This is the third in a series of posts on what to expect when working with an artist. To see them all, check out this category.
Roughed Up
Good God, Man, who taught you how to draw? Monkeys?
I would not blame any client for thinking this after seeing the rough sketch above. Before I even consider sending a client a rough sketch, I really need to know them well enough to know they can see past the scary hack job. Also, they need to know me and my work well enough to know that the final art will be lovely and full of sparkly rainbows and happiness. Like the final art here:
You and your designer have had some conversations and traded emails. You know each other now. Hopefully by this point you’ve talked concepts, too. It’s possible to overdo the concept phase and drag things out forever, but you should expect to at least hear some initial ideas before you start receiving sketches or mockups. Getting from idea to rough sketch depends on you, the artist, and the nature of the work. In my case, it sometimes happens during the conversation (helpful if we’re sitting together) and other times it can take a week.
Depending on the artist, you can expect anything from a few circles to represent basic object placement to a fully rendered drawing that you would be tempted to hang in our bathroom. Both are just fine. There’s no right or wrong here except what serves (or doesn’t serve) the project.
The point in this stage is not to impress you with the Rembrandt-like quality of the artist’s layout (see Exhibit A again).
The main purpose at this time is to give you a rough idea of how things will be laid out on a page. Some people are much better with words and have trouble visualizing images without seeing them on the page. Everyone is different, but if you need to see how something might work visually, you should ask for it. It should never be a problem for a designer to help you understand a layout.
What’s Expected of You
Expectations? Of me? But I’m the one shelling out the duckets for this thing, can’t I just sit back and enjoy the ride?
Sure you could. In fact, I work with a few clients who will hand me a basic concept and ask me to run with it. The difference is that they understand that when they see the final art, they’ve got much less sway over what can be changed without ringing up extra charges. Most of the time there are few changes, but that’s because those people are used to working with me and have a good idea of what they’ll get when we’re done.
If you rarely work with a designer, it’s a good idea to prepare yourself for reviewing roughs. The artist is expecting you to participate, to have a say. If you’re going to say anything about the layout, this is your chance. Most of the time once the final art is completed, a seemingly simple change like, “move that tree from the left to the right” can wreck the balance of the whole graphic. “Take out the third sidebar” in a web site can mean hours of coding to make everything flow nicely again.
It’s because professional artists and designers do things on purpose. Sure, we’re weird. We’re full of creative whimsy and let faeries sprinkle lollipop dust over our sugary cereals. But we plan things and pay attention to stuff like “That second l in lollipop is too close to the faerie’s foot.” Insane, but true.
So take some time reviewing the rough sketch. It’s not calculus, there are just a few things to keep in mind:
- It’s rough. Duh, but don’t get caught up in minor details. Placeholder. Placeholder. Placeholder.
- Ask questions. It’s your chance! “Why is the word ‘Fantasy’ smaller than ‘Demon’? Does it have to be?”
- Make sure the rough jibes with the concept you discussed. If something’s new or different, ask. It could be a mistake. This is a good time for catching a few mistakes.
See what I mean? It’s not complicated and it mostly involves clarifying things. You don’t have to run it through a spacial analyzer, just participate in the process.
Don’t forget to have fun
Um, it’s design. It’s not a UN council discussion. Hopefully you’ve hired an artist you feel good about working with, so reviewing the work should be at least a few steps above having your wisdom teeth extracted. One can get too serious about these things. I don’t know why, but one can. Whoever one is.
Whether it’s written concepts, sketched roughs, or a wireframe, it’s all communication about your thing. Keep the lines open. Your experience and the results will be better for it.
Next up: What are you trying to prove?
This is a *fantastic* article! I wish every client I ever get would come here and read this article first – it explains so much better than I ever do about the whole “rough” process, and how artists actually *want* as much input from the client as we can get. Thanks for getting this (incredibly important) point across!
This is a *fantastic* article! I wish every client I ever get would come here and read this article first – it explains so much better than I ever do about the whole “rough” process, and how artists actually *want* as much input from the client as we can get. Thanks for getting this (incredibly important) point across!