you feel frustrated.
3. Is the message coming through?
Having a spectacular design is one thing but is the message successful in its endeavor to persuade and instruct your buyer? Writing effective body copy will ensure triumph! In other words, brilliant design + dazzling body copy = successful message!
I think it is important to mention that designers are people too (believe it or not), and misconceptions are probable when communication is lacking.
Remember that communication is two-way street. Your designer is not a mind-reader and you are doing yourself a huge favour by being open and clear about your ideas. Following up on this topic… We will be discussing a few tips for providing your designer with helpful feedback, in the next blog!
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