Here are some tips and tricks to help streamline the process when you’re working with a professional designer.

1. Plan ahead with a kickoff meeting.

• Get on the same page from the start by making deadlines and milestones clear up front.
• Let the designer know if a project will require numerous, rapid rounds of changes.
• Make sure the designer knows where the graphic will be used, whether in a presentation, a printed piece, or online.

2. Finalize the content before design.

• Have a clear purpose for the graphics and the content the designer needs to highlight. This helps streamline the concepting/design process.
• Ensure spellings, data, and stats are correct to avoid unnecessary revisions.
• Have the content typed out so it doesn’t have to be keyed in and proofed before design.

3. Make sure the content fits.

• Look at the content in Word before sending it to the designer. If the text fills up a space bigger than the graphic is supposed to be, reduce the word count accordingly.
• Let the designer know if there’s a required font and if there are size limits for either the overall graphic or the text.

4. Provide visuals.

• Providing visuals is always helpful. Share a similar graphic that reflects the look and feel you’re after. Don’t hesitate to draw up a rough sketch to show how you’d like the data organized. Examples don’t have to be perfect or exact; even quick sketches provide a great starting point for discussion and ideas.

5. Closely monitor your revisions.

• Even small tweaks can eat up hours. Complex or text-heavy graphics are especially time-intensive to rework.
• If multiple people will be reviewing a project or graphic, compile all feedback before sending it to the designer.