7 Things You Need To Know Before Hiring a Graphic Designer
- Choose Like You’re In It For The Long Haul Read More
- The Details Need To Be In Writing Read More
- Make Sure You Like The Style Read More
- Go With Experience Read More
- Know Who’s Doing The Work Read More
- It’s OK To Ask For References Read More
- Discussing Cost Is Easier Than You Think Read More
1) Choose Like You’re In It For The Long Haul
Many business owners try to resolve to a long-term challenge and focus only on short-term cost. They think “I need a logo and brochure tomorrow and they need to be as cheap as possible”. This means looking for a designer who's cheap, chasing the price for every project, and sacrificing quality and consistency.
Chasing a bargain when dealing with something so important as your brand is almost certain to be detrimental to your sucess and growth. Customers are constantly comparing you and your competitors based on visual perception. If they perceive you don’t value your image, they won’t value it either.
Designers who take on piece-meal jobs generally don’t put much emotional investment in the long-term success of your business. Unless you’re in the beginning phase of a long-term partnership, the piece-meal designer hasn’t invested time in researching your business. He or she doesn’t know the needs, goals, and visions you want for your business, and, most importantly, what your competitors are doing.
An excellent long-term relationship with good communication is vital to your company’s branding. Your designer projects your image in a creative way that promotes your business and makes you feel good about how your business looks.
Choose someone who will partner and collaborate with you on the goals, plans, and strategies for your business, while researching your competitors and learning about your customers’ needs. Your designer will pay attention to the small but often overlooked details, such as fonts, colors, printing and paper, which can ultimately affect your brand’s appearance.
Work toward long-term image management and overall brand consistency. Each designer has his or her own tecnhiques, so maintaining that consisency is what brands your company. Show your customers the value of a solid partnership set the example by starting with a solid partnership with your designer.
2) The Details Need To Be In Writing.
We’ve all heard horror stories of designers taking payment and not providing the service. A contract or agreement may seem intimidating and unnecessary, but it’s the best way to make sure the job is done the way it was agreed upon in the beginning.
Oftentimes, the project's details are forgotten or misunderstood. It’s usually simple human error, but it can end up making you feel like your designer doesn't care. Having the job requirements in writing gives you and your designer something to reference if questions come up and both parties will understand what they’re getting into.
Your agreement should state such things as who keeps the copyright, printing costs, who’s ordering the printing, production schedule, what happens if the job is canceled, how the job will be priced if it goes beyond the scope of the agreement, the payment terms and what type of payment is accepted.
3) Make Sure You Like The Style
Look at the portfolios of several designers. Style is one of the biggest factors in seeking a designer. His or her style should reflect your vision. If you’re opening a flower shop, you wouldn’t want to work with a designer who’s style is full of dark images and heavy typography. It would be very difficult to obtain the look you envision. However, if you’re opening a comic book shop, it might be a perfect match.
4) Go With Experience
A designer with many years in the business will be more expensive than someone who just graduated design school. He or she will also have the experience needed to take your branding to the next level and stay with you through all phases of growth, so the real cost may be less than if you go with the cheapest deal. A less experienced designer can make beginner mistakes, spending precious time on revisions, require more attention from you, and ultimately cost you more in the long run in wasted time and money.
In addition to experience, it’s a good idea to find out how long they’ve been living and working in the area. You’ll have to start the search process all over if your designer decides to move.
5) Know Who’s Doing The Work
Some firms “farm out” the job, meaning they hire workers who may or may not provide the level of expertise you were expecting. Your jobs may get passed from designer to designer. Consistency may be compromised and it may be difficult to know the status of your jobs.
You will most likely get more attention with a small agency. If you’re working with a small firm, make sure they are capable of meeting your deadlines.
6) It’s OK To Ask For References
Make sure your designer isn’t leaving a trail of unhappy customers. Afterall, you’re collaborating with with this person and the ultimate goal is the success of your business.
Are they willing to work with you on your vision, or are they stubborn, wanting it their way? You more than just a “pair of hands”, but they need to be flexible and help you with your goals. Your designer should be knowledgeble enough to make suggestions, provide creative problem solving, and offer constructive criticism.
There should be a mutual respect for deadlines. It should be a rare occasion that the designer misses the deadline. On the other hand, great work doesn't come quickly and your designer will need plenty of time to create your masterpiece. Neither of you want the work "slapped out” at the expense of sacrificing quality.
7) Discussing Cost Is Easier Than You Think.
When searching for a designer, don’t base your decision entirely on the short-term cost. Instead, look at the bigger picture and stay focused on your business image as a whole.
A question we hear all the time is “how much do you charge for a [insert item here]”. This question is like asking a home builder how much it costs to build a house. It can be built any size and with the basics or lots of upgrades. It's important to know what you want before giving you price.
Some things to consider:
Research the going rate in your area. You may be very surprised at how wide the range is. New designers may charge as little as $15 per hour, while large agencies can go over $200 per hour. For quality, start looking at the mid-range and go up as your budget allows and need require. Many designers will estimate the job's total cost based on the number of hours it will take. This will give you an idea of the project price and remove the the fear of the unknown hourly rate.
After researching portfolios, talk to your top two or three favorite designers about your project. It will help to know your price range before your meeting. If you aren’t sure, ask how previous projects were priced. If you need to work within a specific budget, ask if that can be done. If the design is more important to you than the price, talk about your ideas and how many concepts you’d like to see. An estimate can be based around the number of concepts.
Some designers will undercut or low-ball the job, trying to get the edge over another designer. These low-ballers may be more concerned with getting your money than they are about the well-being of your business. The longevity of the relationship may be compromised from the beginning, because they aren’t able to devote the time needed to invest in your business. When you are looking for a relationship that will ideally span many years, both parties need to benefit.
Remember, you ultimately get what you pay for. Be open about your needs and limitations. A great designer will work with you on every level.