What are the most important things to keep in mind when working with designers and art directors?

Spend time on the brief. The more specific and concise on who you are targeting and what you are trying to achieve the better. Often the unnecessary back and forth (and higher cost) starts with bad input from the beginning. And don’t be too prescriptive on the output. Executional mandatories such as brand guidelines, etc are necessary, but your role is not to design the final output. Let them do their job and push your thinking.

When collaborating with designers and art directors, prioritize effective communication, alignment on project goals, and a balance between creative freedom and brand guidelines. Foster a collaborative environment that values their expertise while ensuring the project's vision is met. #DesignCollaboration #ArtDirection

Understand that designers and art directors don't just create visually appealing designs; they are strategic thinkers who consider the broader context of each project. They weigh factors like target audience, messaging, and project goals to craft designs that resonate effectively. It's important to cultivate a collaborative partnership with designers, where ideas are exchanged freely, and feedback is welcomed as a valuable contribution to the creative process. This collaborative approach fosters mutual respect and leads to superior design outcomes. Celebrate the diverse perspectives and backgrounds of designers and art directors, as it brings richness and depth to the creative process.

When you’re meeting with the client, be an investigative journalist. Ask questions pertaining to the project and ensure you have thorough answers and clarity so you can write a good creative brief. Anticipate what the creative team will ask and be prepared to have those answers. Review the client’s brand standards and tone of voice with the team and strike a balance allowing them to explore creative options. Be transparent about the client’s business challenges and desired outcomes, as well as the budget and timeline.

One thing I found helpful is to let them Be Themselves. They will surprise you with their Creativity that they are best at by: - Make them feel welcome and part of the Team. - Do not Overload them with a complex and a detailed brief. - Share your vision (Dream) in a simple, clear and concise way. - Do your homework and prepare close-ups of what exactly you have in mind. - Use their deadlines - so plan in advance - and not a last-minute thing that needs to be done. - Do not "push" them as by virtue of their skill-strength, they like to think out of the box in their own space and time. - Net, always remember that they are there to support your Success and not to do your job for you. Last point, they do not work for you they work with you!

No matter who you work with, establish your goal and keep that at the center of everything you do — including the brief. Without a shared objective, there's too much room for subjective opinions. Start with your why, explain the problem you're trying to solve, outline constraints (time, budget, etc.), detail why now is the appropriate time to take on the project/initiative, and then get to work.

Here are a few principles I think are worth applying, not in a specific order : 1 - Be true and clear in what you know, what you want, and what you don't. Don't expect designers to fill in the voids by magic. 2 - Make a clear distinction in your brief between constraints, preferences and hunches : a constraint is a hard wall, a preference can be challenged, a hunch might be just a starting point or not. 3 - Have the designer write the brief themself, based on your brief, and sign it off. there is far less chances of misunderstanding this way. 4 - If you already know the "answer" to your "question", don't ask it, and focus the brief on how you want it presented.

Many marketers today possess basic design skills. Even if you're not one of those, maintaining a sense of curiosity about current and upcoming design trends can help you become a better marketer. It will also ultimately assist you in offering improved guidance and instructions when collaborating with designers and art directors. As for me, I conduct online searches for "best websites" or "landing pages that convert" before reaching out to designers. This way, I'm not caught off guard and can provide practical and valuable suggestions to designers. I recommend researching keywords like these, and when you work with your designers, share your findings so they can incorporate them into your next design project.

A well considered brief is essential for a successful project. If you can't clearly articulate who your audience is and what you are trying to achieve then the design team is on the backfoot before they have even started. A quick fire way to burn bridges with an art director is to keep coming up with new goals or guardrails during a project. Be clear about your objective from the start and take the time to work through the brief live with your team so any questions can be asked and you can add color where needed. As you progress through your project, keep your brief to hand. If you took the time to thoughtfully layout your objectives, audience and so on, it is your north star that will keep you aligned on achieving your original goal.

Respect their creative vision and expertise. Communicate your goals and expectations clearly. Collaborate and work with them. Learn from them whenever possible.

Feedback must always be tied back to the brief and objectives. And in order to ensure that feedback is clearly understood and not left to individual interpretation, best be done in a F2F meeting. Might take more time to meet but will save time with common and consistent understanding.

Provide constructive CONCISE feedback and try to avoid "too many cooks in the kitchen". Keep your feedback specific about what you like and don't like. Avoid vague or overly critical feedback, such as "jazz it up", "make it pop", and focus on the project's objectives and what can be precisely amended to hit those.

Designers should receive clear, actionable feedback tied to goals and brand strategy. Effective feedback highlights what works and suggests constructive improvements, avoiding vague negativity. Requests for revisions should connect to desired outcomes and alignment. Concerns should be discussed collaboratively rather than rejecting ideas outright. Quality feedback shows strategic rationale, not just personal preferences. For example, instead of "I don't like this" say "Could we explore options aligning with our youthful brand?" Thoughtful feedback fosters great creative work through an open, iterative process focused on shared objectives. The aim is to guide, not dictate.

La retroalimentación tiene que estar enfocada no solo en directrices para conseguir los objetivos, hay que ponerse en todo momento en el lugar del cliente potencial o persona que vaya a usar los servicios. Tiene que ser una retroalimentación limpia de prejuicios, gustos personales o críticas vacías.

From my personal experience, I've learned that there are moments when placing your trust is essential. When you hire someone for their expertise, it's crucial to allow them to demonstrate their abilities fully, ensuring you receive the maximum return on investment. It's important to remember that no work will be submitted without you having the opportunity to review it. In the worst-case scenario, you can always consider an alternative approach.

