Design Budget Tips

Want to maximize your budget and minimize extra design costs?

I’ve compiled a short list of ideas which, in my experience, could help.

Do as much brainstorming and research as possible before getting started.
Find samples of work you do like and work you don’t like – put some thought into why this might be. This will also give you something to talk about with your designer.

Gather all resources that may be useful.
Such as logos (old/new) and old design work.

Find photos you think might work.
A lot of time can be spent searching stock photo sites for the perfect photo. It’s helpful and saves time to supply photos to your designer. Remember they will need to he high resolution if you’re going to use them to print.

Thoroughly proof your copy and send it all at once.
Extra revisions are a sure way to go over budget. One way to reduce revisions is to send thoroughly proofed copy that’s styled and ready to be placed. Revisions can sometimes account for 50%+ of a project's overall cost!

Be specific about changes.
Saying "This is wrong, please fix." is a confusing request. Rather be specific and say "Change the first sentence in the third paragraph to say October instead of November." It helps to over communicate.

Send edits through email as a list, or on a marked up pdf.
Receiving edits over the phone is a designer's least favourite way to receive changes. It's hard to double check and can make us nervous. It's best for everyone to have the changes in writing so that nothing is missed. If you like, you can always call so we can walk through the changes together.

Photo: My desk this morning.