It would be so easy if we could all do the Vulcan mind meld, ala Mr. Spock. You'd just put your hand on your designer's head, concentrate hard, and two minutes later, the designer's face would be suffused with enlightenment. "Aha!" he'd cry as he ran to the computer to start work on your project, knowing precisely what you want.

For those of us not gifted in the art of the mind-meld, we offer the following suggestions of what the designer needs to know, and how you can work together to be efficient and on target with what's needed.

Concrete Specifications

These are questions that have definite answers. They are easy to figure out, and will help the designer save lots of time (and therefore, your money) working on the project.

• What colors/how many colors will be in the finished piece? (very important for printed work)
• What is the final size? (mostly needed for print jobs like ads)
• When is the project needed by?
• Do you have a contact person that the final art needs to be sent to? (Many times your designer can just call the contact and get vital specs using all sorts of fun terms like "FTP," "trim size," and "fonts saved as outlines" that you don't ever need to worry about.)
• How is this being distributed? (Example: Will it be mailed in an envelope, or is it a self-mailer? Is it an HTML email? All three?)
• Will this job be used for other applications? (Will this brochure become a website? Should the designer be purchasing hi-res images since you envision blowing these up to poster size for a later marketing piece?) A little planning in the beginning can save lots of time and effort later on.

Abstract Specifications

These have to do with your particular preferences for the job.

• Should this job match another that's already been done? Is this brochure being done to match your new website? Or does it stand alone?
• What colors do you like/hate in general? If your company has a color palette they like to use, let the designer know. Conversely, if your job is NOT supposed to use the palette, let the designer know as well. And if you just plain hate green, let them know that too.
• Do you have any samples of jobs you like? Send the designer any hints you can. Even "I like the way the GAP website has their navigation" speaks volumes to a designer. Or if you send links to five sites with tabbed interfaces, they'll get the picture. Ripping pages out of magazines, sending other brochures you've gotten in the mail and liked—there are no wrong kinds of samples as long you can point out what you like about them.
• Does your company logo or information have to be displayed in a certain way? If your company has a guide for branding standards, make sure the designer gets a copy early on in the game.
• Ask yourself: What is the focus in this piece? What impression do you want to give? What's the most important piece of information on the page? And most of all, what do you want people to do once they see it?

Communication

Once you've seen a rough version, be as specific as you can when it comes to alterations.

• If this is for a website, what are the specifications of your monitor? What browser version/resolution do you use? What version of Adobe Acrobat are you using? This can avoid a lot of confusion to make sure your designer and you are actually seeing the same thing.
• Be as specific as possible when noting changes. A phrase like "This background is too dark" is unspecific; "I am having a hard time reading the text on this page because the background is too dark" is much clearer.
• If you're dying to use Flash (or another technology) on your site, ask yourself why. If it's just for an intro because your competitor has one, listen carefully to your designer's reasons for trying to steer you away from it. Likewise, if your designer is pushing to try out a new technology you don't feel your job needs, don't be afraid to say no to it.
• Email is wonderful for keeping track of details. Use it to your advantage.

When You Just Don't Know What You Want

Sometimes, there's nothing you can put a finger on, but something about the design isn't working for you. Convey those thoughts to your designer too, and try these tips:

• Show the job to others in your company. They may be able to put into words the effect you're going for. Or, they may love it and you might find you don't want to change anything after all.
• Take another look at the pieces you sent as samples to the designer. What's the common thread between them? If this is a companion piece to other company pieces, is it possible that your piece may need to stray from the path a little to make a statement?
• Convey your ideas as kindly as possible. (This goes for the designer too!) Using words like "ugly" or describing a color as "barf-colored" (okay, nobody's ever said that to me, but it's an example) erodes the relationship between you and your designer. You're both working towards the same goal.

By trying to be as specific as possible when you can, and open to listen when you can't, you and your designer will be able to come up with wonderful designs that will live long in your clients' minds … and prosper.