Watch out! These party-poopers can take the steam out of the creative process making it go nowhere.
You’ve signed-up with a communication agency and they’ve just begun to design your brochure. So far, so good. How can you ensure it’s a smooth process that gets you the results you want and doesn’t leave the agency fuming either? Here are some common mistakes to avoid.
1. Vague feedback. Clear and constructive feedback gives the creative team more direction and helps shape the product better. Specify what you like or dislike about an example the agency shows. Do you like the colours? Doesn’t the text capture your services clearly? Spell it out. Avoid vague and general feedback (such as ‘I don’t like it’ ‘Don’t ask me why’ ‘It’s not upto the mark’) without indicating the direction for change.
2. Inconsistent feedback. Timely and consistent feedback is as essential as clear feedback. It’s easier to make changes to content or design early in the process. So indicate the changes you want sooner rather than later, and be consistent about them.
3. Changed brief or requirement. While it’s great to ask for changes clearly, avoid changing the scope of the project or the basic requirement. After signing-up if you realise you need a four-page brochure instead of a two-pager or a sober design instead of a flamboyant one, be prepared for a change in costs and timelines too.
4. Multiple stakeholders and multiple opinions. If the draft brochure doesn’t delight everyone on the team, don’t fret. Opinions differ. Vote on the key points, collate the feedback and present it as consolidated criticism to the agency. This makes it easier to manage the iteration process. Alternatively, have one person on your team take the final call. Too many cooks do spoil the broth.
5. Delayed processes and stretched timelines. A common snag in the process is to put the brakes on a project mid-way and resume work after a month or two. By then, your agency would have lost enthusiasm and your original brief may no longer seem relevant. You have to start all over again! Stick to project timeliness unless you have compelling reasons to do otherwise.
Remember, good communication often evolves. It’s a steady process and what you and the agency do at every step adds up to deliver the results.
