How to Find and Hire the Best Graphic Designer for Your Project
There's no shortage of creative talent, but most are wasted on projects that don't need them. This guide will walk you through every step of finding, vetting and hiring the best graphic designer for your project.
Hiring a professional graphic designer to work on your project can seem like a luxury when you're on a tight budget. In reality, hiring a graphic designer can help save you thousands over a year—and even prevent costly mistakes.
Not only that, but a well-designed logo will help you establish your brand, attract more customers and increase your profits. But how do you find an excellent graphic designer, and how can you ensure you hire the best one for your needs?
I'll help you avoid common mistakes by showing you where to find the best graphic designer and how to hire them.
Table of Contents
Freelance vs In-house
There are two main types of graphic designers: Freelance and in-house.
The majority of businesses don't require an in-house designer. This is especially true for startups and small businesses operating with nominal and often limited budgets.
In-house designers work exclusively for your brand, meaning they will get to know it inside out. They know how to create an accurate graphical representation of your brand and its values, and as an added benefit, they are always available to your company.
However, in-house designers need to be paid regardless of whether your company has any actual design work in progress. Furthermore, they will often have a set capacity, which can become tricky when the workload becomes too high.
On the other hand, freelance designers are paid for by the project. You can hire them for a specific project based on their style and specialisation and only when and if you have any design needs. However, a freelance designer cannot and will not be as familiar and invested with your brand as an in-house designer.
They require a detailed briefing to paint an accurate picture and finding one isn't always as easy as it sounds. Additionally, you have to consider that freelance designers might be unable to join every company meeting or take on a last-minute task that needs to be finished quickly.
The good news is that you don't have to choose one or the other exclusively unless you want to. You can have an in-house designer at all times and hire freelance designers to help out with heavy workloads and approaching deadlines.
The option you choose will be dictated solely by your company's needs and is highly singular. Now that's done, let's discuss some things you should look out for when hiring a designer.
Outline the scope of your project
Before you even begin looking for a graphic designer, you must specify your needs accurately. What is it you're looking for? Do you need a logo? A website? Alternatively, do you want to develop a brand identity?
You can easily find a logo designer, but building a website requires both a designer and a web developer.
Building a Brand identity is hardly a one-person job, and you might want to consider going for an agency or a dedicated team. There's no point in hiring general graphic designers when your needs are highly particular. Always go for specialists in their specific fields. This ensures the quality of the final product and drastically reduces the risk of poor performance or missed deadlines.
Prepare a list of tasks that need to be accomplished, as well as a list of the services necessary to achieve them and then and only then can you start looking for the best graphic designer.
Find the right type
Besides the main difference between freelance and in-house designers, there are other, more significant differences. For example, there are:
- Brand identity designers
- Logo Designers
- Motion designers
- Mobile app designers
- Packaging designers
- UX designers
- Web designers, etc.
Graphic design is a broad term, and the number of specialities increases as the demands, tools, and technologies involved change over time. The last thing you'd want is to miss a deadline because you hired a package designer to build you a high-converting website.
Know precisely what you require and search for it accordingly. Avoid thinking about graphic design as a one-size-fits-all industry; instead, know what you're looking for and have reasonable expectations.
Where to look?
When looking for the best graphic designer, remember a few things. You can search for specific designers by location, such as the United States, Europe, or by name, but there's another way to find the right designer.
The graphic design industry is constantly growing, so you need to consider the kind of projects you'd like to see completed and the required skill level. Are you looking for an expert designer with experience in branding and designing logos or a beginner who's new to the industry? What about the style of design you prefer – contemporary, traditional or futuristic? There's no one answer for every project, so take some time to consider the projects you'd like to see done.
It's also worth considering your available budget, as the price of hiring a graphic designer varies depending on the project. Are you working with a small business? Then you'll need to take this into account when you're looking for a graphic designer.
Suppose you are working with a more significant business. In that case, it's also worth considering whether you want a designer who works with just one or two companies or someone who can cover the whole of your organisation.
Another thing to remember when looking for a graphic designer is the style of design you want. Is it something bold and colourful? Something sleek and modern? A combination of the two? Whatever you're looking for in a graphic designer, you'll need to discuss the style you prefer so they can understand what you're after. This will help you decide whether they are the right designer.
If you're looking for the best graphic designer specialising in logo design, you'll need to check whether they are a member of AIGA. This is a great place to learn more about the different areas of graphic design.
As well as looking at the different categories of graphic design, there's another critical factor to consider when looking for a graphic designer. Ask yourself what you need. Will you be happy to work with a designer with only basic graphic design knowledge? Or do you need to work with someone with a degree in graphic design?
You also need to consider the size of the company you're working with. Is it possible to work with a designer who will handle a small project part-time? Or are you looking for a more prominent firm that has a team of graphic designers?
You'll often need to consider the size of the company you're working with regarding the number of employees. As well as this, you may need to consider whether the company has a particular set of rules about the graphic design you want.
Ask about their approach to the process of graphic design. Do they follow a set formula, or do they make decisions about what they want, work to a schedule and then present you with their work?
Ultimately, you need to be honest about what you need from a graphic designer. Ask yourself what you expect of the person you're working with and what you want them to do.
There are plenty of graphic designers out there who are looking to work with new clients. Some graphic designers offer you a free quote. It's essential to think about the quality of the work and how they will go about providing you with the service you need.
The Best Graphic Designer is?
What qualities do you look for in a graphic designer? Is there a certain kind of person you would be the happiest working with?
We live in a world bombarded with information all day long. We need to be able to cut through all of the noise and find the information we want to read. It's not always possible to see what is going on in our lives, but with social media, we can get a glimpse of what's happening around us.
I constantly look at things I read and see how I can apply them to my business and personal life. So here are five things I am looking for in a graphic designer.
1 – They're creative and have great ideas
A graphic designer needs to be creative. We can all create website designs and use images from the internet to enhance our blogs. However, we can't just take images off the internet and expect them to be as good as ones designed by a professional.
When looking at a website, you need to look at the pictures and logos; they should all have been created by someone who understands what is required. There should be various images and a clear message to the reader about what is being communicated.
2 – They have experience
When designers look at a website, they look at how to best use the available space. They will examine what elements to include and what colours, text and images will work together.
They will know about creating web pages, which will help them create graphics for social media sites and marketing campaigns.
3 – They have skills
The most important part of being a graphic designer has the skills to create amazing graphics. A good designer will use the latest software, such as Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator. These programs will allow them to design layouts for print and online sites.
A designer can see the images' quality and arrangement when looking at a site. The design will be neat and clean and communicate clearly to the reader.
4 – They are reliable
This is probably the most critical aspect of a graphic designer. They need to be reliable if they are going to work on your project.
They need to know what they are doing and not be afraid to ask questions. They must be prepared to give accurate estimates and stick to them.
5 – They are friendly
If you are looking at a website, you want a designer who is going to help you and who is going to make your life easier. They aren't a good fit if you have to chase them down, and they don't respond to emails or calls quickly.
It would help if you had someone approachable and to whom you could speak. It is much better to have a designer who is open and honest about their mistakes than one who pretends they don't make any.
In summary, an excellent graphic designer is easy to work with; they are reliable, have great ideas, have experience and have the skills to create stunning images.
Conclusion
Finding the best graphic designer for your business can be challenging, especially when dealing with a limited budget and complex projects. Communication between both parties is crucial, as you're hiring more than just a set of skills.
You're hiring a creative person who might breathe new life into your company through a simple logo, a sophisticated website, or anything in between.
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