Establishing a collaborative partnership based on mutual respect, trust, and open communication fosters a positive and productive working relationship with designers and art directors. By working together as partners rather than adversaries, you can achieve shared goals, solve challenges, and create compelling and effective designs that resonate with your target audience. While providing feedback and guidance is essential, striking a balance between offering direction and allowing autonomy is crucial. By maintaining a balance between oversight and independence, you can support designers and art directors in their creative process while ensuring alignment with your objectives, preferences, and expectations.

It's important to remember that you hired this role or agency for a reason — because they are experts and you are not. We can all do our best efforts with a Canva template, but we will never have the background in design and theory that your design team will. Good design comes from experience, feedback, intention, and the ability to mix creativity with science to solve problems in a visual way. While it can be fun to get into the mix with design, remember to give your team the freedom to let their experience shine. More importantly, if the design team reports directly to you, set the same expectations for anyone working with your team throughout the organization.

Des fois le brief est tellement carré et fermé qu’il est difficile pour le professionnel d’exprimer tout son potentiel créatif. C’est vrai qu’on a coutume de dire que ?C’est celui qui paye qui dit? mais il est important de laisser une marge de man?uvre au Directeur artistique ou graphiste, vous faire rêver, vous faire aborder le challenge sur un angle que vous n’aviez pas imaginé. Quand vous décidez de solliciter les services du Directeur Artistique ou d’un graphiste, c’est parce que vous avez en quelque sorte confiance en son expertise, il faut donc lui laisser de l’espace pour vous surprendre.

Designers want you to trust them to execute your vision and direction. When you are sharing examples of other designs and websites you like, don’t ask a designer/artist to emulate or copy directly from another. Instead, collaborate and show what you specifically like about your examples. Artists/designers are eager to assist but very much want to be trusted in the process. If your designer mentions the colors you prefer will cause you print production issues, believe them as they are looking out for your brand in the present, and the future.

Master the agency brief. Most of us are notoriously bad at briefing. The direct result of poor strategy from leadership. You need clarity on 3 things: 1) Targeting Who?? That’s the simple question. You’ll have your own preferred model on segmentation but this portrait needs to be clear. It should be data-driven and reflect a true story of the market. 2) Positioning Less is better than more when it comes to positioning. Be choiceful. Be clear on those choices. Triple down on the associations that matter over a long-period of time. That’s brand building. 3) Objectives Less is more with objectives, too. A handful of objectives is the optimum. What are you trying to do here? Change perceptions? Improve part of the funnel? Make a choice.

From my experience, it can be difficult to be an in-house creative team — or an agency team for that matter. I've seen leaders waive off the importance of a creative team because it's not a 1:1 tie to revenue. Or because there's always someone cheaper on Upwork or Fiverr. But great design is worth paying for and can have a massive impact on your brand and your customer's level of trust. There are great case studies on companies who chose to invest in their brand (i.e., Apple, AirBnB, Nike, and more) and why it helped to propel their success. Don't skimp on your design talent, and thank them and recognize them for the contributions they make to your company.

The worst thing that can happen between clients and agencies (or the creatives) is for the relationship to become transactional. The creative team's job is to make things emotional, and that is not easy to do. It's a long process that requires collaboration. And often times, if they're giving the desired outcome, it's a lack of clarify from the client. Communicate often and appreciate the efforts the designers and other creatives make. It will go a long way.

Building a small fortress around your ego, with a small door when you need to access it, will help you become a more effective director/creative director. The buck may stop with you, but the success of the project at hand is a team endeavor. Acknowledging everybody's contributions beyond mere lip service goes a long way into keeping the morale strong. Remember, the creative process—when working properly—is an emotional one. Kindle and stoke the mood of the team, and watch the fire blaze.

There is no right answer in design only what is most appealing. So the designer and art director is producing work, and whether it is to your sensibility, always be thankful for the work first, before challenging them with you comments.

Don't look them directly in the eye. Art directors and designers are easily startled and very territorial. If you must interact, raise yourself up high and pound your chest to assert dominance. Loudly declare that you don't know what you want but you'll know it when you see it. Encourage them to "have fun with it" and stand closely over their left shoulder, as this will inspire a submissive instinct. Do not tolerate or dignify any aggressive behavior, and when in doubt, spray them gently in the face with a water spritzer.

When collaborating with art directors and designers, it's crucial to ensure they have a clear grasp of your brand's vision, mission, and origins. Consider how your customers perceive your brand and their opinions about it. After they've familiarized themselves, it's important to allow them sufficient creative liberty, while ensuring it aligns with your brand's positioning.

Conoce a la persona con la que estás trabajando. Aunque esto aplica a cualquier perfil con el que trabajes. Es fundamental ir más allá del encargo y entender a la persona que hay detrás, su carácter, sus ambiciones... Adecuar el tono (incluso el canal) de comunicación con el dise?ador puede marcar la diferencia en la calidad y precisión de la entrega.

We are visual thinkers. We communicate best with images and reference in both directions. We’re also pretty good at interpreting a dissonant collection of verbal/written/visual reference into something cohesive. This may be the first serious response I’ve given to one of these…where do I send my invoice?

Working with designers and art directors can be rewarding, but also demanding. The most important things to keep in mind are to get the customer to sign off, to manage their expectations, and to act as a mediator between the art director and the customer. I always provide them with a quote of what the image will look like, walk through options, and let them know what surprises to expect, such as an over/underrun by up to 15%. If I am as upfront and open as possible, it prevents them from blaming me when something unexpected happens