When it comes to outsourcing graphic design, one of the most important considerations for companies is how to protect their branding. After all, a company’s branding is one of its most valuable assets, and it’s crucial to ensure that it’s represented consistently and effectively across all materials.
Brand Guidelines Document
One of the best practices for protecting your company’s branding when outsourcing graphic design is to have a clear and detailed brand guidelines document. This document should include information on your company’s mission, values, target audience, and visual identity, as well as specific guidelines for things like color palette, typography, and imagery. Providing this document to your graphic design team will ensure that they understand your brand and can create designs that align with it.
Single Point Of Contact
Another best practice is to have a point person within your company who is responsible for communicating with the graphic design team and reviewing their work. This person should be familiar with your company’s branding and be able to provide feedback and make sure that the designs align with your brand guidelines.
Target Audience
It’s also important to make sure that your graphic design team is familiar with your company’s target audience. They should understand your audience’s demographics, values, and pain points, and create designs that are tailored to those specific needs. This will help to ensure that your branding is effective and resonates with your target audience.
Communication Plan
When working with a remote graphic design team, it’s also essential to have a clear communication plan in place. This should include regular check-ins, progress reports, and a timeline for revisions and feedback. By keeping the lines of communication open, you can ensure that the designs align with your branding and that any issues are addressed in a timely manner.
Tone & Messaging
Additionally, it’s important to keep in mind that branding is not just about the visual elements of your design, but also about the tone and messaging. Make sure that your graphic design team understands your company’s messaging, voice and tone and that it aligns with your branding.
Non Disclosure (NDA)
Another best practice for protecting your company’s branding when outsourcing graphic design is to have a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in place. This will help to protect your company’s proprietary information and ensure that the designs and concepts created by the graphic design team are not shared or used elsewhere.
In conclusion, protecting your company’s branding when outsourcing graphic design is crucial for maintaining consistency and effectiveness across all materials. By having clear brand guidelines, a point person for communication, understanding your target audience, having a clear communication plan, understanding your company’s messaging and tone, and having a non-disclosure agreement in place, you can ensure that your company’s branding is protected and that your designs align with it.
