From time to time I do freelance design consulting for companies on the up and up. My services may include branding design work, interaction design, and even creative product development. I’ve been fortunate to have a keen sense for navigating the minefield that is courting potential clients. In this article I’d like to address what to look for in a designer as well as best practices to get the most out of said designer.

Designers are a funny folk. They hang around scummy bars, have tattoos, smoke cigarettes, and generally have a dislike for non-design folk. Sort of but not really. We’re not talking surly pirates, but not far from it, one thing does ring true - designers are apprehensive when it comes to design work. It’s because there seems to be a lack of respect for the field by the very hands that feed us. Design is not about decoration. Design is about creating essence and emotion two things that contribute to a successful product or business. Are you the team that shows up wearing cobbled together uniforms or the one in all starter coats?

All good designers have two portfolios. They have the stuff they do to pay the bills and the things they do to keep their sanity. In a perfect world there would be no differentiation between the two bodies of work. This is not the case though and it’s partially the fault of over zealous designers and overprotective clients. This brings me to my first client point, trust your designer. I know that when you look at the first round of deliverables you are going by gut feeling. As designers we’ve most likely had years of training to divine usable threads from these intuited emotions.

It’s not that your design chops are uninformed it’s that you need to first understand where they are coming from. Innovation is controversial. If it wasn’t then it wouldn’t be innovative, it would be commonplace. Which is why you find yourself looking at the comps and steering towards things that you’ve seen before - the safer options. In our line of work there’s a notion that the option that you don’t want to go with is invariable the one that the client picks. It’s because clients want to feel safe and cozy while designers want to be innovative. We don’t want to put something into the world that reminds us of another person’s work, because we want to own it.

So I’m asking you, I’m begging you, to trust your designer’s vision. After all, you hired them for their talent. If you find yourself with a majority of the creative control then you didn’t make the right pick. I’ve done creative work on multi-million dollar accounts and if those clients can ease up on the trigger then so can you.

Communicate with your designer in a meaningful way. The process should be a fluid one. Think of it as a dance with very specific positions for each participant. I advise against getting too much into stylistic jargon. It’s far more effective to show examples of things that you like such as IKEA or Apple than to say things like make it “edgy” or “techy”. Tell us the emotions that your company wants to evoke; masculine, feminine, childish, trashy.

When looking for a designer ask them what their inspirations are. Good designers should be able to list at the very least three. Not only is this a great way to verify that they are passionate about their discipline it also gives you an idea of where their style is heading. You’re not just looking for someone who does polished work. Check to see if their style is in line with what you ultimately want.

When hiring someone take a long moment to consider how much you are willing to spend. Not all designers are created equal. If you’re searching in the bargain bin for someone to do all of your branding for two-hundred dollars then you’re going to get some pretty crappy executions. I whole heartedly believe that design is critical. With the right thought you can make your business look like a multi-billion dollar organization as opposed to a fledgling start up. It’s hardwired within us to look for value. Don’t skimp on the design budget. This should be a no-brainer but it isn’t.

So naturally you might ask, “how much is too much?” Well to answer I suggest not to look at design services as a simple hourly rate. We don’t sell design by the pound or the square inch. When you hire talent consider that you aren’t just getting a number of hours of work. You’re paying for the collective expertise of that artist. It’s not just about craftsmanship it’s about creativity. The only way to know what is too much is to go through the process and at the end ask yourself if you feel like you paid too much or too little. Don’t be shy, email me anytime if you need a second opinion.

So the last point I’d like to make was already stated but I’d like to drive it home again. Trust your designer. If you hired them then they have jumped through the requisite hoops and it’s time to get some kick ass work done. I know it’s extremely hard to loosen the death grip on your baby but if you’ve chosen the right talent then you’ll be thoroughly surprised when you see the results. Designers want to do work that other designers admire and if clients don’t let that inner artist breath it breeds a sense of reluctance.

I love working with my clients and hopefully other designers will love working with you.