FIVE EASY STEPS to   Save Money on Your Design Project

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Communicating through creative, professionally-designed materials is the best way businesses, agencies, and offices can ensure that their messages reach their target audience.

At some point your office may consider hiring a professional graphic designer to help you deliver a message to your clients, partners, or the general public. By making some key decisions as you engage a designer and work through the design process, you can help ensure that people get the message you want to send. Here are five steps you can take to get the most effective design solutions with the smallest impact on your budget:

DEFINE the SPECIFICS UP FRONT

Your message, target audience, deadlines, desired outcome, ideas about the design, and delivery method and vehicle. By giving your designers all of the information that's important to the success of your project before they begin work, you can reduce the chance that you'll get ideas and solutions that don't meet your expectations. Welcome questions and suggestions from the design team—they may have a novel, cost-effective idea that you hadn't considered.

GET it in WRITING

Once you've discussed the project in detail and the designers have agreed to work on it, ask for a formal estimate that includes a statement of work with specific milestones, what each design stage entails, and delivery dates and cost breakdowns for each stage including final delivery. Look for terms stating how long the estimate will be valid, who owns the rights to the files and printed pieces, and the payment terms. You should be able to use a good estimate to gauge the progress of your project. Remember, a signed estimate is a legally binding document, so review it carefully before signing.

BE OPEN to CREATIVE SOLUTIONS

Most designers have been formally educated and trained to generate unconventional and memorable solutions for your communication projects, so give them an opportunity to meet your needs in ways you may not have expected. Be open- minded but willing to challenge their suggestions. Rather than simply rejecting ideas, help the team refocus their design concepts.

COMMIT to ONE SOLUTION, THEN FULL
STEAM AHEAD!

After you've reviewed a number of proposed design solutions, you'll need to decide which concept will best deliver your message to your target audience. Then, when you've chosen the winner, commit to it. If you're not enthusiastic about your choice, ask the designers for additional solutions. Otherwise, you may compromise your deadline and budget if you change your mind later.

TAKE an ACTIVE ROLE in the FINAL STAGES of the PROCESS

If your design team is arranging the printing for you, outline the roles, responsibilities, delivery dates, and costs. Many designers have a host of different print resources. While a designer may have a compelling reason for engaging a specific printer, the final decision is yours. Tell the designers you're looking for the best value and ask to see apples-to-apples cost comparisons for each printer. Stay informed about the project's progress and be available to answer questions from the printer. Also, if you don't mind a little extra paperwork, you can save money by asking to be billed directly for the printing.

IN CONCLUSION

All design projects, no matter how big or small, follow similar patterns—the more you work with a designer, the more predictable the process will become and the smoother each project will go. Staying involved in all stages of your project can help you get the results you want, on-time and within budget.

If you're planning to list an RFP for design services on e-Buy, contact KGGD for our best offer. Whether you're getting a new project off the ground or refreshing old materials, we can help you put these five steps into practice to save you time and money.

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