Writers and Designers, For Designers

When a designer asks me, “How do I work with a Copywriter? The most obvious answer comes to mind, how do you want to work with them? This conversation has come up a surprising number of times at AIGA Los Angeles meetings. While there are no absolutes, dialog is the key component to successful collaboration.

Partnership makes the work better and the experience more enjoyable.

Let’s go back a bit.

Part of the reason I’ve been involved with AIGA in practically every city I’ve lived or worked is because that’s where my tribe is…not writers, I’m talking about Designers and Art Directors. As a Copywriter I very rarely work without a creative partner — It may be at the start, middle and/or end of a project. Partnership makes the work better and the experience more enjoyable, and it comes in many forms.

The incredibly oversimplified role of a copywriter is to develop ideas — just like designers. Our toolbox may be different, but in the bigger scheme of things we’re all working to engage our audience and advance the objective of the assignment. Sound familiar?

(Insert infographic or pull quote or image or cartoon to break up the constant flow of copy…examples of how design can increase the readability of a longwinded, stream-of-consciousness piece such as this. Also, copywriters sometimes like to put asides to their work, to explain their thinking, provide thought starters or just entertain themselves.)

As a designer leading a project, if you’re bringing on a Copywriter to work with you there are a number of ways to make your life and interaction easier. Set expectations early — what are the deliverables, deadlines and are there any style considerations. Provide a well thought out brief that can serve as a test against creative, and have all parties go back to the brief frequently to make sure what you’re making is on strategy and fulfilling promises. Who knows, while researching or working the problem you may even find that the brief needs to be revised.

A writer is your ultimate wing-man, bridging the gap between what the client wants to say and how the audience wants to hear it.

There are a variety of work approaches that exist. I have creative partners who want me to fill in the word blanks for their creative visions. Some want me to drive the conversation providing complete concept, text and even suggested visual approaches. Many more enjoy a back-and-forth exchange where the ideas get bigger, more focused and smarter. Some people can only work one way. Some people refuse to work any other way than their chosen approach. There is no one answer. We make the choice to work together, visualize and verbalize what the routine will look like beforehand and the chances of it going wrong will reduce greatly.

Regardless of the way you want to work or the way you agree to work, remember to have fun. As communicators we are lucky to work in a field that allows us to play, dream and explore. A good writer will provide text that fosters mood, is easy to understand and provides structure to the story that needs to be told. We elevate visuals and create dynamics using pacing techniques and word play. A writer is your ultimate wing-man, bridging the gap between what the client wants to say and how the audience wants to hear it. Plus, that crazy idea you want to pitch but are worried it will get shut down, we’ve got your back and will get behind fleshing it out so it has a chance.

So how do you want to work with them?