So, you’re looking for a new flyer for your information packets. Or a new brochure. Or a website banner ad, palm card, or tradeshow handout. You know it’s crucial to keep your marketing collateral updated with new, fresh looks…but where do you start?
Graphic designers should really be called ‘artistic puzzle solvers.’ Designers mix their creative flare with their ability to make boring text and stale images come to life on the page. When it comes to digital or print pieces, your graphic designer has a specific skill that others may not – the ability to take the jumbled idea in your mind and the need for clear messaging and turn them into a work of art that your customers can easily digest.
Here are three key items to discuss when starting a new project with your graphic designer.
1. Share your branding and style guidelines.
Unless you’re starting from scratch with a new logo and brand identity, this conversation is a must. When you are working with a new designer, you want to make sure to provide them with your logo in a few formats, your approved color palette, and possibly some examples of your past marketing collateral. Your designer can create new pieces for your company that feel vibrant and fresh, while still remaining true to your brand as a whole.
After working together over a few projects, a good designer will have learned your brand inside out. They’ll know your target customer, the look and feel of your website, as well as your company goals and objectives. Sticking with the same designer long term enables you to become a well-oiled team that can stay on top of design trends and techniques, while maintaining a cohesive brand.
Don’t have a logo or brand guidelines yet? No problem. Your designer can help you begin to develop visual identity by creating a logo and color palette for you to use moving forward.
2. Ask for spin-off recommendations.
Although you may only have a flyer in mind, your designer may have a few welcome tricks up their sleeve. If the content you’ve provided for the flyer is good, your designer may also be able to suggest how to reuse it to create multiple pieces of collateral.
Similar to the Hub and Spoke model, your designer may envision a way to create an infographic, a tradeshow handout, and a social media graphic all from the original content you provided. Trust your designer and ask them for spin off suggestions. This will help you avoid the need for additional busy work in the future and may also surprise you by providing you with cool new ways for your important message to reach customers.
The marketing world is always evolving. A good designer will know how to create the classics, but also suggest some innovative design items that could catch the eye of your next customer.
3. How much information is TOO much information?
As a graphic designer myself, this is a discussion I beg you to have!
Often when people are looking for a new piece of marketing collateral, the temptation is to send too much information to their designer. They want to make sure they have every base covered – which is great as resource material – but is usually too much for a customer to digest.
When reaching out for new collateral, check in with your designer about what elements are needed to turn your vision into reality. For example, a one-page flyer, may only require a headline and a few short paragraphs of text.
If you have imagery and copy to provide, do send it along, however, be aware it may not all appear in the final product. Your designer will sift through the information provided and choose key items that will allow you to communicate your message in a clear, eye-catching way. The result should be stylish and effective, not overcrowded and hard to read because too many disparate elements were squeezed into too little space.
Collaborating with your designer about the text provided is a great way to stay on the same page. This way, your designer doesn’t feel pressured to fit every word in, when it’s truly too much for the piece. And you as the client will feel included in the process of editing down the text.
Talking over these three key points is important when starting a new piece of collateral. Once they become habit, the process of creating new pieces can be fun and exciting. A good designer will begin to learn your preferred colors and styles and will be able to quickly turnover collateral that will blow your customers away.
Need more information, or help with a new design piece? Interprose has a team of graphic designers (including yours truly) that will make your marketing magical. Contact us today.