Dealing with designers
We're a strange bunch. We know it. We speak in acronyms and discuss wild concepts. Knowing how to communicate with your designer is as important as knowing your own product. Here's a few tips on relating with us.
- We treat everything as a thought experiment. We speak our thoughts, even when their crazy. Don't mind us we're just brainstorming.
- Sometimes, we're stubborn. We'll stick to our guns when we're sure a concept will work. Trust us. It's our experience and insight you're paying us for.
- Clear instructions make everyone's life easier, and we're no exception. Spell it out for us and don't assume we initially know your product.
- Design is a process, but sometimes inspiration hits and speeds up the process.
- Remember the more information you give us the better the result.
- Proof everything carefully!
The design brief is the contract. It formalizes the entire relationship between yourself and the designer. If it wasn't specified in the brief, a designer can't be held accountable.
Relax! Design can be a fun, rewarding and mind-expanding enterprise!
How can you judge an answer if the question was wrong?
Being aware of the right way to ask things from a designer is the most sure-fire way to ensure a successful outcome. Design is a process and as such, where we start from is almost more important than how we get there. Answering these questions is a good start to writing a successful design brief.
- Do I understand the design process?
- Is what I "like" as important as what my customers "like"?
- What constraints have I not explained?
- Will my availability affect the project?
- What parts of my project are "must-haves"?
- What is the absolute, final, nail-in-coffin deadline?
- What is my budget (either fixed or expressed as a percentage)?
- Have I considered copyright, intellectual property and ownership?
- Am I prepared to look beyond the familiar and be bold about accepting a concept that pushes boundaries?
- Will a change in business conditions necessitate a change to the design brief?
- Am I prepared to discard a safe concept in favour of a radical one?
The design brief
Bring your own or we can walk you through it, it doesn't matter, but the design brief is the most important document for you and the designer. Knowing the how, what, where, when and why of any design project should be encapsulated and formalized before it begins.
This might be your first time, or maybe you've written hundreds, it's always good to remind yourself of the best ways to communicate with your designer.
