Regular readers will recall I recently announced my intention to get a logo for eyecube. I’ve partnered with Logoinn for the creation (see there first guest post here) and you’ll be hearing more from them later this week. Today I wanted to touch upon a key learning I’ve uncovered as part of this process.

If you’re a business owner, freelancer, marketer or really anyone who manages a brand you feel a sense of ownership. You live the brand a feel you know it better than anyone else (and you probably do). But now you’re thinking about bringing in someone from the outside to help you build upon your vision.  Believe me, things can get a bit tricky here.

Trying to explain to anyone, even a really talented designer, what you want is extremely difficult. Here’s why:

• It’s in your head, not the designer’s
• Not being a professional designer yourself, it’s difficult to articulate exactly what you want
• The designer, no matter how well briefed, is bringing their experiences to the table, not yours
• If you are starting from scratch, there’s nothing to base it on
• Nobody knows what is right until you see it

There’s more I’m sure, but you get the idea. It’s really a scary process. I didn’t know what I wanted exactly, but I knew what I didn’t want. 

The toughest part is letting go and just being open. If you are locked in to one idea you’re going to miss out on a lot of cool design possibilities.  Try to approach the project with an attitude that says, “let’s see what happens” rather than “I must have exactly ‘x’.”

Ultimately I think you’ll get a better result if you work with the designer, taking their input as well as giving direction.