How To Talk To A Graphic Designer

Whatever you want to design, a logo, a brochure, a website, it’s a good idea to give the designer as much information as possible.

Get your background researched We feel it is important for the Graphic Designer you employ to be fully aware of what your business or company does, how it does it and who it works with. This can make all the difference between a good piece of design work and a great piece. It’s the great pieces that get you noticed. We all know how many advertising designs we are bombarded by every day and we also know that only a few are even noticed and even fewer that actually register in our minds. In order to pitch a design in the right way for your business and your potential customers the designer could use interviews or questionnaires. We find visual inspection invaluable as well as talking. A tour of the company premises to see the business in action is often a vital starting point in the design process. A review of existing literature and adverts also supplies a lot of background information.

Create Keywords, Mission Statements and Bridge Concepts Even before the internet existed, compiling a list of keywords was used as a way of focusing on the core values, intentions and attitude of a business. A keyword list is the first step towards writing a mission statement or straplines and bridge concept statements. A bridge concept is an idea that can be easily explained in a few short words e.g. BMW – It’s A Drivers Car or Nike- Just Do It!

Get your style nailed down The images attached to this article are all story boards used in actual design meetings. In these cases our company Timez Design created the story boards but sometimes our clients save us the work by doing it themselves. A good story boards should be a collection of inspiring images, colours and in some cases explanation text. The main focus of the board should always be developed with an eye to the main services, customers and established designs. A valuable source for the designer is a list of competitor businesses. A review of these will not lead to a copy but hopefully an improvement on existing offerings.

Get your text straight Once the design has been started, text will usually need to be applied. This is true for websites, adverts, brochures and even logos. Although “placeholder” or Lurum Ipsum text can be used if actual copy is not available, there are large efficiencies that can be made by starting off with corrected copy. Having the copy “iron clad” also means that the designer knows the quantities of text required and the requirement for headings, subheadings, straplines etc. Timez Design has a dedicated copy writer but we can also recommend colleagues with a proven track record for producing a compelling narrative for your deign.

Get your images lined up Images of product of premises, even machinery are all valuable company data. More often than not the images you would like to use are scattered around in several folders, sometimes even several computers. Collate all these images as they will need a review. Sometimes it is possible to get away with photos from a mobile phone but rarely. A better idea is to give all image archives a review to find what photography might be needed. A picture speaks a thousand words so make sure it’s in focus, has good lighting and an attractive setting. We have a photography department and we also work with professional photographers if necessary.

Graphic designers are people just like you. They use a particular vocabulary with phrases like “Story Board” and “Bridge Concepts”. All they are usually trying to do is identify your USP. They like to be accurate and are usually not sloppy or half-hearted. What they do is common sense mainly but the concepts they can reveal often add flavour, volume and significance to a design. Don’t go to market without one.