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What to look out for when hiring a graphic designer

June 4, 2019

It’s a crazy world out there! Recently in the designer community we’ve been seeing case after case where artwork was STOLEN! Cue Sherlock!

With the freedom of the internet comes the chance of things being stolen. It’s easy. It’s aggravating. And the last thing we want you to experience is being ripped off. So here are some things to look out for when hiring a designer so that you can walk away with a brand, logo, or design that is unique to your business.

Their Process

Seasoned designers will have a professional process. One that includes a phone call or video chat, timely responses to emails and questions, a clearly outlined project scope, and contract.

It should feel fairly smooth and professional. Not like they are trying to just get the money and deliver the work.

They Value What They Do

When you love what you do, you value it. You put effort into what you create and want to deliver the best to your clients. Make sure who you hire has this value and it shines through their social media, portfolio, website, and blog.

Portfolio

The other thing to look at is their portfolio. Does the work feel like it’s coming from the same person? Does it look high-quality? Does it feel original and unique?
This is a tough one because if the artwork is stolen, you wouldn’t know. But still…look at their work and see if they are willing to show you more examples.

How long they have been a designer should correspond with their quality. New designers should not have epic work, unless they are prodigies. All creatives have a growth process. So if they are fresh out of school and have only been designing a year or two, and have work better than a seasoned designer…take that as a red flag.

Pricing

Custom branding and logo design should NOT be cheap. That is, unless they are beginners and their work matches that.

If they have super low pricing, question why. No CUSTOM logo should be $50. If you want to hire a professional designer, be prepared to spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on a custom identity.

Testimonials

Read their testimonials on their site and Facebook page. This is another great way to learn how they work and what their previous clients felt when working with them.

The Files They Deliver

A great designer will deliver your final work in multiple colors and file types in a large, high resolution size.

If they only deliver JPG or PNG then question the size they deliver. Look for blurriness or pixelation in the files. They should be able to deliver any size image to you and it should be crystal clear. If they can only deliver a small image file, use that as a red flag.

Some professional designers offer EPS files, which is the vector format and more proof it was created by them.

Personality

This is just a side tip, but when looking to work with a designer make sure you get along with them as a person. Branding is a very long and deep process. There will be a lot of back and forth, conversation, and time spent together. If you have clashing personalities, the process won’t be as enjoyable as it could be.


That being said, we hope these tips help you find the perfect designer for your project. Allowing you to walk away satisfied with money well spent.

Warmly,

xo,Hannah

xo,Hannah

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