On the whole designers are a pretty easy bunch to please, especially if you tell us you like Helvetica or buy us the occasional soy latte. But there are some things that you can do to help the process of designing your logo, website, or print piece that will help your project go much smoother.

You Can’t Provide Too Much Information

There is no such thing as providing too much information. It will help us identify more quickly how we can help you if you can take some time before we meet and jot down information like what you want to communicate, who you want to communicate to and what problem you are trying to solve or what goal you are trying to achieve. The following questions will help kick-start your thought process:

• What does your company do? What products and services do you offer?
• Who is your target market? What is your ideal customer like?
• What makes you and your company stand out? What do you do that’s different from all of your other competitors?

2. Speak up!

If you have an opinion on something, we’d love to hear it! If you don’t like one of our suggestions, or simply aren’t sure about the direction we’re heading, please let us know right away! The sooner you voice your thoughts, the fewer revisions will be required to complete your project, and the quicker you’ll have the finished product in hand.

3. Be Open to New Ideas

Just as you might be an expert in your field, whether it be oilfield trucking or accounting, you’ll have to trust that your designer knows what he or she is doing as well. If we mention that yellow text might not be the best choice for your billboard, or that the quality of one of your images won’t work for printing, there’s a solid reason behind it that will ensure you get the best product!

4. Have Your Content Ready Ahead of Time

I know this isn’t always possible, especially when it comes to new companies when everything is being developed at around the same time, but it is so much easier to design for print and web when we have an idea of what kind of content needs to fit within the pages.

5. Keep in Contact

Sometimes things happen, and you go on vacation in the middle of a project, or your business gets super busy. We understand. We love seeing our clients’ businesses thrive! However, a quick two line e-mail saying that you’ll be away, or letting us know when you’ll have your photographer available or your content ready goes a long way in helping us keep track of your project and schedule time for it.

So that’s it! In the end it all boils down to communication. Sharing ideas, speaking freely and listening openly is the best way to end up with a great finished product!