The more thought and planning that goes into your project, the better the outcome will be. Before you approach a designer with your project, have as much information as you can ready. This will help the designer decide if they can take your project and also help them understand what you need. Remember, while you are looking for a designer for your project, they are also qualifying you as a prospective client!
Five things you should have before approaching a designer
- Have general information about your company ready for the designer to review. A simple mission statement may work so that they can get a feel for what you offer.
- Have a general idea of the type of site you want. Should it be an informational type brochure site or an e-commerce shop? What features will it need? A blog or a community forum perhaps? How many pages will your site have (ie, Home, About Us, etc.)?
- Have at least 3 websites ready to show that you like or that offer the same features you would like your site to have. These can be related to your industry or not.
- State what the main goal of this project will be. Would you like to increase sales? Or, attract new leads? What would make your website successful? Your designer will need to know what to shoot for.
- Have a budget in mind for your project and state it. If you are really not sure what it may be, do say so. But, if you do have one in mind, it's better to state it upfront. This will really help the designer determine what can be done within your budget and help offer solutions for your project.