How to Work With Designers and Other Creatives

Many companies outsource their communication needs to creative specialists. Normally, this is a good practice, as many organizations lack an internal design or marketing department full of experienced designers in a wide variety of media. Outsourcing tends to deliver a better product for less cost in the long run. However, how many times have you worked with an agency or freelance designer and in the end said, “That really isn’t what I expected?” I would like to share some insight on how to work with creative professionals on a contracted basis.

One of the primary considerations is to view the relationship between you and your creative professional(s) (agency, freelance designer, etc.) as a partnership. They are being hired to help you achieve goals and objectives and in return, you are fairly compensating them for their efforts. It should be viewed as a win-win, cooperative relationship. Ideally, the project should lead to future successes for your organization, which in turn should lead to more work for your contractor. In order to aid both parties in viewing the relationship as a partnership, certain things need to happen on both sides. On the creative professional side, they need to have respect and an understanding of your needs, which should be clearly identified during a “discovery” phase. On the client side (that’s your side), the client needs to provide relevant information in a TIMELY manner. Many projects can be ruined before they even get started by not adhering to these two points.

Mutual respect is another aspect to be aware of. The creatives need to respect your knowledge of your organization, how it operates, and your knowledge of the environment it conducts business in. You know your business, and it is the creative professional’s job to extract your knowledge and apply it as needed. In turn, the client (again, that’s you), needs to respect the creative professional for their expertise. So many times in this industry, I have seen people become instant art critics or instant designers. It doesn’t matter if it is a website, a brochure or a magazine ad. For some reason, clients tend to have a need to place ownership onto the final look of a project by forcing their suggestions. At times, client feedback can generate great results, but it is important that the feedback is based on knowledge and experience, not just one’s subjective taste.

Time! Time is our most precious resource. For many creative professionals, this couldn’t be more true. It takes time to develop comp designs, to build a website, to write copy. Despite what some people think, it isn’t a matter of pushing a button or clicking the mouse. An ecommerce website or 50-page full color catalog doesn’t just appear in a matter of seconds. It takes a substantial amount of time, normally from a team of experts, to generate professional marketing communications. The biggest challenge for creative professionals is being compensated fairly for the amount of time spent on a project. Be aware of the contractor’s value in terms of time. Projects evolve over the production process, and if you mandate changes due to poor planning on your part or lack of organization, then you need to expect that an agency or freelancer is going to charge more for the increased amount of time added to the project. Since every coin has two sides, creative professionals need to respect a client’s timeline. Of course a reasonable timeline should be agreed upon, and as long as the client delivers all materials on time as expected, creative professionals need to respect the need to deliver by a set date. The project might generate the necessary cash to keep the client from losing market share or propel them to the next level in their industry. For clients, bills do not stop as creatives are working on their project. Time to market can be crucial in many circumstances.

These are a few items to be aware of. So when you are working with your creative contractor, just do the following:

• Make sure they are gathering enough information during a discovery phase. If they are not asking the right questions, make them aware of that, and be sure they are armed with the info they need.
• Deliver any requested materials, content, images, etc., in a timely manner. Do not send over content and say, “ok, so you’ll be able to launch the site today, right?”
• Be respectful of the expert knowledge possessed by your contractors. Listen to their opinions, and make your decisions based on knowledge and experience.
• Share your expertise throughout the project. At times, your contractor may need to ask additional questions to improve the product.
• Set clear expectations as to an agreed-upon timeline.
• Be aware of the value of time. Don’t get angry if you are asked to submit a change order for additional money when you could have prevented the need for change through proper planning. And respect the situations when change is inevitable and unforeseen due to the nature of the project.

Remember, it’s a win-win partnership. Everyone wants to do a good job. Keeping it in perspective will lead to success. And that’s great for everyone, as success breeds more success.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this article, please contact us.