Learning to talk to web designers
So you’re going to get a new website. You finally found the web designer or web design company of your dreams, who has tonnes of remarkable website designs to show you. The only problem is, while full of brilliant ideas, he has his own visions of how your business should present itself on the internet. One which doesn’t exactly sum up how you feel your business website should look. What do you do?
Communicating your business ideas to your web designer can be the most challenging part of getting to the perfect finished product. It’s important that you and your web designer are always on the same page – but that means speaking the same language – hence the problem. Many professional web designers are notorious for speaking in technical mumbo jumbo. For lay people, it’s extremely difficult to articulate your vision of what a perfect web design entails. No matter how talented the web designer you hire may be, if you can’t communicate in his own professional language, he won’t be able to create your web design.
You may come across two potential scenarios – both of them frustrating. The first, is where you know what your website should do – but don’t know how to translate it to something visual. The second, is where you can picture exactly what your web design should look like, but you don’t know what it takes for the web designer to implement it. In both cases, it’s important to explain everything to your web designer – and always trust the web designer’s judgement over your own. Give your web designer an idea of what you want – in your language – and explain it from every angle. In this way, you’re more likely to convey the correct sense of your objectives, rather than trying to use web design jargon you don’t understand. With a clear idea of what you want to achieve, a professional web designer can then produce a product matching your specifications.
If you can already picture your ideal web design but can’t convey it in words, look for existing examples. Find websites which have colours you like, or good layouts, or websites which carry the same function. Find a few different examples of website designs and specify to your web designer which parts you like and which you don’t. It’s much easier to show your web designer something that already exists, as you can both be sure you’re looking at the same thing. Researching existing web designs can also help refine your own ideas. Make notes about what you like/don’t like about the web design examples and why. Don’t forget to ask your web designer for his opinion as well, and collaborate on the best single idea for you.
Communicating to your web designer is all about collaborating ideas and being open. When your web designer uses technical terms, ask him to explain so that you can be certain you’re always on the same page. Learning the process and intricacies yourself can help save time and keep things clear. Remember, you sought out a professional web designer because you can’t make a professional website yourself. Be open to what your web designer thinks, and work collaboratively instead of telling them how to do their job.
Finally, it’s a good idea to involve yourself in every step of the web design process. Not only does this make you more informed, but it also gives you the opportunity to approve each step to ensure all of your goals are being met. If you think something should be changed, it’s important to voice this immediately to ensure the web designer doesn’t continue spending his time in the wrong direction. This is the best way to avoid frustration on either side, and also avoid you paying additional costs on revisions. Even the best web designer can’t build a good web design in a day. The process requires constant feedback and good communication with between you and web designer.
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It is really so true-Find websites which have colours you like, or good layouts, or websites which carry the same function. Find a few different examples of website designs and specify to your web designer which parts you like and which you don’t.