Investing in your business can be daunting but so is not knowing how everything will turn out.
If you’re not a designer, you may not know where or how to start your brand or website design project, how much time you’d actually have to participate in the collaboration process, or even know how to effectively give feedback once it’s your turn to thoughtfully communicate your vision.
Instead of answering these questions for yourself, be prepared to ask your designer some questions.
Reach out to the designer you’ve been stalking to get a conversation going, so you can picture the end result! We’ve written out some questions for you to save when you have the opportunity to chat with a designer. We highly recommend asking these questions, just so there aren’t any surprises!
What’s your creative process?
It’s good to note that all designers have different creative processes. Knowing the step-by-step process of how they create and collaborate with you, will be beneficial to understanding if that aligns with your own workflow, schedule, and timeline.
Where do you find your inspiration?
If you want to stand out and not blend in with others in your industry, maybe you need designs that are a bit more experimental, thought out, or inspired by specific types of works. Asking a designer where they find their inspiration will give you a feel for how your project will come together and possibly the style its final outcome will be.
What solution best fits my budget?
You may think you need one service they offer, or maybe a completely different one. Every business has a budget and it’s good to make smart investments throughout your journey. Having a conversation about your budget and struggles will help your designer find the best solution for you. Definitely stalk their services page to get a feel for what type of services they provide, so you can make a smart and strategic decision that won’t break the bank.
What qualities do you look for in a client?
Not everyone is for everyone. Sharing similar values and vibing with each other’s personalities are sometimes major decision factors when choosing who to collaborate with. For what it’s worth, it might create an amazing partnership or save you from one that’s not so good.
What website or design platforms do you use?
Believe it or not, there are designers who strictly work in Canva… though that’s totally fine for specific types of projects, when it comes to building your brand, I highly recommend against it. If you’re looking to work with a designer on logos, vector graphics, and your website, make sure to ask what platforms they use to produce those projects. You’re most likely investing a good chunk of money, time, and energy into value-driven solutions – make sure they hold their value in the long run.
How can I efficiently communicate with you/your studio?
Communication is key when collaborating with a designer. Asking how they best communicate with their clients helps you create effective and smooth collaboration. When providing feedback to your client during your revision rounds, this is also a great skill to have. Ask them how you should respond and provide feedback, what you should look at, etc. If you’re pairing up with an expert, this is something that they might’ve already communicated with you!
Outside of the project scope, are there any additional costs that I’m responsible for?
Do you hate surprises? How about surprise costs? If you hate surprises, you’d hate costly surprises too. During a conversation with your designer or while looking through the project scope/agreement/etc. ask what type of deliverables or materials will cost extra during your collaboration. It’s common for the following to be additional costs outside your project: font licensing, website platform subscription, and domains, stock images, printing, etc. Better to know up front than later on!
Before the project starts, what should I have prepared?
To make your collaboration seamless, having materials prepared for your designer is so beneficial! It helps with less back-and-forth emails, scrambling to complete a project last-minute, saves you time and money!! Ask them what you need to prepare and this can help you plan ahead.
We hope this was helpful!
We love working smarter, not harder. And we love creating long-lasting partnerships where everyone wins. Markowski Studio values empowerment, education, artistry, and community. If you value those things too, let’s collaborate on your next design project.
