Design on the mind

The short answer to this question is NO, they certainly shouldn’t! For a web or graphic designer there are always going to be deadlines. They are a part of any brief; a client always has a timescale in mind. The question is whether the client’s idea of a realistic timescale matches the designers and their workload. No good designer will take on a job where the quality of the design would be compromised just to meet an unrealistic deadline. It is just not worth his/her reputation.

Project Management

A good designer will, however, be able to meet a tight deadline with effective management of the project.  To manage a design project a designer needs to be aware of the following:

1. How long it will take to do each particular part of the design and how that will fit in with the internal scheduling of all the design projects that are current.

2. How long will any outsourced parts of the design take? For example a print job will be heavily reliant on the printer’s schedule so this will need to be checked and factored in.

3. How much of the project will rely on the client? – for example if the client is required to supply copy for the website design, they will need to be made aware of when it is needed and the consequence of that deadline being missed.

4. If the design project is for a larger company that will require multiple sign offs for approval it is probably worth allowing a little more time for this in the schedule.

5. For very large projects where there are many parts or stages to the design it is always worth allowing extra time for the inevitable changes or additions. These will often happen as the project moves forward however meticulously it has been planned out.

Timeline

A very effective way to ensure that the project is managed properly is for the designer to agree a timeline with the client before work begins; this can be done as part of the contract. The timeline should include:

1. Production deadlines

2. Approval deadlines

3. Deadlines for the supply of content including copy and images from the client.

4. Testing deadlines

5. Launch/delivery dates.

Be sure that the client is aware of the importance of the timeline and how each milestone deadline that is not met will affect the overall project.

Communication

If the project management and the timeline are executed properly there will be little reason for a project to run over time. It is very important, however, that the communication between the designer and the client is good. It means that any hiccups or delays can be resolved straight away; everyone is in the loop.

Respect the deadline

If the timescale is very tight and the designer has any doubts that the deadline would not be met then he should not attempt to take the job on. Sometimes in this situation the client has an unrealistic idea of how long a project will take and if they have not left themselves enough time to complete it then the designer would be wise to steer well clear and keep his reputation intact.

It is always possible to ask if a deadline can be moved before a project starts. But the designer will loose the respect of the client if he suddenly asks for an extension halfway through the project. Deadlines must be respected at all costs and should never jeopardise the quality of the design work or the reputation of the client.

Toni

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Well, let’s try to define what makes a design good; I suppose a design can be ‘good’ if someone says that it is – so a validation of approval means that it works for that individual. But does approval from the right person makes it good? Think about controversial works of art like a Damien Hurst piece for example, you probably couldn’t get a more divided opinion on that!

Perhaps a design should be considered good if it succeeds at its purpose. A chair design for example has to fulfill a practical function i.e. not falling over when it is sat on. But the aesthetics of the design of the chair are a different matter and all people have different tastes.

It is the same for graphic design, a logo design succeeds when it projects the image and ethos of the company, it is distinctive, memorable, appeals to the target market and it stands out from its competitors. But I can guarantee that each person’s perception of what looks good and ticks those boxes will be different.

With any type of visual design the perception of whether it is good or not is totally subjective. People’s expectations will be different according to what their previous experience has been or what they have aspired to in the past. Take the London Olympic logo, someone somewhere along the line must have thought it looked good, but most of us think it is an absolute monstrosity. Perhaps it was a classic case of ‘too many cooks spoiling the broth’. So the question is; is it a good or a bad design? (Personally I have to say very bad!)

So picture the situation – a company approaches the graphic design company wanting a new image, their old logo looks like it came from the seventies and their brand needs a serious make over. After initial talks and discussions with decision makers the design company comes up with a stunning choice of logos for the client to have a look at.

Most of the panel like design number one, but the director doesn’t (it was his son who designed the old one from his bedroom during his gap year). He sets the designer on a new direction with the design (a visually painful one). But the Director ultimately has the final say on the company’s new logo and even if all around him can see that his choice is going to be detrimental to the company image, he forges ahead. Is his decision right or wrong?

I’m sure there are hundreds of graphic designers out there who have come across the scenario; the client is hell bent on pursuing his choice of design (for whatever reason) and then has the designer develop it further into even more of an eye sore. As a designer you can only do your best to fulfill the brief and try to guide the client in the right direction, but if they really won’t take your advice you can only wonder why they hired the services of a professional designer in the first place. Surely it was because you know the industry and have infinite knowledge and experience in your field.

So is a good design that the client doesn’t like, still a good design? Or is the poor design that the client does like, a good design? What do you think?

Toni

Related Article: Logo Design Trends

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Let’s face it, these days most people use the internet as their first port of call, for information, communication and of course shopping…even my Mum buys online now! So you would probably be struggling as a business if you didn’t have an online presence of some description. But let’s not forget the bigger picture; branding, logo and print are still vital. To successfully market a business you need to have an understanding of that sector and have the ability to consider all media and how they complement and connect with each other. Stay classy!

I think this is the reason that a lot of design agencies are diversifying and are now jumping on the digital band wagon in order to offer a complete marketing solution. This all makes sense in theory as there would be no point in employing one group to handle print and television and another that specializes in digital to handle the online stuff. However it would be a mistake to choose an agency that didn’t have the experience required in the fast moving world of the web, to really give the solution that was needed. There is the danger that the website would be seen as just another touch point and the scope of the project would be completely underestimated.

The best web designs are always simple for the user but incredibly sophisticated underneath. This takes planning, knowledge and experience of the medium. Firstly work out what it is you want to achieve, do your market research and then choose a design company that can offer you a website design tailored to the needs of your business. And don’t forget the bigger picture, you will gain a more pervasive and ongoing communication if you embrace all the marketing tools at your disposal.

Toni

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