As a general rule of thumb, a good graphic designer should ask as many logical questions as possible about a particular online design project. The more they know beforehand, the better off they will be in producing a concept that the client will appreciate.

The very first step is to seek answers by gathering information. An elegantly laid out design brief will take care of most of these questions. However, designers should always keep their creative trait active and inquire about subjects that may or may not be covered by the client in the project brief.

In this post, we will highlight the questions that designers should ask before entering a design project. The answers to these questions will determine the direction of your design, while broadening your knowledge arsenal.

1. Who Is the Target Audience?

Aside from design specs, having a thorough understanding of the target audience can help a designer greatly. It could give them an idea of what color schemes to utilize in their drafts (unless already specified by the client). A younger audience will respond to bright colors whereas, an older, more mature audience might be keen on sober color schemes. The target audience can greatly impact the style, content and theme of the online design contest. Therefore, it is extremely important to identify who the audience is.

2. What is the Message?

Graphic design is an art and every piece of art carries a specific message. It is absolutely imperative to know beforehand what that message should be. The message can be very simple and straight forward, from celebrating a milestone to creating a powerful brand image. The way the message is delivered is also important. Clients are likely to tell you what they want to communicate through their design. In case they haven’t, do contact them and ask about the message and feel the design should portray.

3. Are there any other Design Specifications?

Every design project will have a design brief, but sometimes it will not have everything you need and that’s normal. A good designer will take the initiative to ask questions based upon the information provided in the contest brief. For example: If it is a logo design project, a few important areas to inquire about would be:

• Background color to use.
• Color schemes for the logo.
• Tagline to go with the logo.
• Specific symbol or image to use.
• Symbols or images to avoid.
• Simple design or abstract?
• Are there any other special considerations?

4. What is the Client’s Competition?

If the client doesn’t mention their competition, there is no harm in asking about it. Looking at the competitive companies’ designs will give you an edge and help you understand the client’s business better. This way you will know what your client is up against and will be able to create a design that will stand apart from any competition.

5. Are there any Specific Instructions?

It is always helpful to get a sense of creative direction from the client themselves. Ask them about the features that they would like to see or how they want their design to be perceived. Some clients are keen on incorporating certain elements or attributes that symbolize their company, brand or product. Therefore, this particular information is extremely valuable.

If you are about to undertake a design project or are participating in an online design contest, the questions mentioned should get the ball rolling. Bottom line, you should be aware of these things when starting a project. If the design brief does not provide you this information, then ask your client. The more you know, the more likely you are to produce something dazzling that the anticipating client will surely appreciate.

No one likes being criticized. Whether it’s a boss criticizing an employee for doing a bad job or a client disapproving a designer’s work, it is human nature to take criticism negatively. When criticized we automatically assume the worst, get disappointed and damage our self-esteem in the process. What most of us don’t understand is that criticism is crucial for personal improvement. Without it we will become over-confident, egotistical and never improve.

Look at it this way, criticism is what keeps us grounded. How we perceive it is entirely up to us. If you stop being self-conscious and open your mind (given that the other party hasn’t badly treated you), you will be able to gather benefits from it.

Here are five steps you can take to effectively deal with criticism:

1. Don’t take it Personally – Your client probably doesn’t have a grudge against you. Whatever s/he says typically comes from his/her experience and understanding, so don’t take it personally. Reacting emotionally never helps and can make the situation worse. Really try to listen to what the client wants and take it objectively.

2. Avoid Immediate Reaction – There is no need to get defensive. Listen carefully, take a deep breath, count to ten and think about your answer. Allow yourself to calm down and you will avoid any unnecessary resentment due to an impulsive reaction. Remember, criticism is just another person’s opinion. Once you realize that it’s only feedback, your defensiveness will start to fade away.

3. Put Yourself in the Critic’s Shoes – Instead of considering the client your enemy, try to put yourself in his place to understand his/her point-of-view. Take criticism as a suggestion or recommendation, instead of reacting harshly. Criticism can bring new ideas and create solutions to existing problems which can lead to success.

4. Deconstruct Criticism – It is very important that you listen to the critical view carefully, instead of reacting harshly. You should seek clarification by asking specific questions, keeping an open mind to the critic’s opinions and viewing your work from a third person perspective. This will help to analyze the constructive criticism better. It will also help to teach you to work outside your comfort zone and grow as a professional.

5. Be Willing to Improve – Criticism should help you improve your flaws, while increasing your knowledge and experience. Take it as a challenge. If your work is not up to par, your client is likely to let you know. Instead of acting rude, ask how you can correct your mistakes so the next time around you will succeed.

Embrace criticism instead of shying away from it. Paying attention to criticism by following the above five steps will help you handle this feedback and show you areas where you might need improvement.

Be Confident in yourself and avoid repeating the mistakes that might provoke negative feedback. Understand that there is a fine line between being self-confidence and egotistical. Even if some criticism feels negative or harsh remember, you have the power to think positive and turn it into constructive criticism.

He only profits from praise who values criticism. ~ Heinrich Heine

Criticism and critiquing are fine art forms, when properly executed. They can be some of the most beneficial elements used when your graphic designer is creating your logo. Criticism and critique used in the wrong way can also be your project’s greatest detriment.

The most important thing to remember is that criticism in itself is a relative term; something you find unappealing may be another person’s masterpiece. A key point one should always keep in mind when relaying your thoughts, whether good or bad, must always stay positive. Think to yourself, “If I had spent 2 days working on a design would I want someone to flat out say that it was horrible? Probably not.

However, you probably wondering, “How do I give constructive criticism without rewarding uninspired work or giving unstructured, critiques that my designer doesn’t take seriously?” The answer is a perfectly administered critique structure.

A good critique structure is essential to getting product you have envisioned:

• Always start out on a positive note: This is key. Remember there is no such thing as “bad art” its all subjective and opinion based. Use phrases such as “That’s a good start”, “I see what you tried to do here”, “This is good work”,

• Presenting negative points: Chances are you aren’t the first person to give an artist a negative comment. This is the point of constructive critiquing; one’s art cannot improve without assessment. Negative is “negative” there is no way around it, however, do it in a positive way. Avoid words like “ugly,” “horrible,” “bad,” “worst.”

• Be honest and direct: If you don’t like something say so, but being polite and professional is never a bad thing.

• Make it a team effort: Use phrases like “We need to take a look…” “What we should do is…” Making your designer feel like he is working with you rather than trying to satisfy you, will bring a better relationship and in turn a better product.

• Give at least one positive point: Even if you don’t like your designer’s attempt try to find a good aspect. Build the artist up. It never hurts to complement someone on their efforts. Bring out and reinforce the artist’s strong areas.

• Always end your conversations with a positive note: “This draft was good, Keep up the great work”, Thank you for your efforts” these will bring confidence to your designer, and with confidence comes better work.

• Rapport: A businesslike yet casual relationship will do wonders for a project. Keep the human element involved, and the results will follow.

Stick to these basic principles  and you and your designer will reap the benefits of awesome graphic design.