Your Freelancer Isn't the Problem. Your Expectations Are.

This One Might Sting a Little

When a creative project goes wrong — when the logo misses, when the website doesn't convert, when the social content feels generic — the default assumption is that the designer or freelancer failed. Sometimes that's true. Often it's not. Often the breakdown started before the first file was opened.

"They Didn't Get My Vision"

This is the most common complaint I hear. And it's almost always preceded by a brief that was too vague to generate anything specific. "Something clean and modern" is not a brief. "A visual identity that speaks to 40-something homeowners in Macomb County who value quality craftsmanship over price" is a brief. A designer's job is to translate your vision into something visual. But if the vision was never articulated clearly, translation isn't possible. The designer didn't fail to read your mind. You didn't give them enough to work from.

→ Read more: How to Work With Your Designer and Actually Get What You Want

"They Kept Missing the Mark"

Multiple rounds of revisions that never seem to land usually mean one of two things: either the brief was unclear from the start, or the feedback during revisions was emotional rather than directional. "I don't love it" is not actionable feedback. "The color feels too corporate for the warm, community-focused brand we're going for" is. The best client-designer relationships are ones where both parties are communicating in the same language.

When the Freelancer Actually Is the Problem

To be fair — sometimes it is the freelancer. Red flags include: they never asked meaningful questions about your business, they delivered work that shows no evidence of thinking about your audience, their communication was poor or inconsistent, or they can't explain why they made the choices they made.

→ Read more: How to Find and Hire the Right Graphic Designer

→ Read more: Is a Monthly Creative Retainer Right for Your Business?

Great creative work is almost always the product of great communication on both sides. Show up prepared. Be specific. Give real feedback. You'll be amazed at the difference it makes.

Want a creative partnership where both sides show up right? Schedule a free consultation at jpetrous.com | contact@jpetrous.com | 586-563-6634.