As a client requesting a project, providing substantial feedback graphic designers could use is necessary. But, in most cases, we’ve noticed that feedback from most clients is vague. That poses many challenges during the revision process. You see, if you do not pinpoint which specific design elements should be retained, and which should be eliminated, there’s going to be several back-and-forth communication. And yes, that could delay your entire marketing or business plan.
So here’s what we have for you. We have created a guide so you’d know what questions to ask your graphic design team. And at the same time, we want you to learn how to generate good feedback graphic designers could use. This should be beneficial not just for you but for your design team as well.
Before the Project Starts
Before starting the project, you must already manage each other’s expectations. At the onset, you need to provide the design team with your marketing or content calendar so they also have an idea of how much time is left to complete everything. Here are the questions you need to ask the team.
How Much Time Do You Need?
As they always say, you can’t rush art. And this includes your graphic design project. While you may have already drafted your marketing calendar, you must also adjust it based on your designer’s team capacity.
They can provide a more accurate timeline as they have an idea of the design process. For example, if your design request will start from scratch, they might need to request a longer time. On the other hand, if they already have a branding guide, providing a short deadline is more logical.
What Information Do You Need From Us?
Do not expect your graphic designers to read your mind. To be able to meet your expectations, you must provide them with the right tools. We are not talking about software and equipment as they most likely have these at hand. However, if you can provide them with supplemental materials such as images to use, the text copy, and design inspiration, they could already have an idea of how to design your project.
How Do We Communicate With You?
This question is also critical, most especially if you will outsource your design projects from a third-party service provider.
You must both establish a single channel where you can exchange ideas and information. If possible, set a regular meeting schedule with the design team and discuss the progress. This is a more practical approach than waiting for the whole design to be finished. With this, you can already pinpoint what might not work, and they could revise it right away. It saves time and effort.
Are You Familiar with Our Business Goals?
It won’t hurt if you reiterate with the team your business objectives. They need to be in line with the rest of the team to anchor their ideas properly. If you need to provide them additional information aside from the design brief, we recommend doing so. Graphic design is more than just creating aesthetically-pleasing output. It should be backed up by theories and should be your brand’s ‘weapon’ in sending messages to your audience.
During Design Process
The bulk of your questions should naturally come before your designer sits in front of the computer to draft. However, as they try to complete the project, you need to work closely with the team and provide substantial feedback graphic designers could refer to. While you might have your own ideas, you must also understand the logic of why your designer might be tweaking some of your suggestions.
Instead of imposing that they must follow your ideas, ask questions and be more open to new perspectives. Here are a few questions that will encourage your design team to speak up.
Why Did You Use These Design Elements?
A professional graphic designer will not just base their designs on what the eyes could see. They are trained to target the audience emotionally. And they can do this by using the right lines, shapes, and even color.
Allow them to provide a rational explanation on why their ideas could work better. You must also trust their judgment and knowledge on how you can speak to your market through visuals. After all, that’s their expertise, and it’s for that reason you hired them.
Which Parts Do You Think We Should Eliminate?
At times, we could be highly subjective with our decisions. If your designer followed every single detail from your request, you tend to be satisfied. And that’s natural.
However, some designers are not assertive enough even if they have brilliant ideas. With this, you need to ask them specifically what needs to be changed. After receiving the initial draft, ask them, “Do you think this will work for the market? What could be improved?” This is the kind of feedback graphic designers need.
As they provide their own suggestion, you begin to accept that there might be design flaws. You get to learn more, and the design project can be improved accordingly.
When Do We Get the Final Output?
Even if there’s already a deadline, check with the graphic design team if the remaining time is enough for them to create revisions. With all the changes and requests, perfecting a graphic design is like hitting a moving target. You might need to be more flexible with the schedule and deadline.
After Executing the Design
Graphic design for brands and businesses doesn’t stop when you already have the visuals at hand. You need to constantly win the market in order to generate sales. In that case, asking questions after execution is also necessary. Plus, you can see the feedback graphic designers received from you.
You can ask your design team the question below.
Which Design Theme are We Going to Use?
This question is important if you plan to do split testing and have multiple designs published for your audience. More often than not, the analytics could provide more solid information that your designers could use. It could help them identify which design elements work best for the market. They could refine the new design based on the strengths from each sample to create a better output.
Conclusion
When you are about to give your thoughts to your designer, you must remove your personal biases, most especially if your design is for a brand. What matters most is your market and how they will perceive the design. You need to be objective and collaborative when giving your feedback. Whenever possible, ask your graphic design team the questions above. That’s how you can create a compelling graphic design, whether it’s a logo, poster, billboard, or social media ads.
