There’s little doubt that design skills and talent are essential to be a good graphic designer. But there’s more to that. You want to work with someone that will help you navigate through the creative process as easily as possible.
Throughout my journey as a designer and creative director, I’ve had the opportunity to help many clients from different industries: Doctors, restaurants, spas, schools and transportation companies, to name a few.
Each of those clients had unique goals, and, after some time, I realized there are certain challenges they all shared. And as a graphic designer, I knew I should learn how to help my clients beyond graphic design solutions.
So, in my experience, these are three qualities that every good designer should have:
A good graphic designer listens
If you are looking to create a brand from scratch, a good designer will first need to understand your story. This story is important because it’s filled with clues and details about what’s motivating you to start this journey.
A good designer is looking for insights—they should be able to listen, make questions, and take notes. The deeper they dig, the better they will understand how you want to be seen. This will allow the designer to create the concepts that resonate with your vision.
A good graphic designer can see the future
No, a designer is not going to predict the future positioning of your brand, they can’t predict your return on investment (ROI) or the amount of sales you will be able to make in the first year. But they should be able to look ahead and envision the challenges your brand may need to overcome, as well as future opportunities. The more experience and knowledge the designer has about your industry, the better their ability to “see the future”.
This is why your designer is key to help you be prepared for what’s coming your way as an entrepreneur.
A good graphic designer understands the value of time
Time is a finite resource, and for an entrepreneur, time is money. A good designer should be able to respect the client’s time, and be efficient, punctual, and reliable when it comes to delivering the project. You have launch dates, deadlines, and goals, and a good designer should understand that like a business partner would.
Now, how can a designer make sure they deliver a quality job on time? Good designers have well-established processes that guide them to discover new creative ideas during their work.
Every brand is different, but the process remains the same at its core. What changes is the information they have to inspire new visual ideas, and the final result or solution. Still, they go back to the process, again and again, to make sure they don’t miss anything and that they will deliver on time.
I hope this article helped you have a more clear idea about what to expect from the designer that will help you with your brand.
If you’d like to know how Found Brands can support you in your branding project, get in touch and let me know about your story.