If you have a business, no matter what kind of business it is, you would know for a fact that graphic design is essential in making your business succeed. No matter how great your product or service is, if your visuals do not look professional or looks amateur, gaining on sales would be a tough task. The first impression of a company rests on how its visuals or marketing collaterals look. This includes everything that is designed for the company, from business cards, letterheads, logo, posters, brochures, flyers, print ads, catalogues, packaging designs and website design. Make no mistake, these do not stop with the beginning of your company, instead it’s cycle. When you introduce new visuals to your market, it excites them. Your old customers may revisit you and you can also gain some new ones.
For those of you who already have a resident graphic designer, you would know how critical the designs are because graphic design can either hurt your business or help your business succeed. If you are planning to look for a new graphic designer or if it’s your first time, here are some tips on how to select a good graphic designer.
Selecting a Graphic Designer: Where Do I Start?
It’s relatively easy to do an initial search. You can search for graphic designers through the internet. Another option is through referral, that is by asking your friends or colleagues for graphic designers that they’ve used. Once you’ve got a lot of options, here are some things that you need to check-on to cut down your list. Think of it as your shortlist of candidates.
1. Portfolio
The first thing that you can look at is the portfolio of the graphic designer. Through their portfolio, you can see what they’ve done in the past so you can check if they’ve had experience with the project that you plan to do. In their portfolio, you’d also be able to check on their graphic design and determine if their style suits yours. Of course, different designers have different styles and although some would be great for other people, it might not be the case for you. For graphic design firms, insist on looking at a specific designer’s portfolio if possible.
2. Web Design
Although most graphic designers would usually know how to design a website or has experience in web design (or vice-versa), there are some who can only do either. So if you’re planning to do a project that has web design or web development in it, check for both designs and actual websites they’ve made and the software or language that they are familiar with so that you can be sure that they can deliver your website perfectly.
3. Concept Designs
This is more for those who already have a graphic designer in mind that they’d hire. Before pushing through with any project, always have an agreement with the designer on how many concept designs it is that he will submit. Remember, a good graphic designer will submit various concept designs so that you have options to choose from. Also ask, what would be the “plan B” if you don’t find anything that you like from the concepts he submitted?
4. Does Your Graphic Designer Know How To Listen?
This is something that we cannot quantify. Let’s just put it this way, your graphic designer must be able to listen to you so that he’ll be able to understand and deliver what you want. Even though a designer has great graphic design skills, if he doesn’t know how to listen, he will prove to be useless and end up wasting your precious time.
5. Look For References
This is one thing that you should check up on! Ask for his references and actually spend some time calling these people up. Ask about how well he works, how fast he is and the like. This is also your way verifying that he’s legit.
6. Budget and Rate
Of course, as with anything, you need to check if you can afford the graphic designer that you want to work with. Check on the designer’s rates. Is it a per project basis, per hour, per day? Nevertheless, compare these prices with your other prospective designers. Weigh it out versus your budget and their skills. No matter how they charge, the main question to ask them regarding this, how much?
There you go! Just remember, take the time and be patient when finding the best person to do your graphic designs because the success of your company will rely heavily on the products that you and your graphic designer produces.
Did I miss out on anything? If you have more tips or comments or even questions, leave it out in the comment box. I’d love to hear them!
