Making Choices

Quick turn-around, quality work, or affordability. Pick two of these, and let go of the third.

Really. I know there are people out there who insist you can have all three. But, truly, you must pick two. If you want it quickly, you're going to have to pay or sacrifice quality. If you want high quality, you're going to need more time and/or pay more. If you want it cheap, it will either take a long time, but, more likely, the quality won't be anything to write home about.

I've been in this business for 24 years now, and this rule has always held. My best advice: plan ahead. That's the one item you have the most control of, and wouldn't you rather have quality AND affordability?

Graphic roulette: choosing the right designer

In an earlier post I said I’d elaborate on why you shouldn’t hire your neighbor’s son who’s taking a PhotoShop class to design your logo and/or print materials. OK, here it is.

First of all, I’m sure he’s a very creative guy. He’s young, he’s probably up on the latest visual trends, he’s fearless with a computer and, most importantly, he’s willing to work for free. But ask yourself this: does he know the right questions to ask to understand your target market, and the best way to reach them? There’s a lot more to design than making stuff look good. And if you’re looking to save some money, I’d argue that scrimping on design probably isn’t the best choice. After all, you only get one opportunity to make a good first impression.

Choosing the right graphic designer is kind of like choosing a stylist for your daily walk down the red carpet. Instead of paparazzi, your red carpet is lined with potential customers and clients. And odds are that you’re one of several people walking down it. So you want to stand out, make a great first impression, and be asked to step up to the camera to answer some questions so you can get the job.

Here’s what to look for when considering a graphic designer:

Look for variety in their portfolio. You don’t want a one-trick pony; you want someone who speaks several different visual languages. Unless you’re absolutely certain you want a specific style, it’s much better to work with someone who knows the right questions to ask to put your information into the most effective visual format for your target audience.

References are crucial. Ask for at least three professional references, and call them. Find out how this person is to work with. Are they easy to get a hold of? Do they create, and stick to, a timeline and budget? Did the client feel listened to and understood? Were they happy with the design work they received? Would they hire them again?

Take the time to meet in-person. Ultimately, you need to interview this person to decide if you’d be comfortable working with them. Trust your gut. Does this seem like someone you can trust? Does this person behave professionally? Are they a good listener?

And, in the end, if you still want to hire the neighbor’s son, go for it. Just be aware that you’ll probably have to help him understand who your target audience is. Oh, and make sure he doesn’t put you in something that makes your butt look big.

Ha! Made you look.

Before we humans had written language, we used images. Ancient cave paintings all over the world illustrate that our deep-seeded need to tell our stories goes way back. Along the way we've come to rely more and more on written language as our main means of communicating, and we're now inundated with so many stories vying for our attention it's hard to know which ones to pay attention to. Just ask anyone returning from vacation with the dreaded task of opening e-mail for the first time in two weeks.

Given the sheer volume of information we attempt to digest daily, it's no wonder that we make quick decisions about which messages we choose to "hear". It's usually a gut-level response to what something looks like, before we even decide to read the actual words. Does the color palette get my attention? Do the photos intrigue me, draw me in? Is the text laid out in a way that makes it accessible and easy to digest? Of the 20 items in my mailbox, which one will I choose to actually read in the brief moment I have right now?

That's not to say that the words themselves aren't important Once you get someone's attention, you'd better have something worthwhile to say. In the words of the man the New York Times calls the "Leonardo da Vinci of Data", Edward Tufte, "If your words aren't truthful, the finest optically letter-spaced typography won't help. And if your images aren't on point, making them dance in color in three dimensions won't help."

The surest route to being heard is to marry meaningful text with good design. What constitutes good design is a topic for another time, and I'll save my speech about why you probably shouldn't let your neighbor's teenage son who's learning PhotoShop design your company's logo and business cards. The bottom line: the most important message in the world, if poorly delivered, will go unheard.