Get your head around design and branding.

When you have hired your designer, you may have pre-conceived ideas about them. You may have heard horror stories about companies paying £5000 for a squiggle and yet their business doesn’t succeed. Or you may not know what to expect at all. Below is a list of things you can expect from a designer:

1. A designer will want to meet with you to discuss how you would like your project to be initiated. This can include questions about deadlines, existing designs (If they have any), goals and expectations.

   If a price hasn’t been decided already then this is the time to have this discussion, or the time to raise any queries about a pre-discussed costing. Some designers will require a deposit or even the full amount upfront before they begin, this is to ensure that the project will go ahead and gives you the feeling of being committed to the project.

2. Ask the designer to provide examples of previous work and check out their testimonials before you go ahead with the arrangement. 

3. Not all designers will do this but I always provide meeting notes to the client after a discussion. It is handy to refer to if you ever need to, and stops any confusion occurring further into the project. It is beneficial to both you and your designer, if the designer doesn’t provide any confirmation on what has been discussed then it would be worth asking that they do so.

4. A second meeting will take place, this is where the main goals for the project will be discussed. I provide a questionnaire to the client especially when designing a logo or website, this gets the juices flowing. This starts to make you really think about what you want and what your business is about. The designer will then have enough information to begin their research and initial sketches. This doesn’t have to take place in a meeting, it can be over the phone, Skype or email. But the discussion does need to take place. Again, I would then provide a ‘Response to brief’ to make sure both myself and the client are happy to proceed and that all ideas have been understood.
   

5. Expect ongoing interactions with your designer, you shouldn’t be wondering what they are up to. Make sure you trust the designer however, if you haven’t heard from your designer for a few days or even a week, DON’T PANIC! they have not forgotten about you, they are most likely hard at work on your designs. When in a creative process it can be all-consuming, hours can seem like seconds and the flow does not want to be interrupted. A good designer will apprehend your concern and won’t leave it too long for you to begin to worry.

6. Design updates will be provided for you to give feedback. Now that you’ve seen the initial visual representation of your ideas you will start to understand what you want a bit more. Many times I have heard clients say they aren’t sure what they want but they’ll know it when they see it. These initial designs are for you and your designer to further understand what you want and for the designer to guide you into their vision.

7. Trust the designer, and the designer should give you reason to trust them. You should be ready to be persuaded into the designer’s world and vision. Trust that they are the professional and they will deliver.