7 Questions to Pick a Great Designer and Avoid a Dangerous Trap

You need a logo for your business. Why are you so tempted to give the job to your neighbour’s artistic son? You need a website. Your cousin is an IT whiz. Why not let her design it?

It’s not just saving money that makes you lean toward those choices. You’ve been beguiled by great design. It’s a terrible trap into which many business owners fall.

Great design often looks easy. It communicates complex ideas with such effortless power, grace and simplicity that you never see the toil and experience that went into creating it.

Don’t let the great design you’ve seen trick you into thinking it was easy to produce. If you do, you’ll be tempted to entrust your design to amateurs and put at risk an absolutely critical part of your business—its first impression to prospective customers.

Remember that bad design communicates, too. But while great design communicates highly positive messages about your business—excellence, stability, dependability—bad design can just as effectively communicate negative messages of amateurish inexperience, shoddiness and instability. Those messages are a disastrous first impression to prospective customers.

Here are 7 questions you must ask if you want to hire a visual communication designer whose work will define and express what is most essential and valuable about your business:

1. What do you know about my business?

The more your designer knows about your organisation and industry, the more expertise they can bring to bear on the project. There are designers who specialise in certain types of work, e.g., packaging, annual reports, etc. The most valuable designers, however, will have a repertoire of different works across many industries. Your designer should either have experience in your field, or display an eager willingness to learn more about it.

2. May I see your portfolio?

All graphic or visual communication designers have a range of ability and style. If the designer you’re considering can’t show you something even remotely similar to what you want, keep looking. A proven record of successful designs is the best evidence you have about the skills of the designer.

Look at whether they have worked on similar projects to yours in terms of scope and complexity. Someone who works mainly in identity and logo design probably won’t suit you if you want a 50-page catalogue for off-set printing. And a print specialist who dabbles in web pages won’t suit if you’re looking at creating a 24-page, database-driven, interactive website. 

3. Do you release the source files?

It is generally understood in the design world that the client is buying the finished product, not all of the computer files used to create it. Asking for these source files is akin to asking the chef at a restaurant to give you the recipes along with your meal.

If you need these files, perhaps to make minor changes you anticipate, let the designer know. Designers typically have special pricing for clients requiring such files. Both you and the designer should be clear on this before proceeding.

4. How many concepts do you provide and how many revisions are allowed?

Graphic designers working on a project-cost basis simply cannot afford to offer unlimited concepts or revisions. Always ask about original concepts and revisions prior to choosing a designer. If unlimited revisions are required, the client and designer should agree on hourly billing and not a pre-specified project cost.

5. What is your fee structure?

Most designers base their fees on either project costs or hourly costs. For big projects, it makes more sense to give a firm price quote for the project. For smaller projects that might take a few hours, it’s more common to bill by the hour. Make sure you understand your designer's pricing structure. If you are going to use hourly billing, tell the designer your budget before you begin to ensure that he or she is confident the desired result can be achieved within that budget.

6. What is a reasonable project schedule?

Graphic designers are often working on numerous projects at any given time; that is, you are unlikely to be the only client. If you have a deadline, tell the designer right away, as she may have other commitments that preclude accepting your project.

7. How long have you been in business?

This is crucial if you are hiring the designer to develop your brand and future marketing collateral. You don’t want to have one designer work on your logo, another work on your stationery items and someone else on your website.

Nothing undermines brand quality faster than inconsistent visual communication design. Strong brands are communicated with absolute consistency. If your business is new, or if it’s undergoing a re-branding initiative, make sure you choose a designer who will be available for the long term.