What are effective strategies to ensure that your vision aligns with a designer's?

3 Use visual and auditory references

The third step to aligning your vision with a designer's is to use visual and auditory references to convey your ideas and inspire their work. References can be anything that relates to the style, mood, tone, or theme of the production, such as photos, paintings, sketches, music, sounds, colors, textures, or fabrics. You can create a mood board, a collage, a playlist, or a presentation to share your references with your designers. References can help you and your designers to develop a common language and vocabulary, and to spark creativity and innovation.

4 Review and revise the designs

The fourth step to aligning your vision with a designer's is to review and revise the designs as they progress from initial sketches to final drafts. You should schedule regular meetings with your designers to discuss their work, ask questions, give feedback, and make adjustments. You should also involve the other collaborators, such as the actors, the stage manager, and the technicians, in the review process, as they may have valuable insights and suggestions. You should be supportive, constructive, and realistic in your comments, and appreciate the designer's efforts and challenges.

5 Test and troubleshoot the designs

The fifth step to aligning your vision with a designer's is to test and troubleshoot the designs in the rehearsal space and on the stage. You should coordinate with your designers to plan the technical rehearsals, where you can see and hear how the designs work in relation to the actors, the space, and the audience. You should also prepare for the possible technical issues, such as malfunctioning equipment, faulty wiring, or incompatible formats, and have backup plans and solutions. You should be flexible, adaptable, and collaborative in solving the problems and improving the designs.

6 Celebrate and evaluate the designs

The sixth and final step to aligning your vision with a designer's is to celebrate and evaluate the designs after the production is completed. You should express your gratitude and appreciation to your designers for their hard work and creativity, and celebrate the success of the production. You should also invite your designers to share their feedback and reflections on the production process, and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the designs. You should also solicit the opinions of the audience, the critics, and the peers, and learn from their praises and criticisms. You should use the evaluation as an opportunity to grow and improve as a director and a collaborator.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?