Finding the right graphic designer can be an incredibly valuable asset to your business and make a huge difference in your marketing efforts. But how do you choose who is the right fit? Here are tips on how to find a graphic designer to help you through the decision process.
Know what you are looking for.
Before you even start the hiring process, it is important to form an understanding of the what you are even looking for in a designer. What skills are the top priority for them to have? Knowing your specific requirements, such as photography skills or proficiency in the different Adobe programs, will help you make the interviewing process much smoother.
Look at their portfolio and experience within your industry.
When you look at their portfolio, make sure you find their work meaningful and exciting. If they don’t give a portfolio, move on to the next candidate. Not only that, but you should look for candidates that have experience within your specific industry, even if just as a consumer. This will ease the designer’s integration into your business by eliminating most of the learning curve that would otherwise exist for a designer unfamiliar with the work your company does.
Communicate your goals and expectations.
Communication in any working relationship is necessary from the very beginning. Any successful partnership begins with effectively conveying your goals and expectations to move forward. Being clear about deadlines and potential obstacles can give a graphic design candidate a helpful understanding of their role in the project and if they can meet your needs. A good designer should be able to also communicate and listen to you. In order for creativity and intuition to flow into a design, a connection between you and your designer must be there, which comes from communication.
Test to see if the fit is right.
Before taking the plunge into such a close working relationship, consider doing a trial run first. In order to be sure you are confident in your candidate choice, offer them a small sample project to try that would only take a few hours. It doesn’t have to be a difficult task, it is simply to see how you two work together in action. Employee candidates should be paid for the sample project. As a reminder, graphic design candidates should be paid for the sample project.
Give trust.
Trust is a crucial factor when working with other people. Your design at times may have a different opinion than you on how a design should be executed, and there will be times where you just need to trust them. Graphic designers have the experience, creative eye, and ability to find solutions when obstacles arise. You hired your designer for that reason, so trust them to do their job.
