Take your time as you explore the variety of designers available to you
Let’s face it, there are a lot of creative people out there to choose from. Anyone with the right equipment could be a potential candidate and it can seem quite daunting and intimidating. You’ll likely receive a number of inquiries when you start putting the word out that you’re looking for someone to work on a project. Here are a few guidelines to help you make that search a little bit easier.
1. Do a little brainstorming first so you know what you’re looking for
Having a basic understanding of the types of skills you’re looking for is helpful so that you know what to ask for and can correctly interpret the proposals you receive. Figure out what you have to provide the designer and what you need. Do you have a high res logo? Any photography? How about a general look to your marketing? All these pieces get taken into consideration when the designer puts together a price estimate for you. The more they know ahead of time, the more accurate of an estimate you will receive.
2. Identify your style and match it to your candidates
Just like you, every designer has a different style. Take a look thru portfolios and determine the range of style for each designer you’re considering. While most designers have a range, they typically exude common design elements throughout their designs. It also helps to know the demographics of your end user as well. So if you’re product is targeted to 13 year old girls, perhaps a designer who is very industrial and loves working in black and white isn’t the best choice for you.
3. Be clear with your goals and expectations
Every successful project starts by providing as much background information to the designer as possible. Sharing deadlines and potential obstacles upfront makes sure that the designer can plan accordingly and have contingency plans put in place. They can also make sure all of these things are included in their proposal up front. That way everyone is on the same page from the beginning.
4. Be honest in your opinions
I often find it useful when a client is brutally honest with me. There’s a “getting to know you phase” when you first work with a new client. You learn each other’s idiosyncrasies as over time so it’s very important that you let the designer know what you actually think. It’s a waste of everyone’s time for the designer to continue multiple rounds of changes on a design that you just dislike just because you were afraid you’d hurt their feelings by criticizing their work. I want you to be happy with our work and display it proudly. After all, your satisfaction is the most important!
5. Ask a colleague for a referral
I’ve been at this for over 20 years. 99.99% of the work I’ve gotten has been because of a referral from someone else. It might be because I deal mostly in magazines and catalogs, but it seems like trusting a designer is a very sacred thing. Ask other people in your network to give you a recommendation on who they’ve used in the past. It’s at least a starting point from which to begin!
6. Don’t base your decision on price alone
I know designers whose rates range from $25/hour to $150/hour. That’s a drastically wide range! A lot of it depends on how much experience a person has. Designers who haven’t been on their own for very long might not have all the skills you need for your project.
7. Take the designer’s hardware and software into consideration
Just like us humans, as they age, computers get a little bit slower and less reliable. Ask your designer what their environment is like. Older computers and older versions of software might mean that they’re a little slower than their counterparts. Also inquire about their backup system. Make sure they regularly back things up so that in the event of a data loss, you have something to fall back on and don’t have to start over.
8. Make sure your personalities mesh
Communication is key when it comes to the relationship between a designer and a client. If you’re on the same wavelength, you’ll most likely have an easier time talking about what you’re looking for in a project. And why not make it a fun experience to work with someone you like!
The biggest thing to remember when choosing a graphic designer is that the designer’s overall creativity and work style are just as important as their skills, if not more so. You won’t find these things on a resume so you’ll have to expend a little bit of energy trying to discover who they are.
