An article I wrote over the weekend with some tips for working with designers ... hopefully this will prevent a few of the murders of designers that have been threatened around here LOL
10 STEPS TO SELECTING A DESIGNER
There has been much discussion of late about the lack of standards in the design industry, with client frustration boiling over and all designers being condemned for the flaws of a few. While the recent trend has been to spend as little money as possible, there has been a building lack of satisfaction with the level of service provided by freelance designers, outsourced services or design companies.
Here's a simple set of 10 steps to help you avoid frustration when selecting a designer for your next project:
- Know what you want
Do you know what greeny bluey red is? Neither do I. And I can't pretend I do, no matter how many times i'm asked! If you don't have a clear idea of what you want, you can't describe it, so before contracting a designer its a great idea to map out your idea on paper - if you can't imagine it as a web page layout, just make lists of features or sections. From here, surf the net ... its full of websites ... if you like one, tell your designer why. You don't have to understand designers lingo to provide a clear explanation of how you would like your design to look. If you are really unsure of what you would like, describe its purpose to your designer and let them show you some examples.
- Clearly define terminology
Be sure you both have the same meaning for words you are using to describe the project. For example, I call the free area of a paysite a tour or frontend. Some clients call the front page of a paysite tour a landing page. A landing page to me is like a bounce page which redirects the surfer to another page ... a bounce page can also be known as a doorway page to another site ... which to an seo webmaster can be a gateway page to a sponsor ... Confused?! Use the next step to make sure you are both using the same pornmasters dictionary!
- Has your designer asked you any questions?
Its not a good sign if you send through a list of instructions and the only response is 'ok' ... even if a designer is confident they know exactly what you are talking about, they should have at least 1 question, preferably several. You can judge by the questions asked how well the designer understands your project specifications.
- Study previous examples
There's more to checking out a portfolio then skimming the thumbnails. Many designers with great, extensive portfolio's have filled them up with the work they have done for a single client. Perhaps the designer was contracted to a company to create a tour per week for 3 months ... this can start to look like a nice folio, although the designer may not have an understanding of why they have done what they've done. A designer who is perfect for 1 project may not work for another, so make sure the portfolio (or designer) shows examples of the style of site design you are requesting.
- Designer AND copy writer?
Design is the first cousin of marketing ... its the process of presenting information in such a way that it is aesthetically pleasing and manipulates a feeling within the viewer that drives them to action. Its not throwing a few pics together in a collage with a sentence that doesn't make any sense ... a good designer understands target markets, color psychology, conversion rates, action words, pricing points and a touch of psychic intuition.
- You get what you pay for
Have you heard the old saying, pay peanuts & you get monkeys? While you don't necessarily always need the best for every project, paying the LEAST usually means you will get the WORST work. Plan your budget based on what you require of your designer. If you are looking for simple tasks like image cropping you don't need to pay premium rates, but if the design forms the base of your future business its probably worth investing a little more into its development than you would into unimportant jobs.
- Ask for references
While a portfolio looks pretty and will show you the final result, a reference can fill you in on some of those details that might be hidden under the surface. Ask for names of clients and post on boards for feedback ... if the designer has a history of providing bad service, someone will point it out. Often good designers are picked up under contracts by companies who don't want to let them go so silence isn't necessarily a bad sign - just do more research.
- Respecting deadlines goes both ways
If a designer has scheduled in time for you, it will greatly help the relationship if you can provide all information to them prior to the scheduled time. Many clients think about the job they have booked the day the designer is available, which means it can be several days or even weeks before the required material is in the designers hands. If you have booked in time be prepared for the designer to START work on that date, because you would think it unreasonable if sent an invoice for unused time.
- Beware of haggling
While we're all out to get as much as we can for as little as possible, haggling isn't always going to get you a better result. Consider this example ... when ordering a steak in a restaurant, do you negotiate the price before placing the order? And if this were possible, would you be confident to eat the steak cooked by the chef who you had just talked down in price? In the service industry, a price is set based in what the service provider feels the service is worth. If you want to pay less, the service provider may cut corners to work within budget.
- Look to the future
Good, reliable designers are as rare as good, reliable ANYTHING, so if you find one who you work well with its a good idea to discuss future work on completion of the first project. If you require regular design services this step can help you to plan for the next project. Premium designers book up quickly, despite their higher rates, so plan in advance and book in blocks of time
accordingly.
~ CJ
www.carlajayne.com