Every functional business needs advertisements. Advertisements need to be designed. For these advertisements that would be put up on various platforms, designers are required. With time, businesses have come to realize that these designs not just help an ad appeal to the audience, but also help in establishing a brand image. Repetitive designs are discarded by the customers’ minds. With globalization, it has become important for businesses to match up with their global competitors. Therefore, having a good graphic designer is vital.
What to look for in a graphic designer?
Experience of the graphic designer –
Thoroughly understand the kind of work that a graphic designer has done in the past. Ask for samples of work to evaluate them. See if s/he has experience with the modern tools of graphic designing. If you are looking for web designing services, pay a visit to all the websites that this candidate has designed and check if the service s/he could provide to you would be enough for your business.
Profile of the graphic designer –
It is important that your designer has worked on a wide range of products/services in the past. This would mean that s/he is flexible and can ideate well, as the need arises. Even if you might not need a specific service immediately, ensure that your designer can cope with your long term needs. It is highly advisable to not keep changing your designers. If there is a change in designer, there is going to be an evident change in the kind of designs and this could affect the image of your brand.
Testimonials of the graphic designer –
This is something that you should not forget to do – check the client testimonials. Head to the designer’s website or LinkedIn profile to see how her/his service has been rated. Identify if their professional strengths match the needs of your business. If the designer does not have an online presence, ask her/him for references from who you can get information. This is a vital step in order to decide if a professional is just as good as her/his profile.
Rates/fees of the graphic designer –
For good startup growth, judicious use of money is necessary. Find out the market rates of the design services that you want. Often, startup owners get carried away by fancy promises that service providers make. This happens especially when one is trying to get a product/service launched in the market. Therefore, thorough research before choosing a designer is important. If you are sure about needing the design services for long, consider opting for an unlimited graphic design package or an unlimited web design package. These would offer several services at agreeable rates. In some cases, your graphic designer might even help you with interior designing and logo designing. So, ensure you get the best deal. It is not hard to find graphic designers at very affordable rates, but they might be starting out in the profession. Hence, they could need some support from you. This means that your business is losing out on some time. Identify if you can afford to let go of this time.
Expectations of the graphic designer –
Talk to your prospective designers and identify what they expect from you. There are some designers who expect some sort of creative input from owners of businesses. See if you can do that. Also, see if the designers can work independently without seeking any help from your business’ other employees. For example, a graphic designer with some marketing skills would be a good pick.
Timeline of the graphic designer –
It is important for designs and ads to be made regularly, depending on the goings-on in the market. Therefore, it is vital for your designers to be able to step up to the occasion at the right time. Proactive designers who can deliver services in short periods of time would be very beneficial to your firm. So, ask your prospective designer how long s/he would take to make a certain kind of design. Identify if they can work under pressure. See if the quality of designs they make when under pressure is good enough for your business’ needs.
Understand their approach –
Every designer has his/her own way of doing things. Some work best in the night, some in the day. Give them a sample task to do and see how they approach it. Do they refer to their previous works, care to bear in mind what the market trends are, work well with a team, etc. It is of course not advisable to have biases, but it is good to have an idea about their working style.
Extra skills of the graphic designer –
While a design is being made for a website or an ad, the designer has in mind a certain picture. You are going to have to hire a content writer who can effectively communicate what the designer imagined, through text that will go on websites or ads. Somewhere in this process, the real thought behind a design might get compromised. Instead, if you have a designer who is good at writing as well, it is going to be great. Similarly, if a designer has some idea about marketing, it is going to be beneficial to your business. Likewise, look for extra skills that your designer can bring to the table.
Availability of the graphic designer –
Popular designers are busy. You could be capable of paying them all that they want, but they are not going to devote all the time you want from them. Look for good designers who are accessible for help as and when your business needs them. This is necessary especially for startups, where every day throws a new challenge.
Ads and websites are the means by which the outside world is going to judge the products, services, and nature of your business. They showcase your business whatever you want to. So, ensure you choose the designers who can be of good use to the business not just now, but also in the long run.
