It’s something that I take seriously and I’m sure my clients do too. If you want to work with a designer, you may have questions as to the whole process.
So if you think you’re ready to work with a designer, here are 4 things you should know:
There are many moving parts behind the scene that you purposely don’t see.
I don’t want a cookie for adding tasks to my plate or doing my job. However, there are SO MANY moving parts that are done for our project to run smoothly.
Throughout the years I’ve tweaked my process to make it as seamless as possible for me and my clients.
Crafting presentations, exporting files, creating templates, analyzing feedback, hours of research, and more goes into every major milestone during our process.
It’s a bit labor intensive, but I love it. And it’s a part of the process that I happily take on. When you work with a designer, remember there’s hours and hours worth of work they’ve done on your behalf to make sure that everything aligns perfectly with your target audience and your goals.
Work with a designer who’s gonna visualize YOUR brand’s story, not just create a watered down version of their own.
I tell my clients that it’s my job to tell the story of their brand through their ideal client’s eyes. Meaning, every design decision, every color, every pixel, has to answer the question: is this something that our ideal client would be attracted too?
Because I keep my client’s ideal client in mind with everything that I do, it allows me to create visuals that can be completely opposite of my own personal design style.
Because at the end of the day, it isn’t about me. It’s not even fully about you. It’s about what your ideal client is attracted too. It’s about what they are expecting to see from your brand.
Some designers are so wrapped up in their own style or trends or being an influencer that they create brands for their clients that all look the same.
That makes their portfolio super cohesive, that’s for sure. But I guarantee their clients will be looking to rebrand in a few years. You can only wear someone else’s mask for so long before it starts wearing off.
All feedback isn’t good feedback.
We all know the difference between constructive and non-constructive feedback. Many of us have never given feedback on something creative. Non-constructive feedback does nothing but hurt and slow down the process.
Rudeness and disrespect are not tolerated – that’s first.
Second, simply giving vague feedback doesn’t help the situation either.
During feedback rounds, I give my clients examples and guidelines on how to give constructive feedback.
When the feedback is helpful, the solution(s) become clear and obvious to both parties.
Another thing people tend to do, which is human nature, is to self-diagnose.
You may see a “problem” and provide what you believe may be a super simple solution.
I steer my clients away from self-diagnosing because:
- A) sometimes what you’re asking may not even be possible
- B) it can take the core principle of “collaboration” out of the process and our experience into order giver (the client) and order taker.
In some situations, simple self-diagnoses are fine – I’m a human being and art is subjective. However, no one in our project is an order giver or order taker.
If you don’t use it, then you won’t see the growth.
We’ve created tools you can use to talk more confidently about your business, the benefits that you provide and your services to your target audience.
However, all of that hard work will go to waste if you don’t actually use it.
If you don’t use your brand pieces and color palette consistently and appropriately, that brand clarity and confidence that you were looking for goes right back out the window.
You still have to put in work so you can capitalize on this new momentum that our process together has given you.
Bringing in an expert eye to revamp your brand’s online presence is an investment. But when you do it right, it will elevate your brand to a completely different level. If you’re curious what working with The Fourth House Co. is like, you can learn more about our services here.
INSIDE THE THOUGHTS OF A BRAND STRATEGIST & DESIGNER
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I'm Ashleigh Keith, a creative problem solver for woman led brands that prefer to cultivate relationships instead of the perfect Instagram photo. I use my background in Psychology to develop human-centered brands for women that want to do more than just run a business - they want to make a greater impact on the world around them.
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This is your custom roadmap for building a business that inspires and excites you AND your people. This workshop has given creative business owners, just like you, the confidence they need to see real results in their business.
