Hiring a Graphic Designer: Things Businesses Must Consider

In business, every unique factor you have matters in setting you ahead of the competition. Graphic design just happens to be one of those items that can provide uniqueness to a business as it is a reflection of creativity. In business, it is almost impossible to succeed without a strong creative presence and this is why hiring a graphic designer is essential.

As important as this is, it can be a real daunting task finding the right designer for your work. The market is flooded with all kinds of graphic designers. It even gets more cumbersome when you have to hire designers remotely.

In this post, we will show you the factors to consider before you hire a graphic designer. Ready? Let’s dive straight in.

How to Choose a Graphic Designer

Hiring a graphic designer for most business owners is a leap of faith. There are so many reasons why you must hire the right person for the job. The truth is that there are so many capable designers out there. However, not every one of them can meet your needs.

It is not enough to have strong design skills. The strategic application of these skills is also important. Without further ado, these are some factors you should consider before you hire a designer.

Experience

This is always the first factor to look out for when hiring for any position. The truth is that experience has a way of brushing up the skills of individuals. But it is not just about how long they have worked as designers, you need to check where they have worked.

For example, designers who have built experience working for design studios and ad agencies have lots of experience. They are great with time management and dealing with clients.

Now, look at designers who gained experience working with in-house communication teams for corporate bodies. Their experience gives them more knowledge of budgetary constraints.

So what do you look for when it comes to experience? The experience that suits your aims is what matters. This will help you find the best hand for your business.

Portfolio

You can conveniently link portfolio to the designer’s experience and you won’t be far from the truth. However, while experience tells of where they have worked, the portfolio shows you their capabilities. It also goes a long way to prove whether the individual truly has experience or not.

The easiest way to check the portfolio before hiring a graphic designer is to check their online profile. Small portfolios indicate little experience. A view of the portfolio also gives insight into how versatile the designer is.

You need a graphic designer that is as versatile as possible. Such an individual will present you with a broader skill set to improve your business. Check their portfolio to know if they have done any work that relates to your industry.

Do their strengths meet your long-term or immediate needs? Are they great with logos? Have they done anything for social media? Even if they haven’t, their portfolio will tell if they can learn on the job or not.

Industry Expertise

Before you hire a graphic designer, it is important to know how they think. In this case, it is beyond their experience and skill level, it is more about the application of knowledge.

Check their social media handles. How do they put social media to use? Are they just catching fun online or do they publicize their work? Do they use their handles to show off work samples or do they provide helpful tips?

Find out if they run a blog. What kind of content do they post here? Read through to see if you get educated or not. This will go a long way to tell how much expertise the designer has. The more expertise they have, the more knowledge they are likely to impart.

Hiring such a designer is great for your business. Why? They won’t just design, they’ll provide a lot more value.

Client Testimonials

This one of the important factors to watch out for when hiring a graphic designer. There is nothing as revealing as customer reviews. Reviews always give a real picture of what a business’s services are like.

While running a background check on your prospective graphic designer, check what customers say about them. How do you do this?

You can visit their webpage if they have one. This will give a clear picture of how satisfied their customers are with their services. You can use this same approach with their social media approach as well.

What kind of comments do you see? Comments are likely to show the kind of relationship the designer has with past clients. If possible, reach out to a few of these clients to inquire about the designer. With this, you should have a third-party view of who your designer is and what skills they possess.

Business Expectations

Not everything you watch out for must be solely about the designer. This factor, for example, brings your business into the picture. What are your expectations? What goals have you set for your brand?

When you have a clear picture of these, hiring a graphic designer isn’t so difficult. Before you ask why let’s explain.

Your business expectations help you cut down on the huge list of applicants for the design position. You can now check the remaining designers based on the expectations you have for your business. Do they have what it takes to meet these expectations?

Billing Rates vs. Value

This is another very important factor you must consider. Your business is no charity organization so you must research the industry rates for the services you desire. This allows you to come up with a realistic budget for the job.

To do this, you need to first understand the value you are looking for and appreciate it. This leads you to get the right perspective on what you should pay. True, some graphic designers aren’t so costly. But in the end, the costlier ones tend to deliver better and faster services.

This factor is closely related to your business expectations. When you have expectations, you know how much you are willing and able to pay for them. This helps you tailor your search for a graphic designer to the value you need and your budget.

Trump Card Skills

When hiring a graphic designer, don’t be tempted to stick to just graphic design. Some graphic designers can offer you a lot more than just designs. How do you know their other skills?

It’s simple, ask questions. Subtly ask about their other projects to know how they work. Do they stick to graphic design alone or do they know about social media management as well?

How skilled are they with understanding marketing trends? What advice do they bring to the table to make you meet your expectations faster? Do they have copywriting skills as well?

Evaluate their knowledge of your business and industry all-round, not just graphic design. How willing are they to learn other aspects of your business? This will help you know if they will fit into a long-term plan or just work on a contract basis.

Conclusion

Now, hiring a graphic designer shouldn’t be so difficult anymore with Delesign ticking all the right boxes as enumerated above. Need more information on how we can connect you to the right graphic designer for your needs? Leave us a message and we will get back to you.