Change happens. Usually it’s for the best, but as a business owner you may feel that there’s room for improvement even post-launch of your new website. And that’s fine; it’s your site, if you want something changed in the text, asking for that prior to the site’s launch is acceptable. Revisions and rounds of changes are a necessary part of the design process for website, logo, and print design.
One thing that’s guaranteed to bring a design project to a screeching halt though is when the revisions get to be…well, endless. It’s not that your revisions are unreasonable; the issue may be that too many arise for even you to count.
How many rounds of changes should you ask for, then? It’s your website, certainly, but it’s worth knowing about the revision process as a whole before asking someone to build your website or get a logo or printed materials designed for your company. Here are some tips to streamline that necessary process.
Before Your Website Project Begins
Anytime a new website project begins should be exactly when you’re doing a few things: 1) getting to know your website team, 2) learning about their process of web design, and 3) discussing with your developer team the contract between you and them. Every agency should have some kind of a budget or contract outlined that explains what a round of revisions means exactly and what’s required of the client when it comes to reaching the end goal, which is the new website or logo. Some agencies like ours are a little more flexible when it comes to building websites in that it’s fine to ask for revisions, but keep in mind that certain limitations may arise if you’re not careful.
The revision process is not a one-way street when it comes to developing new websites and logos; it’s a two-way one. In order to keep your web team on track, you are going to have to be organized from the beginning. It’s always a great idea if you’re not sure about how the process works to have it explained to you. It’s not an unreasonable thing to ask for, and more often than not your agency will be glad to help you along with the process.
How Many Rounds is Too Many?
It’s not uncommon for rounds of revisions to happen in any creative project. Usually 1-3 rounds of edits can be made in order to really nail the content of the work involved, whether it’s written content and how it may appear on the website or colour changes to your new logo in development. It’s worth mentioning that if you have any uncertainties about the way your website functions and looks pre-launch to mention it to your designer team before the official launch. That way, if you do want to apply changes, they happen in a way that won’t affect the site’s overall performance or force the logo design project to grind to a halt.
Articulating Your Brand’s Voice in Content
If you already know that new content is needed for your website, you can request for rewrites from the get-go. Naturally, one round of revisions should be looked over by you, the business owner, because a) you’re the one who is being represented in this content, and b) if the content doesn’t reflect your brand or it’s going in the wrong direction, then obviously you should say to your design team to “Please fix this”. A second round should be made for the sake of applying your revisions as well as proofreading for any last-minute errors that weren’t pick up on in the first round.
This sort of aspect of a website is easier to do now than ever since most websites are built as CMS (content management system) platforms but don’t take it for granted that everything is drag and drop or copy and paste. Pages may be made from many modules, content areas, and have specific styles or formatting implemented. That’s why it’s important to be sure you are organized from the beginning. It keeps your project moving and doesn’t result in unexpected extra costs. Be sure to pay close attention when the content involves your logo and printed materials, however.
Determining Brand Colours and Logo Changes
One of the best tips for this is to know what colours and designs you DO like. Sometimes knowing this before going into the revision process can help everyone stay on track with the project and tasks at hand. Be sure to include everything from the get-go before the initial stage of designing your website or logo or print materials. For more info about what you will need beforehand, you can refer to our previous blog post on the subject. Again, this is recommended in order to streamline the entire process, not delay it.
Other Tips that May Help You During This Time
- Take a look at your competition’s designs; what sticks out to you the most? Are there elements you really admire? Are there aspects you’d rather not have for your company? Do you think you have an edge over them in some regard?
- Make your desired wants and needs VERY clear from the start. Think of it like ordering food from a restaurant; if you ordered a bowl of soup and instead received a steak, then of course it’s completely acceptable to request a revision. If that bowl of soup came out exactly as you wanted but you realize you want something else, even though the new bowl of soup is fine, that’s when the line of requests can start to wear on everyone, especially yourself. Simply put: the more you know exactly what you want, the less likely you’re going to want to ask for several revisions to your website, and the faster things will progress.
- Make your boundaries clear. Tell your designers if there are any aspects to your current website that you absolutely don’t want to change; if change is in fact needed, then a compromise (also a very normal part of the revision process) may need to be discussed between yourself and your designer.
- Set a clear budget. Like we said, some companies are flexible when it comes to making revisions, others may have it outlined in their contract to pay up for said revisions if they exceed a certain amount. If your budget won’t allow that, it may be best to say thanks but no thanks and find someone else.
- 1-3 rounds of revisions are usually a good amount of changes to ask of your designers. Any more than that and you’re stepping into the poor restaurant experience example outlined above. If you think you may really need more, make it clear from the beginning and expect to adjust your budget accordingly.
- Ask for necessary revisions at around the same time. Hemming and hawing will only delay the newness you want your company to present to the world, and asking for one revision after the next adds a lot of extra work to other people’s plates—perhaps more work than you can afford to pay for. By asking for what you want at the same time, you save everyone a lot of frustration and time.
By keeping all of the above revision etiquette in mind, you’ll get through all of the rounds of changes needed during your project’s development fast, whichever design it may be. The end result will be a website or logo that we’re sure you’ll be very happy with!
If you want to put these tips into action for your current design or website project, give our professional team a call. We’re happy to help you every step of the way.