5 Tips for Reviewing Designs

I can’t imagine how it feels to have a vision for your business and not be able to design it yourself. To have to rely on someone else to create it for you seems nerve-racking. That’s where I work hard to calm the storm and try to fit in your shoes. I’m a size 12, so if I have to squeeze in there, I’ll do it! 

My number one goal when building one’s brand and delivering a visually compelling story is to make sure the process is FUN. I want my client to feel like they are a child opening that first present under the tree from Santa. This is a relationship wrapped with empathy and excitement, not a “transaction” full of stress and doubt. It’s art after all!

To avoid getting stuck, here are some pointers on how clients can help us help them when reviewing logo designs in any round:

1. Be a sponge. Let it absorb. Take your time…grab a glass of wine (okay, a bottle) and visualize how these designs can look on your website, brochures, signs and even reversed on an image. If you can’t visualize that, ask me and I will show you by mocking up some examples! Try to give yourself more than a day or two to get back to me. Even up to a week, but caution….overthinking could occur!

2. Phone a friend! Maybe I give you new ideas you never thought of. Maybe this blindsided perspective needs a few more sets of eyes. I’d recommend asking family, friends or colleagues who’s opinions you value to help nudge you one way or another. 

3. View large first. When you receive the file, there are usually 2-4 designs per page. This allows you to compare a little easier. Viewing them nice and large on screen is super ideal, so you can see all the fine details. So I beg you to open the PDF on your desktop monitor, laptop or tablet first! You could take it a step further and print them out and view them from a few feet away. Make sure your screen and printer are color calibrated like your phones are (meaning they should print the same as you view on screen). I would recommend viewing on phone and compare colors to the desktop.

4. Feed me! Give and you shall receive. Round 1 is not always a victory lap. But I cannot make much progress in Round 2 if there isn’t enough constructive feedback. I recommend giving an eagle’s eye to every design–even if it’s one you didn’t care for much–look for font styles, colors and characteristics you may take away from them. Mixing design elements is possible as well. For example, favoring the font from design A, but joining it with the icon from design D may look good. Us designers are also capable of giving more iterations of a concept. Just ask!

5. Give us love. It’s okay to give us artists some warm fuzzy encouragement or a pat on the back. (I suppose my love language is words of affirmation) Even if you are not at all in love with the designs, saying something like “thanks for all these concepts, but I’m not quite resonating with any of them” would be great for our own nerves. I’m just as anxious waiting for your email response to any of the rounds given as you may be. 

Now having read these tips, we can celebrate our victories of being on the same page! This leaves a lot guesswork and time back in our pockets. Karma is on our side!