Field Notes Inside an Integrated Communications Agency

The creative team was slammed recently, so I spent a day as a graphic designer creating one of the designs for a client presentation. It felt like stepping back into an old, loved pair of shoes that I haven't worn in a while. Those shoes were stiff but still comfy once they loosened up.

A design project typically has several designers assigned to it. Each designer creates a visual idea that is shown to the client, who judges each and chooses one over the others. Having my work next to Shane and Scott Buzik's filled me with a need to really step up and deliver something great.

But I had forgotten things about the hard world of the designer, like the fact that even though you might come up with a great design, it may not be chosen. Harder yet is the reality that hours or days of your time may ultimately be abandoned as the project pursues a different direction. This is hard to imagine for most people whose cumulative effort is rolled into the solution.

But in the five years that I designed Web sites the hardest part was always facing that blank, white canvas that you start with. This situation is made easier by the presence of well-crafted UX and strategy documents. But it is still daunting to open Photoshop and see that white page staring at you.

So the next time you are in a design review, remember that each design represents a lot of hard work. Give each one the attention and chance it deserves. Talk about each one's strengths as well as its weaknesses. When the review is done, consider giving some feedback to the designer. Think about what it must be like in the designer's shoes.