Whether you’re a developer, writer, project manager, or client, learn how to have a productive and successful working relationship with a designer.

As a designer, I work with many different people who each have their own collaboration style. I’ve discovered that some people can be intimidated or confused when working with designers. They don’t know how often they should communicate, how much direction they should provide, or if they should be hands-on or take a step back. 

Here’s some direction on how different roles can successfully collaborate with designers:

‍Developers‍

The best collaboration occurs when the developer and designer work closely together and have open communication. As a designer, I love it when a developer asks for my opinion or to review the work they’ve done. Coming together to create something amazing for a client should always be the end goal.

Copywriters

The copywriter and designer should work hand-in-hand to determine placement and length of copy for a piece. This way, there isn’t too much open space or lots of words squished into a small area. Working through this together will lead to the success of the overall piece. 

Project managers

Project managers are responsible for informing the designer of the timeline, client expectations, and key players. Bring designers into projects as early as possible – they’ll understand more of the approach and expectations before they begin their magic.

Clients

There’s nothing worse than getting no direction from a client. It leaves designers walking blindly into a project and sets them up for failure. It’s difficult to come up with a solution for something when you don’t understand what the client wants, likes, or needs.

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Key takeaways

No matter your position, follow these key points when working with a designer: 

1. Keep the lines of communication open. Designers would rather know more about a project than not enough.
2. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind. Don’t worry about hurting our feelings. Designers would rather have honest feedback so we can create a better solution.
3. Make it constructive. Constructive feedback is essential. Non-specific feedback and comments are not useful for the designer in the next iteration of the design. Don’t just say “I don’t like pink” or “This isn’t fun enough.” Be specific as to why you don’t like pink, or why the design isn’t fun. 
4. Give them enough time. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Excellence takes time. You have to allow for brainstorming, iterations, and review cycles in order to get a result that people can be excited about. 
5. Trust them. You hired this person for their creative mind – now it’s time to step back and let them take risks. You won’t regret it. 

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Edited by Kelly Morrison // Originally published on imarc.com

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