If there’s one thing savvy entrepreneurs will tell you about achieving business success, it’s how crucial graphic design is. However, many business owners admit that to find a graphic designer, you have to go through a long and tedious process of vetting. No worries, this article will guide you in your search and help you find that one special partner.
Before You Start Your Search
Finding a graphic designer to work with long-term is an enormous task. You would want to find someone who can give life to your brand and have a great working relationship with. And so, before you start your search, take note of the following:
Be Ready to Set Expectations
Determining your needs designwise is the first thing you need to keep in mind before looking for talents. Graphic designers come in all skill sets and rates. It would be impossible to find all the skills you need in just one.
An illustrator may not be adept at designing UI/UX the same way a logo designer may not know how to design a Google ad. Set your expectations to get your head ready and in the right place.
Understand Fully the Job Description of a Graphic Designer
This may be a simple concept, but many entrepreneurs do not fully understand what a graphic designer’s job scope is. To put it simply, a graphic designer is the one who creates designs to support your business. Know that a website designer is a totally different concept from that of a web developer.
A graphic designer will create an ad for you, but don’t expect them to write the copy. They can help you enhance your marketing strategies, but they won’t be responsible for strategizing.
Determine What Your Design Needs Are
Make sure that before you start searching for a graphic designer, you already have a good idea of all your design needs. You must already have established the colors you want to use for your brand and the look and feel you want to go for. Better to start that mood board with all your inspirations.
Also, you already have to have a clear idea of who you’ll be designing for at this stage. Understanding your audience, their wants, needs, and pain points will help you find a graphic designer.
The Different Types of Graphic Design Partners
To make the search easier, it’s essential to know what types of graphic designers are out there. Learn about them below:
Freelance Graphic Designers
These are the graphic designers that you hire on a per-project basis. This means that you will contact them only when you need a design done. You will only pay for the project as opposed to paying a monthly salary of a full-time employee.
Another good thing about this is that you can choose the designer based on their specialization. Depending on what you need for your project, you can hire someone whose expertise is geared towards what you require.
On the other hand, a freelance designer may take a longer time to get familiar with your brand. You need to brief them each time you hire a new one. Also, reliability is a bit sketchy with freelancers. They may come and go with no guarantee of finishing your project.
In-House Graphic Designers
These are the graphic designers that you hire to be a permanent staff of your company. You’ll be paying them monthly, including benefits, taxes, and others. They will be tasked to design whatever you need with as many revisions as you need.
They will always be available, so you won’t worry about your project being abandoned. They will also understand and know your brand well enough. This means they will create designs that would suit your brand perfectly.
However, in-house graphic designers can be expensive. If your workload gets low, you’d still have to pay their salaries. Also, most of the time, you’ll get designs from only one skill set, which can be limiting to creativity.
Unlimited Graphic Design Services
As the name suggests, unlimited graphic design services do just that, give you unlimited designs. In most cases, they also provide unlimited revisions. While freelancers can ask for additional charges for revisions, this type of service already includes it in the subscription fees.
Getting this type of service is catching on as it is affordable and offers many more benefits than the first two options. You only pay a fixed monthly rate and get as many designs as you can. Plus, they have teams of designers that can cater to all design types you may need.
The drawback to this service is that if you need only a few designs per month, your pay rates aren’t worth it.
Where to Find A Graphic Designer
The options on where to search can be short of astounding. We narrowed it down, and here are some of the best places to find a graphic designer:
Online Freelancer Marketplaces
These are the websites that host freelancers and connect them with employers. Examples of this are 99designs, Fiverr, or Upwork. You can find a wide variety of talents on these sites for an equally large selection of jobs. With thousands of profiles in them, you’re sure to find the right one.
You can post a job, browse through resumes, or hold contests for designs you need. These sites offer the options to directly contact a freelancer or have them place bids on your job posting. Either way, these platforms are excellent sources of talent.
Portfolio Websites
If you haven’t seen or heard of Behance or Dribbble yet, now’s the best time to check them out. These websites showcase portfolios upon portfolios of every type of creatives you may need. You can find the style you need and communicate with the designers you’re interested in.
That being said, these sites differ significantly from online freelancer marketplaces. While the designers on Upwork are there specifically to find jobs, those on Behance may not. They put their works on display for a variety of purposes, including job hunting.
You will have to reach out and contact a designer if you’re interested. You’re sure to find a graphic designer from these sites, but sadly, they offer no guarantees or any financial protection.
Company Websites
If you want to try services that offer unlimited graphic design, you have to contact them directly through their websites. Penji, Design Pickle, Flocksy are some examples of this type of service. Most of them offer money-back guarantees or free trials, so you’ll have a chance of trying out their service without the commitment.
Graphic Designers Around You
Your community is also a good source of talent. Ask friends, colleagues, or Yelp for any referral or recommendations. You can also check out your locality’s newspapers, magazines, or bulletin boards. You never know if what you’re looking for is just under your nose.
What to Look For in a Graphic Designer
Here are some of the vital characteristics that you should look for in a graphic designer:
An Impressive Portfolio
As much as possible, find a graphic designer with the widest variety of work in their portfolios. Check for previous works that may seem similar to what you’ll be needing to see if they will be a good fit.
Extensive Experience
A portfolio may be an excellent window to a designer’s experience. The more samples they show, the more they have proven their experience. However, true talents manifest even in those that have not much in the work experience department. Look for various disciplines, skills, flexibility, and even consideration to budget restraints.
Great Communication Skills
To get the suitable designs you need, you and your graphic designer should be able to communicate with ease. This will help you create the best designs with fewer revisions. Check how your prospect composes their emails or responds to chats. Better yet, speak with them through video calls or the phone to get a good grasp of their personality.
Excellent Industry Expertise
Determine the software your prospects use, how they handle a project, their thought processes, and other work characteristics. These will point you to the right person that would fit your brand.
Reasonable Rates
Discuss your potential candidate’s rates and billing requirements. Whether freelancers or unlimited graphic design services, it’s recommended to know how much it will cost you. If you can, learn what the industry standards are to ensure that nobody gets the shorter end of the stick.
Additional Tips to Find a Graphic Designer
Once you find the most suitable graphic design partner, it’s time to take care of the minute details. Here are a few of these that you should take note of:
Contracts
This is for those that have decided on going for freelancers or in-house designers. A contract provides safety both for you and the designer. However, most unlimited graphic design services have nixed this. So if you choose to go this route, you won’t have to worry about contracts.
Taxes
When hiring a freelancer, you have to know about taxes. Typically, you won’t have to pay taxes for freelancers, but you still need to keep records for legal purposes.
Your Work Processes
This is something you need to discuss with your chosen designer, especially if you’ll be working online. This is where unlimited graphic design services stand out as they all have a system already in place.
FAQs
What are other places to find freelancers?
Freelancer, PeoplePerHour, and Toptal are also good places to find freelancers, whether creatives or not.
Do I really need a graphic designer?
Yes. Graphic design is a continuing endeavor for businesses. Check out these statistics to learn more. You can try DIYing your graphic design needs, but unless you have a flair for design, the results may not look professional.
How long is the design process?
This depends on the freelancer or your in-house designer. A logo design can take anywhere from a few minutes to several weeks. For unlimited graphic design companies, their turnaround times are usually 24 to 48 hours per design.
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