It’s understandable why you might feel inclined to look over your designer’s shoulder while they are working on your project. It is quite interesting, after all, and often, you are very close to your project and it might even feel like it is an extension of you in some way. There are many reasons, however, why it is in your best interest to let your designer do their job and simply give your input at the different stages when the project is presented to you for that purpose.
Parallels could be drawn from many other occupations where you probably wouldn’t really consider it necessary to dictate their every move. You probably wouldn’t want to be onsite and watch every detail as your house is built, for example. Would you check every so often to see how it’s coming along? Absolutely. But for the most part, you generally trust that the carpenters have the education and experience necessary to complete your project based on the blueprints that you both agreed upon.
Believe it or not, your experience with a designer should be much the same. Initial meetings should involve getting on the same page about your project, which generally means drawing up a Creative or Project Brief, much like the blueprints in our example. From then on, there will likely be various points in the project creation timeline where your designer will want your input to make sure that everything is staying on course. Any hand-holding you may want to do in-between those points should really be with your significant other. The reasons why are as follows:
1. Looking over your designer’s shoulder slows down the process. Your designer has likely been doing this for a while and has the final product in mind, with the quickest and best way to get there. Your interjections will interrupt the flow.
2. Looking over your designer’s shoulder is kind of insulting. Your designer wouldn’t presume to come to your place of work and tell you how to do your job, and you’re probably glad for that. =)
3. Looking over your designer’s shoulder is uncomfortable. Personal space, man.
4. Looking over your designer’s shoulder impedes creativity. If you give your designer a chance to think outside the box, they will likely come up with something tres cool, and you just might dig it.
5. Looking over your designer’s shoulder makes you look like a control freak. I’m just saying…
6. Looking over your designer’s shoulder wastes your time. You undoubtedly have plenty of other things you could be getting checked off your lists.
7. Looking over your designer’s shoulder wastes your hard earned money. Your designer is most likely going to have to charge you more. Why? See all of the above.
Rest assured, you both want the same thing. You want to be happy with the end result, and your designer wants you be happy with the end result. So rule of thumb, give your designer all the vital project information, let them loose, give your input when asked, and prepare to be wowed!
