Many designers strive to deliver high quality work. Chances are that it’s mentioned at least once on every agency or freelancers ‘about us’ page. We all like to think it’s one of our core values and yet everybody is human and at some stage mistakes or familiarity can creep in. So how can we ensure we deliver top quality, on time, every time?

I like to say that my work never compromises on quality. That the experience I’ve gained and the time I devote to projects sets it apart from the crowd. Hopefully that is true but is quality something that can be learned? Is it an attitude or are there concrete ways to make sure every project is as good as it can possibly be?

Recently I was challenged by a minor text error in an internal project. It was probably something that only 10% of readers might pick up on, but I knew it was there. I couldn’t in good conscience say that I had a keen eye for detail and devotion to delivering work without compromise whilst allowing mistakes like that to go unchecked. A reprint swiftly followed.

I was alarmed that something like that could happen. I spent some time thinking through my design processes and the checks that I use to ensure the highest quality. I thought I’d share them with you – hope you find them helpful.

Standard Checks
If you don’t already use spelling and grammar checks on final text then you should stop reading this! It’s an obvious tool but often just gets forgotten. Don’t rely on spellcheckers to heavily though. If you’re not concentrating then a correctly spelled word can soon be replaced with another word that means something completely different.

It’s also worth developing a checklist for print work that ensures all your images are the correct format, resolution and colour mode etc. Have you got the right amount of bleed? Speak to your printer too, you may learn ways to improve the artwork you provide and speed up the process.

This tactic doesn’t just apply to print work though. Take time to develop a mini checklist of the simple, obvious things that must be done every time for all regular jobs.

Double-check everything! Make sure you ALWAYS print out a copy of what you’re working on. It’s far easier to spot mistakes on paper.

Show & Tell
If you work on your own it’s essential to get outside feedback on any project. I have a small group of friends, designers and random folk that I’ll always ask for their opinion. The important thing is that those people are similar to your target market and that they know you well enough to not spare your feelings.

Ask The Right Questions
The key to getting good feedback is asking the right questions. It’s more comfortable to ask ‘Is this alright?’ or ‘Is this good enough?’ to which the answer is usually ‘Yeah, it’s fine’. What we should be asking as designers striving to raise quality is ‘How can this be even better?’ In today’s world good enough is no longer good enough and certainly not if excellence is your benchmark.

The Best Of The Best
I once read something interesting in Marks & Spencer’s brand guidelines. When talking about photographs they said ‘If we need a photo of an apple, we must make sure it’s the best photo of an apple we can possibly create’. That attitude of giving your best effort to every small mundane detail is critical.

Far too many designers are heavily reliant on stock imagery due to budget and time constraints but this is not always the answer. Are you using the best photo, the best materials or suppliers for the project in question? Working with excellent people will always help you to raise your game.

The Last Minute
This one may seem obvious but if you’ve quoted two days on a job, spend two days on that job. Even if you stumble on what might seem like a good solution after an hour or two doesn’t mean you might not find something even better if you push on and give each job the time it deserves.

And fair enough, you might not make a quick buck on jobs that could potentially be rushed through. But in terms of retaining your integrity and assuring value, it’s far more worthwhile to take the time.

One More Thing
No matter how big or small, try to go the extra mile on every project. Do one more thing that makes a difference. Give that little bit extra. Raise the bar. It helps clients remember you and appreciate what you’ve delivered. It will also get you noticed by other potential clients.

There have also been a few bumps in the road that have helped me clarify the reasons why I have my own design process, why I only present a single solution and why certain jobs take time and need that time to develop and be refined.

Design Cubicle have a really interesting interview with Steve Jobs, discussing the relationship with his designer Paul Rand who created the Apple logo. What is clear is how much value Steve placed on his designer getting to know the organisation, developing a realtionship of trust and most importantly that the designer was a business problem solver first and foremost.

You can view the interview HERE. There are also another couple of articles I found both helpful and reassuring: ‘Ten logo design tips from the field’ and ‘Do you want fries with that logo’.

Most people will only commission a project like that once in their career so it’s vital that they know what to expect and what is expected of them. Obviously in order to lead anyone, you need to understand the journey. Vandaley Design recently published an interesting article on developing a client process (HERE). Whilst it focuses on web work and is at times quite loose when it comes to pricing I think it’s a good framework.

Every designer has a process and a way of working that they believe is best and suits themselves and their clients. What is really critical however, is standardising those processes and sharing them with your client. Not only does it take the mystery out of the creative process it also helps to build trust which is so key to any partnership. Obviously some processes are too in-depth but it’s a good idea to create a client-facing version to answer any questions that they may have. Things like ‘What deliverables can I expect?’, ‘What is the usual timeframe?’ and ‘What do you need from me to create a successful solution?’

(via Logo Design Love)

I’d love to quote the whole article but you can read it HERE.

“Creativity must be present at every level of every artistic and technical part of the organization…The view that good ideas are rarer and more valuable than good people is rooted in a misconception of creativity.”

“If you give a good idea to a mediocre team, they’ll screw it up. But if you give a mediocre idea to a great team, they’ll make it work.”

Ed doesn’t believe that Pixar’s success has anything to do with luck, rather in their adherence in a set of principles and practices for managing talent and risk. Creating a community in the true sense of the word. Those principles are;

1. Everyone must have the freedom to communicate with anyone.

“The impulse to tightly control the process is understandable… [but] the most efficient way to deal with problems is to trust people to work it out with each other”

2. It must be safe for everyone to offer ideas.

“We’re constantly showing work in progress internally… Showing unfinished work each day liberates people to take risks and try new things because it doesn’t have to be perfect… We make a concerted effort to make it safe to criticize… regardless of discipline or position.”

“Managers need to learn that it’s OK to walk into a meeting and be surprised”

3. We must stay close to innovations happening in the academic community.

“We strongly encourage our technical artists to publish their research. Publishing may give away ideas, but it keeps us connected with the academic community. This connection is worth far more that the ideas we may have revealed: It helps us attract exceptional talent and reinforces the belief throughout the company that people are more important than idea.”

Click here to read the full article.