The Three-Fold Path to a Productive Graphic Design Process – From Nonprofit Communicators
and Designers
I recently spoke with three nonprofit communicator
colleagues and four graphic designers who outlined
this three-fold path to a process that'll ensure
high-impact design for your nonprofit. Before you even
get to the design process itself, remember to follow
these five pre-design steps to effective graphic design,
from finding the right designers to crafting a creative
brief.
Here's what your colleagues advise:
- Be clear, comprehensive and realistic
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater Director of Communications
Kitty McCullough swears by this maxim. She advises
nonprofit communicators to "sketch out as much as you
can at the beginning (back to the creative brief) and
ask for preliminary sketches so your designer doesn't
spend time working up something far from what you want."
Mark Dessauer, communications officer at Active Living
By Design, solicits three to five design concepts from
his graphic designers. "And I ask for completely
distinct takes on the project, not variations on a
single theme," says Mark. "This lets me expand the
discussion to go beyond my pre-conceived ideas, and
pushes my designers to be their most creative."
Editorial Comment: Great idea Mark, but you'll pay for
it. Advice – specify how many design concepts you want
in the creative brief to avoid surprises.
Jack Sherin, former agency creative exec and now
freelance designer to a range of nonprofit clients,
suggests that you be "entirely confident in all details
of your design needs and process, before getting
started." BTW, Jack presents a single design concept if
it seems right on target. Practices are indeed designer-
specific.
Most importantly, think through your concepts and goals
before saying a word to your graphic designers. "For us,
the essence of an effective partnership is understanding
that the designer's job is to provide graphic
interpretations of OUR thinking. We define the concepts
we want to convey, how the new design links with existing
design elements, etc.," comments Julia Graham Lear,
director of the Center for Health and Health Care in
Schools. "If we don't take time to do so, the final
product will reflect the designer's 'take' on the
project, not ours."
Designer Sybil Rogers swears by the creative brief, which
"enables us designers to create designs that are visually
relevant and strategically on target."
Here are my guidelines for creating a creative brief
that works.
- Build a solid, candid, ongoing relationship with your
graphic designers
Nothing is more important than building and maintaining
these relationships, even when no design project is
pending. Build those partnerships and keep them going,
so that your designers keep you, and your organization's
design profile, top of mind.
Lenore Neier, VP of Marketing and Communications at the
American Liver Foundation(ALF), makes sure she develops and
maintains close working relationship with favorite
designers. "It seems to be the only way that
works," she says. "They have to get to know your
organization intimately to give you the right design
product."
Lenore speaks with ALF's graphic and web designers on
an ongoing basis. "That way they stay current with our
focus and news, and are ready to jump in when we need
them," she says.
Don't forget that strong relationships are built on
honesty – diplomatic honesty that is. Mark Dessauer
recommends that you be "completely honest about how you
feel about the work, especially if a designer is a
friend (which frequently happens, even if that isn't
the case at the beginning). If you aren't happy, you'll
be saddled with a design product that doesn't meet your
expectations or needs. The results will suffer, and your
relationship will too," he advises.
Jack Sherin suggests that you take it one step further
to educate your designers on your nonprofit's internal
approval process, so they understand what it'll take to
build consensus around design decisions.
- Don't try to be the graphic designer
This is a hard one, as all of us think we have a great
aesthetic sense, and want to apply it to our brochures
and email templates as we do in our living rooms and
gardens. Stop!
Graphic designer Barbara Wertheim, who works with
nonprofit clients as diverse as the Seeing Eye and the
New Jersey Hall of Fame, advises, "Make sure you hire a
competent professional designer with a proven track
record -- and then trust her to do her job. Make changes
to the design when they're based in a sound rationale,
but resist tinkering with the design -- as you risk
throwing off a deliberate and delicate visual balance."
Kitty Griffith, an expert communicator who has led
initiatives at organizations as diverse as Citibank and
NYRAG, takes this one step further. "Don't tell the
graphic artist how to do her art – she's the pro;
you're not," she says. "Do convey any design
modifications you have. But remember that a good
designer will advise against changes that will weaken
the design (for example, using green ink for type, which
is notoriously hard to read). Don't force the issue – the
designer knows best."
Thanks to my friends and colleagues for your great
recommendations. When you follow these steps, I guarantee
you'll get better design results for your nonprofit.
© 2002-2008 Nancy E. Schwartz. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Nancy E. Schwartz helps nonprofits succeed through effective marketing and communications. As President of Nancy Schwartz & Company (www.nancyschwartz.com), Nancy and her team provide marketing planning and implementation services to organizations as varied as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Center for Asian American Media, and Wake County (NC) Health Services.
Subscribe to her free e-newsletter "Getting Attention", (http://www.nancyschwartz.com/getting_attention.html) and read her blog at http://www.gettingattention.org for more insights, ideas and great tips on attracting the attention your organization deserves.
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© 2002-2008, Nancy Schwartz & Company
Revised April 12, 2008
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