Kathleen Riley Photography

I love looking at this advertisement for my business -- and no, it's not because I have a huge ego or because I designed the layout. I love this because I had a vision of how my images should speak to people and a graphic designer, Jessica MacMillan, was able to turn those thoughts into this ad.

Here are some tips for working with a graphic designer

• Be realistic with time frames - talk to and come up with an agreed time line for your project.
• Provide examples - one of the easiest ways to get moving quickly is to show examples of work that you like. Remember the saying about a picture being worth 1000 words, it is true.
• Perfection will not happen on the first draft - The"first draft" is a starting point, a first step toward getting that great looking completed piece. 
• Be specific - the more specific you can be in your vision, the better. Make it look great is not specific -- although it is what we all hope for. Allowing for creativity from your designer is wonderful, but remember they are not mind readers.
• Components - There are five main components to graphic design and sometimes commenting on the areas from this short list will make it easier for you and your designer. Here are the areas to consider when imagining your vision, sharing it with your designer and making suggestions and sharing input. Here are the areas: Color, Fonts, Images, Layout, Overall feel/aesthetic
• Let the creative be creative - remember you are hiring someone to use their creative skills and you should let them do their thing. Stop yourself (or your team) if you start to see micro-management happening, no one is going to get anything good out of that process. If you have questions about what is happening, ask the designer. If you find something confusing or it has taken a turn to an entirely different path, talk to your designer. Communication is really important.
• Enough is enough - there comes a point where the work is done, even if there are tweaks that could happen they may or may not make the finished piece any better.

Hope you got something out of this and hope you like the advert. In case you are wondering, yes I'm happy to help you with photos and videos and can put together complete marketing programs and advertising campaigns. I've got great designers and you'll get something beautiful just like I did.