You may have seen this recent meme about tricky feedback for designers? It made us smile. There have been others in the past which are also very funny. While these help designers laugh-rather-than-cry at the more challenging aspects of their role and perhaps show clients how not to approach working with us, they don’t show clients how they should give feedback. And yet the most successful campaigns we have been involved in have been the ones with the best feedback. So, here’s our Marcomedia guide to getting even more from your design, print and web suppliers…
It’s OK not to know what you want (but you probably do)
Some clients approach us with a blank canvas – which is always exciting. In this situation we will usually encourage them to look at examples of our work as well as competitor marketing and have a chat about their brand values and vision for the future. This helps us get to know them better and often we find that actually they do have an idea of what they want. We don’t want to waste your time coming up with designs that we love but don’t mean anything to you. Our aim is to save you time and money as well as delivering design, print and web that you love!
Try to keep an open mind though
At the other end of the scale, some clients will come to us wanting a very specific design. Our aim is to balance making our clients happy with getting the results they need. We actually take a very client-led approach compared to most agencies. When it comes down to it, the customer is always right and we will always revert back to that and never argue our point – we only ever make suggestions when we really feel we ought to and clients don’t have to take them on board. You know your brand better than anyone but after many years of working with hundreds of brands (not to mention our collective training as professional designers), we have a good understanding of what will make your brand look its best – we wouldn’t have lasted this long if we didn’t. Plus, every job we do becomes part of our portfolio so we have a vested interest in both making your design, print and web brilliant.
Make feedback as specific as possible
Design is a process and we need feedback from you for that process to work so please don’t be shy about it. Sometimes clients are happy with the first designs we come up with which is great, sometimes they will want to tweak a design which is all part of our service. But when a client says, “It just doesn’t feel quite right,” or “It’s not exactly what I had in mind,” it can leave the designer unsure of which direction to go in (we are always conscious of the fact that time is money and looking for ways to save you both). Try to be as descriptive as possible about what you like and dislike. For example, if you say, “I love the magenta but the typography now feels a little dated,” your designer will understand that you want to take everything in a fresh, modern direction. If you say, “The font is good but the colour feels a bit too in your face,” the designer will understand that something more corporate or traditional will sit best with you.
But let us do what you are paying us for
Circling back to the Milton Glaser meme that inspired this blog, it makes us wonder how many potentially iconic designs didn’t happen because they were ‘designed by committee’. A brilliant final design often comes down to trusting your designer. We get to know our clients well and this is why most of them trust us – the fact that they work with us for years certainly suggests this is the case! Our clients will often tell us that the end campaign is better than what they had originally envisioned because it has evolved thanks to our design experience and input. But for that to happen, sometimes we need to step back, let go of expectations and be open to the bigger picture.
We all want the same thing
Feedback can be a fine balance but ultimately we all want to achieve the same thing: a great working relationship and epic design, print and web that raises the profile of your brand! If you want to work with an experienced team with a trusted reputation call us on 0208 590 0922 or email us at info@marcomedia.co.uk for anything design, print or web related.