Five Reasons Artists End Up Unhappy With a Designer

Some of you have already had a bad experience with a designer. If you have not, this is still worth reading, because most of these are avoidable from your side.

1. A weak brief

You did not think it was necessary to explain the idea in full, and the designer did not think it was necessary to ask. Both sides are at fault, and both sides can fix it.

2. Expectations nobody checked

Sometimes the idea felt brilliant and you described it thoroughly, and you are still unhappy with the result. The honest question at that point is which of the two things went wrong: did the designer fail the brief, or was the concept weaker than it seemed? Both happen.

3. The wrong designer

A portfolio can make it look like someone can do anything. Before you commission, check that they have already done something close to what you are asking for.

4. Bad source material

Be realistic: a photo from an old phone will not look like one shot on proper equipment. Do not save money on the source material — there is almost certainly someone in your circle with a decent camera.

5. “Just make it cool”

Our favourite brief. It asks the designer to be a professional and a mind reader at the same time. No designer knows what cool means to you, which is why the idea has to be worked out together and agreed before anything gets drawn.