Selecting a designer for your firm to work with can be daunting. Some considerations are easy – you may not like the style of a particular designer, or maybe they are out of your price range. But what are some other things you should pay attention to?
- Few design examples. Graphic design IS visual communication. A designer that has few, or no, samples of past work is a red flag. Examples don’t necessarily have to be directly related to your industry, but you should see a range of samples that show how the designer solved previous communication challenges so you can be confident that (s)he can solve yours.
- Lack of follow-through. Does the designer return your calls and emails promptly? Is (s)he responsive to your questions, schedule, and deadlines? You don’t want to be a babysitter – you need someone who is going to collaborate with you and be responsive.
- No detailed estimate. You need to know what you’re paying for. How many design concepts will be presented? How many rounds of edits are included? What are the deliverables? A detailed estimate up front prevents disappointment later.
Very low estimates. This may seem counterintuitive – why would you want to spend more than you have to? However, receiving a low estimate may mean there are things not included in the estimate, or the designer is inexperienced. Make sure that you are comparing apples to apples when you review estimates.- No contract. A contract means you’re dealing with a professional. Contracts protect everyone involved. What happens if you decide to kill the project? How will you be billed? What happens if the scope of the project changes? A contract will spell out what happens in these circumstances at the start so that there are no surprises if circumstances change.
And, please be very wary of sites that offer logos for $79 or less. Horror stories abound about these sites. In addition to being notorious for copyright infringement, you’ll have little interaction with a designer (often inexperienced and in another country) and no guarantee that your “custom” logo won’t be sold again and again to other businesses. (Read my post, Logo Design for Dummies – And Thieves, for more on this.)
Is there a science as to why people respond favorably to something that is well-designed? While I would be more than happy to accept all the kudos for creating outstanding design, I can’t take ALL the credit (unless you insist…!).
Here’s where the 10% happens! Often, after fact-gathering, designers “let it be” for a few days. Brainstorming, changing environment, asking Why?, and What if? help look at the logo challenge in new and different ways. It’s hard to be creative and critical at the same time, so the good, bad, and ugly are all included. Only when many concepts have been worked up do we proceed to…
Once the final logo design has been agreed on, color palettes are developed for the logo. Again, it’s important to understand the client’s audience and industry in choosing appropriate colors for their identity. A client meeting is held to review the color concepts, and further color refinements are made if needed.
Yikes! This is not the question you expect visitors to ask you at your trade show – can’t they see you have a booth with displays and pictures and handouts and swag? What more can you do to get your message across in a way that will connect better with your audience? Consider the answers to these five questions before your next trade show:
Do you leave getting your booth graphics designed until the last minute? Effective graphics come from careful preparation. Last minute preparation doesn’t leave time for a thoughtful approach, can incur rush charges that add significantly to your bottom line, and leaves no time to correct any mistakes or avoid production delays that may crop up. Nevermind the stress for all involved. Two months before a show is not too soon to get graphics preparation underway.
