All businesses need design and therefore a designer. Maybe you’re a small business just starting out, or an established business looking for a fresh take on things. The decision to hire a new designer can appear challenging, but don’t worry – here are 3 things you should look for when hiring a graphic designer.
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Experience
A graphic designer with experience will have great conceptual skill. They will be able to take your vision, that starts as just a vague concept of an idea and turn it into outstanding design, that is even better than what you were imagining in your head.
An experienced designer will have worked with clients from a range of industries and will know what works best in each sector. They will be able to take all the knowledge they have learned from past projects and help incorporate that into work they do for you, creating high-quality final designs that generate sales.
Like with most things in life, the more you do something the better you get at it. Graphic design is no different. Experience builds skill, knowledge, and confidence. A designer with a good amount of experience will be more likely to meet the needs of your business and be able to add value by contributing ideas that will help its growth.
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Expertise
Graphic design requires expertise. There’s a big difference between a £20 logo you can get online and one that’s been thought through, to be customised for your business in the most effective way possible.
A cheap online designer may have experience but will put out massive quantities of low quality work as quickly as possible to make money. An expert graphic designer will know the best and most compelling way to communicate your message and your business products or services to your customers. They will research how your audience behaves and what your competition is doing to come up with creative and effective marketing solutions for your business.
A design agency has the advantage over a freelancer when it comes to expertise as they will normally consist of a team made up of skilled designers that specialise in various areas of design such as web, print or UI/UX. By choosing a designer that can provide expertise in more than one area of design, you can ensure you are able to get all your design work done in one place. This will keep your business design materials consistent and save you time and money.
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Testimonials
Reviews and recommendations from others can be useful when making the decision of who to trust with your businesses design work. They can prove a designers’ reputation and credibility. When spending any amount of your businesses budget you want to know you are getting your money’s worth. Testimonials can add authenticity and put your mind at rest, as you know that you will get the service you have been promised.
A glowing review can reduce any worries you may have about your designer being able to understand and meet the needs of your company. They can also provide insight into the designer as a person, how good their communication skills are, how easy they are to work with, and their work ethic.
There are a number of places you can get reviews from. You may have been given a word of mouth recommendation by someone you know personally and trust. If this is not the case most design agencies have reviews on Google or their website. Google can often be better to get a true picture of the designer as they do not have a choice in the reviews shown.
The quest to find the best designer for your business isn’t easy and not something that should be taken lightly. You should thoroughly research any contenders and look out for the 3 above-mentioned things to ensure you find the ideal fit for your business.