Chosing The Right Designer
Many people are very discouraged about buying something when they arn’t really sure what it is that they are paying for. Most business owners do not know what to expect when they hir a graphic designer. Or I think more accurately, they don’t know what exactly they are buying.
Relax, take a deep breath, hiring a designer really complicated or scary if you know what to ask for. The following four tips will help you choose the right design agency for you and your project.
- Know how this piece should support your marketing and sales goals and your budget.
- Look at the designer’s portfolio.
- Get a detailed proposal that clearly states what the design costs include.
- Map out a scedule at the beginning of the project.
Let me explain to you exactly what is mean by each one of these tips. If you do these things the next time you need to hire an agency or even a freelancer, the project will be a fun and rewarding experience.
Know how this piece should support your marketing and sales goals and your budget.
Many times the reason a design project doesn’t go well is because nobody involved really knows what they want to accomplish with the piece. This sounds crazy, but it’s true. Developing a company brochure just because you want one is not a good reason to do it. Here at J-Vision Designs our representatives will work with you to make sure that we both know exactly what you are trying to achieve with each piece of work that we produce.
When you are looking at creating something ask yourself why you need this piece and how, exactly, it will further your business goals. Do you need a professional brochure that will legitimize your company because prospects expect you to have one? Do you need to attract attendance to a show? Do you need to explain how your service works? Who will get this information that your putting out? Why do they need it? Do they want it? Have you done research to determine how this audience prefers to receive information from you?
Once you know exactly what the piece needs to do for you, determine what kind of investment you are willing and able to make towards this project. A piece of material which might generate new business by any means is better investment than a piece which merely announces a change of address. Knowing whether you are willing to spend a few hundred dollars or a few thousand dollars to meet your objective will most definitely help you choose a design who had the right qualifications and experience.
Sadly we have taken on projects where the business objective was not clear or the budget was not in line with the projcet goals. Not suprisingly, those are the only projects that left our client, and us, disappointed with the outcome.
Now that you know what you want to acieve how will you know whether the designer will be able to deliver?
Look at the designer’s portfolio.
Trust me, hiring a designer firm, or freelancer, based on the cost alone is an excellent way to be disappointed. While you may have a tight budge, it is still imperative to work with a designer whos work you’ve seen. . .and most importantly like.
Design is very subjective. You either like what you see or you dont. Every designer has his or her own style. You will either like their style or you won’t, though, that doesn’t mean they arn’t good designers doing good work. Just remember that if you don’t like what you see or you don’t click with the designer then you’re probably going to have a hard time working together. Most cases where this happens you will not be happy with your final product.
Also remember that a designer may not have done the exact type of piece you need. That isn’t what you are looking for. You are looking at the designers overall body of work and determining whether you like the way they use images, type, paper — all of the components that go into a design job. If you answer yes, then you will like what the designer does for you. If you look at their portfolio and say “bleck,” you won’t like what they do for you. Simply look at their work to know if you should even bother getting a quote.
Get a detailed proposal that clearly states what the design costs include.
Designers put together proposals in many ways, and regardless of how the designer presents the information, the proposal should address the following questions:
- What are the deliverables?
A tri-fold brochure, an electronic version of the logo, a website template? Find out what you are getting at the end of the projcet. Typically the designer retains ownership of the electronic files and the artwork (except for logos). If you want to own the files you need to discuss that with the designer. It could impact the final cost. - How many design comps will you get?
Comps are the inital representations of the design concept for your project. One of the biggest parts of the design cost is the idea generation and concept development the designer does. These ideas are also what differentiate the designers. The average number of comps through the industry is three. Although three is minimum some designers will give you more than three. - How many rounds of revisions will the designer make to the design option you select?
We typically will tweak, make revisions to, the design of your choice three times. Any amount of revision beyond that we will do at an additional cost. This is important, these costs can add up quickly, so know when they kick in, depending on the designer you choose. - How many rounds of revisons once the copy is placed?
Again, it’s important to put parameters on this so both you and the designer know how much twearking they’ll do before charging you anymore.
The information pertains to the design cost only, where printing is an extra cost. Some designers might sublease their printing where some might do it in house. Be sure to check with your designer to see what options for printing they offer. Also keep in mind that there are simply too many factors involved in print estimating to be able to provide an estimate until all the specifications are determined.
Map out a schedule at the beginning of the project.
The last thing to do is map out a schedule at the beginning of the project. This will keep your project moving forward. There is nothing more frustrating for you, or the designer, thatn a project that drags on forever. By putting it aside, stopping and starting, you will lose momentum and interested in the outcome. Which in the end you will be highly disappointed with the final results.
Following these four steps will help you develope a successful relationship with your designer and get the product you want, when you want it.
I have one lat bonus tip:
Have fun.
Most designers got into this business because creating beautiful work that helps their clients achieve their marketing and sales goals is fun. If everyone is excited about the projcet and the relationship at ahnd, you’ll have a good time. If you are having fun with your designer, I can almost guarantee you will love the piece you get.
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Tags: choosing a designer, help finding a designer, how to find a designer
