As any designer will tell you, we’ve all had those clients who just doesn’t give much creative direction. Their favorite phrases might include, “I’ll know it when I see it” or “Just take that and run with it.” It may be a more subtle version (and they might not even know they’re doing it) of “You’re the expert, can’t you just work your magic?”

I love how the Canva blog put it on this issue in their article 20 Things You Should Never Say to a Graphic Designer (But Probably Do) :

“You’re the expert here’ basically says: we [the clients] defer to your judgment to read our minds and give us something we didn’t even know we wanted. That is a lot of pressure to lay on a graphic designer….The bigger issue is the amount of freedom it gives the designer. This phrase gives us unlimited freedom to try to tell the story that you know best. We can deliver Picasso, but if you were looking for Rembrandt there’s gonna be an issue.”

It puts this notion in the perfect perspective. Yes, we’re creatives and yes we love a challenge (most of the time!), but to leave all design decisions up to us is daunting and might not end well. We may think a crazy abstract Picasso would be right for you when you were expecting the elegance of Rembrandt. You might say you want to see “plants” in the design and we design a beautiful herbs and veggie garden…which would be okay if you hadn’t really meant that you wanted to see a pretty flower bed. Not good!

How can you, as a client, keep this from happening?

It’s all about putting thought into your project and communicating expectations. Here are some guidelines for steps to follow:

When Hiring a Designer:

Think about your project and all it entails. Design-wise, what needs to be done? How would you like your project to look and feel? Are there any messages you’re trying to convey with this project that you’d like the design to emulate? Save some inspiration images to show to your designer so they’ll have a better visual of what you’re wanting.

Put together a creative brief:

What is your project?

What needs to be designed?

Are there any specific thoughts/ideas you have for the design (include images here if you have some!)

Branding specifications (brand fonts, colors, etc) This is super easy if you have already created a brand style guide like I’ve talked about here

It’s so important to be detailed as possible with these steps and really take the time to think through your project. Remember, no one can read your mind (unless you’ve been working together for a super long time…or it’s your twin sister or something equally cool). Be clear about your vision from the start and most likely your designer will not only be able to get your project done quicker, you’ll spend less of your time on rounds of edits. By giving this all to your designer upfront they’ll be able to give you a more accurate quote (most likely with less price padding!) and deadline. It’s a win-win! And we all like winning, right? (Not to be confused with whining…no one likes that!)

Give Great Feedback:

Your designer sends you design concepts, awesome! Sending great feedback is so important! Here are some things to include in your feedback:

• What you like/love

• What you don’t like

• Specific things you’d like changed or would like to see an alternative version of

• Any new edits you have to copy or original briefings you gave your designer

Take your time to really go over the designs! One large revision is so much better than a whole lot of little ones. If you have more than one person that will be giving feedback, make sure you both have a look and agree on the feedback before sending. This way, the revision process will be smoother, quicker and everyone will end up happy. Another win-win!

Not too terribly hard, right?

By giving your designer parameters and clear direction, they can add their creativity to your ideas and come up with the much better results! When you’re describing your project (or feedback) in detail, your designer can start to form an idea of what it will look like in their head before even picking up a pencil or mouse.

It’s the saddest thing to me when someone mentions they didn’t really get what they envisioned from a designer because of miscommunications.

It’s preventable and much less painful than the disappointment of the alternative! Make sure your designer isn’t off trying to paint the Sistine chapel when you were really wanting a Michelangelo of the Ninja Turtle variety…because that would just be embarrassing for both of you.

How do you provide feedback for those you hire? Is it an easy process for you? Tell me in the comments!