How to choose a designer - communications programs design

Communication World, June-July, 1994 by Cliff McGoon

We talked to past Gold Quill award winners to discover what role design plays in their approach to producing award-winning communication projects. How do they select designers? How do they work with them? What are their secrets? If there's a single thing former Gold Quill winners agreed on when it comes to design and the printed piece, it's this -- involve the designers in the early stages of the project. Give them a strategic role.

When the designer isn't involved early, but rather is called in later to "make it look nice," the horror stories begin to emerge about the designer not knowing the audience, or the design not furthering the overall objectives.

To better understand the purpose of print design, it might help to examine design in a broader sense -- product design -- and to review its definition. World-renowned designer Paul Hawken defines design as simply "adding knowledge to a product."

That definition also seems well suited to the communicator's view of design as part of an overall communication effort: to add knowledge to the fundamental message that needs to be communicated. Fred Halperin, ABC, consultant with Hewitt Associates, The Woodlands, Texas, expands on that thought: "The idea is not to illustrate, but to communicate." That's the role of the designer -- to add knowledge -- clearly that role can't be carried out if he or she is not involved in the early stages of developing the communication concept and message, setting objectives, establishing budget, and so on. The first step, then, is to select a designer.

Selecting a designer

Of the Gold Quill winners we talked with, most contacted friends and colleagues for recommendations. Some, like Jennifer Garland at Canadian Tire Corp., Ltd., Toronto, prefer a more direct approach: "If you see something you like, follow-up. Find out who did it."

On projects that involve a significant amount of time and money, such as an annual report, employee magazine, or major product literature, the folks we talked to suggested narrowing the list of designer candidates to about three, then conducting interviews.

"Don't just look at work samples," says Rae Leaper, ABC, stockholder communication manager at Chevron Corporation, San Francisco. "But ask yourself how you feel about working with them. By the time you get to the interview stage, you already know they all do good work, so concentrate on picking someone with whom you can work comfortably."

To add a measure of balance to our discussion, we asked designer Doug Wolfe, Hawthorne/Wolfe, Inc., St. Louis, what points he feels clients should consider when choosing designers. "Choose a firm you feel you can work with in a collaborative way," he says. "And since you really spend a lot of time together, you might as well pick someone whose company you enjoy."

Wolfe adds: "Pick up the phone and call client references. Ask if the designer can work within your budget. Be honest. Say, 'Here's what I have to spend ... how can you make my money go farther?'"

Another litmus test Wolfe suggests is "looking for someone you would be confident taking to the CEO." He says, "On major projects you may be developing concepts and messages at the top corporate levels, and the designer should be someone who can do that comfortably."

To help smooth out the bumps in the print design road, the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), New York City, produced a brochure covering the basics and then some. Called "How to Select and Work with Your Designer," the booklet says this about picking a designer: "If you are interviewing a firm and will not be working with the principal, ask to have whomever you will be working with at the interview." Also, if you hire -- and pay for -- a major name, make sure your job isn't going to be handled by a recent design school grad."

Working with the designer

Once the designers were selected to join the communication teams, most of our Gold Quill winners didn't waste any time getting them involved in the project.

"We get our thoughts together, ideas, goals, audience in mind in a way we can explain to someone else, then bring the designer in for a whole day and talk it through," says Leaper, describing her approach to the Chevron annual report. "The designer brings ideas as well. We've used the same person for several years on our annual report, and he watches the oil industry. At the meeting he'll ask, 'has this or that affected you?' ... or 'how do you feel about this development.'"

"Then, the designer goes back and summarizes that meeting. It gives me a good check on how well I communicated key ideas," Leaper says.

Echoing that need for clear understanding at the beginning of a project is Brenda Smith, special events coordinator at the Alberta Lotteries, Edmonton. She says: "The designer is only as good as the person giving the instructions -- if there's a problem, it's partly your fault."

Where you can get off track

If the designer isn't brought into the project early, he or she can head off in the wrong direction regarding the project's audience, goals, deadlines, or other factors.