The need for a web designer cannot be overlooked, especially when you want a website designed, either for personal use or for business reasons. However, if you want to ensure your designer does a good job, you need to communicate your ideas, thoughts, requirements and expectations effectively, especially if you are looking to outsource web development. This part, though, is easier said than done.
Before you decide to hand over the task to your designer, you have to be prepared with the details of what you are looking for and how to communicate it effectively enough for your web designer to understand your requirements without any ambiguity. You might be looking for just a simple website or logo, but you need to tell your designer more than just this much for them to be able to deliver what you are looking for. Here are a few tips given directly by a senior member of a professional web design and development company.
1. Understanding the Role of a Designer
The first step to getting your requirements from a web designer is to understand the role they play. You should have clarity on what the designer does. The root cause of many misunderstandings between clients and designers is wrong expectations and ignorance about the role of a designer.
Clients as well as designers should know how to differentiate between production and design. Getting a business card or logo designed is different from getting them printed. The reason you hire a designer is because they can help you with something you are not familiar with.
Since there is a fine line that differentiates the two, it may tend to get confusing at times. However, it is imperative for you learn to set boundaries so you know the role of a designer.
2. Have Clarity on your Requirements
In order to communicate your requirements effectively to your web design and development expert, you should have clear cut clarity on what you are looking for. You should establish clarity on what you intend to convey to your users and the way in which you intend to convey that information. You should also know the type of feelings you intend to invoke when your users see the design.
Most Web page design and development professionals will suggest that the best way for a client to communicate his/her information is by using the right examples. You should know why you are choosing a particular design and how it related to the information you intend to convey. This will help you communicate the details better to your designers and ensure they deliver the right output.
3. Content Requirement
Before meeting the web design and development experts, you should have clarity on the type of content you would like on you website and the navigation preferences. Content has a major role to play in getting the website designed. You should keep your business goal in mind and consider what you intend to say.
It is important to prioritize the content that needs to go on to your website and design the hierarchy. The better clarity of the content you have in mind, the easier it is to communicate your ideas to your designer. This, however, does not imply that you should have all the content written beforehand. Just a clarity of which content needs to go where can be of great help.
4. Trust your Designer; do not micro-manage
One of the biggest challenges for clients is to give up the control they have over their designer. Giving up control does not imply that you will not get what you are looking for. It just implies that you are encouraging the creativity of the designer to come up with a design that is in line with the details you have communicated. Remember, you are hiring a designer because you feel he can do something that you cannot and micromanaging them takes away this essence.
Designers need to be given an option to exert their creativity to come up with something that suits your business to perfection. Let go of your control and see them create better designs.
5. Establish Clarity about Money and Deliverable in Advance
Communicating just the intention of the design, business goals and objectives to the designer is not enough. You should also set the right expectations about the monetary aspects and the other terms and conditions that govern the requirement. Any unpleasant surprises midway through the task or after the task is completed will make the journey unpleasant.
Deadlines, money and the other deliverables should be spoken before the project gets underway. Making a note of all details on paper and signing a contract is preferred to ensure nobody gets disappointed once the job commences.
5 Ways to Effectively Communicate Expectations to Web Designers
Mar 18, 2012
