How to Find the Right Designer For Your Business
You’ve taken the first step. You’ve admitted you need help. Your business is doing well, but it could really use a boost. You’ve decided hiring a designer to help your business is in the cards, but you have no idea where to start. You’ve come to the right place.
Are you looking into:
A complete website design
New or refreshed logo
Stationery
Packaging
Advertising
Or even Social Media help
Hiring a graphic designer to help unify your business under a cohesive brand can make the difference between someone proceeding to checkout and someone clicking off your website in under 10 seconds. It is a harsh reality realizing you can’t do everything alone. But the right designer can set you up for success, build you a path to profitability and help you showcase your “I’m so awesome” without looking like you went to brag town.
When considering who to hire I urge you to think about the following things:
What is their education like? Did they go to design school or were they self-taught?
What types and sizes of businesses have they worked with in the past?
Does their portfolio leave you impressed or wishing there was more to see?
Does the personality they put out into the world seem appealing to how you work professionally?
Are they full-time in their business or is this just a passion/hobby?
Have they made a difference in other companies?
Can you reach out to one of their previous clients and ask them about their experience?
Once you have done your own little investigation and narrowed it down to 1 or 2 potentials I would reach out to them via email to set up a time to chat more about your needs. For example, if you then decided I made your short list I would schedule a Discovery Call. This is your free opportunity to ask me any burning questions you may have, tell me a bit more about yourself and find out if we would be a good match.
Whether your discovery call is with me or someone else I would come prepared with the following information:
What sparked your interest in working together?
What current project(s) do you have in mind?
What time frame are you hoping to have this completed by?
What are your short and long term goals associated with the completion of this project?
Are their any parts and pieces you will need to gather from elsewhere (other people involved in decision making, assets such as existing design/copy, etc.)?
A good grasp on your ideal client (i.e. Muse) – For more info on how to get in that mindset and get a free worksheet to get started, check out this post.
For some this may seem like overkill. Why do I need to invest all this time and effort into finding the right designer? I should just pick someone who makes pretty things, right?!
I don’t want you to fall into that trap. Just last week I had three people say they hated their website, but many of them had already invested thousands or prepaid so far in advance they didn’t know what they were getting into. They were unsatisfied with results and felt trapped in an uncomfortable situation. Your brand is your welcome mat. You want it to be inviting, fresh and represent the business you have built. Handing the job to the cheapest option or your first find isn’t always the right way to go.
Emylee and I invest a lot of time into getting to know our clients, understanding what their hopes and dreams are. This may seem silly, but if we can make the difference between you reaching your goals or waiting to start I would much rather push you to reach your potential. We have had the luxury of working with brands as well known as Coca-Cola, Nike and Jo-Ann Fabrics and as well as one of a kind as one-man shops. We value the hard work and dedication that goes into building a business and strive to create relationships that extent far past the typical transaction.
We love being cheerleaders for the local guy. We love making them feel like they can compete with anyone in their niche, large or small. We love the satisfaction of their success and their dreams becoming a reality. We strive to create beautiful brands that work, that are profitable and have a heck of a lot of fun while doing it.
If you are in the mood to start your full on investigation, we would love if you would consider us first. Feel free to have a look around. We would love to schedule your Free 15-Minute Discovery Call!
