How to Choose the Right Designer for YOU

You’re ready to take the leap. You want to find a graphic designer who can make all your business materials look professional and amazing. You’ve pinterest-ed a bunch of pretty photos and logos and fonts, but now what?

How do you actually find a graphic designer that you want to work with? One who gets your passion and vision. One whose style meshes with what you envision for you business? Where is that person??

Not every designer is made equal. Naturally, some designers focus on certain aspects of the industry. Some are experts at branding, others know packaging inside & out and then there’s the web designers. You’ll want to find someone who can provide you with most of what you are looking for. Logo & brand design? Website? Need packaging for that amazing new product you’re about to launch?

Here’s what I suggest:

Ask other businesses

Know of any other small businesses or entrepreneurs in your area that used a professional designer to help them with their launch? Word of mouth recommendations are usually pretty solid. If you like what the designer did for their business, then you’ll probably like what they can do for yours.

Look online

Okay, try not to get overwhelmed. But online is a great tool to use when looking for a potential designer. Use google to do a search in your area (or just a search in general!), make sure you check out the designer’s portfolio (these days, almost everyone has one online). Social media is another amazing way to get in touch with someone. Reach out to your social network and see who they recommend. Because global nature of the internet, you could potentially work with a designer from anywhere in the world!

I find Instagram to be the best platform to search for creative entrepreneurs. I have found a number of talented people just from a simple search. And it’s so easy to connect with them, you can build a rapport even before you decide to work together.

Focus on a specific expertise

While I wish I was well-versed in the packaging industry or even better at building websites, I am not. Because most of my past clients have not required that of me, I haven’t had a chance to learn very much about it. But what I am good at is branding and logo design, marketing materials and print collateral.

Look at it this way, you’re not going to hire a newborn photographer to shoot your wedding (or vice versa) so you need to look at hiring a designer in the same way. You want someone who can expertly help you create whatever it is you need for you business.

Know what you want

Almost every designer dreads the question “So what do you think you will do?”. (At least I do.) While a few people may be able come up with a doodle on the spot that is amazing, most of us can not. Personally, I like to take all that information that you’ve just tossed at me, let it soak in and think about it. So it’s important that you, as the business owner, have an idea of what you are looking for and to convey that information to your designer. And I’m not talking the exact image of your logo but it is helpful for the designer to know what your business does, who your target audience is and what styles you prefer.

Price

All things being equal, you would likely choose the better price. But not every designer is going to have the same personality,  expertise or skill. You will want to find someone that you can easily communicate with, that understands your needs and whose aesthetic vibes with what you’re trying to create. So when you’re considering the price, make sure you consider the whole package too.

Don’t get overwhelmed by the amount of choices out there in the world. It’s easy to stick local by grabbing recommendations from other entrepreneurs in your area. If they’ve had a good experience, then there’s a good chance you will too. And reach out to people you know and trust on your social networks. I have found some pretty awesome people out there to connect with and I would value any of their suggestions as well.

If you need help with your new business and you think we’d make a great match, I happily provide branding packages and a few a la carte items. Click here to get in touch!