About Graphic Designers: Why Hiring a Good One is Important
Working with a designer: graphic designers are a crucial ingredient for the success of any business. They are professionals who belong to a reputed graphic design company in Raleigh that provides a critical service needed by companies of all sizes and stages. They give a face to your company. They develop credibility and a personality for your brand.
All industries are crowded with competition, and your company’s brand may set you apart and distinguish your service or product as unique, memorable, and desirable.
A seasoned designer can develop compelling creative for you in a reasonable amount of time for a fair price. Working with less experienced designers can be tempting for cost savings, and there are good “junior” level designers.
If you do take this route, be prepared to spend more time managing the process. In some cases, you may spend more money than you anticipate to make up for the lack of experience. Having work redone or pulling jobs from a printing press because of unexpected errors can both be costly.
Qualify yourself working with a designer
Are you ready to let go? Are you prepared to let go of some control? Like anything else, you hire a designer for their expertise and their insight. If your car didn’t run, you wouldn’t tell your mechanic how to fix it. Your mechanic knows the best way to make your cargo.
A good designer will help make your business “go,” and if you are willing to trust in their expertise, they will likely lead your project in a direction that will benefit you.
In most cases, your role in the process of working with a designer should be one of information delivery and oversight. Suppose you clearly understand how your brand should be implemented (logos, color pallets, typography, imagery, layout, etc…). In that case, you are better off hiring a production person. You will save money and a headache.
But beware – there is more to this design stuff than intuition. A designer with years of experience will be able to apply best practices to avoid common mistakes. Employing a trusted graphic design service is also a great option to solve all your design frustrations. They will have valuable insight into how to communicate your brand message effectively.
They will also have the resources and experience to make the end product happen faster and, in many cases, more cost-effective than a less experienced designer. A designer should present you with unique and targeted solutions that you would not come up with yourself, which is where their value is.
You have to be open to these new ideas and think conceptually while evaluating them and deciding on the best solution. And remember, powerful brands are unique brands. Clients have told me, “I want to look like this company.” The problem with this approach is that no one will listen when you and your competitors speak with the same voice.
Qualify the designer
Having a computer with graphics software does not make someone a designer, just like having a toolbox does not make someone a mechanic. There are many kinds of designers specializing in different areas. Companies with multiple design needs (print, web, corporate identity) should not hire three different designers to complete their communications system.
When not managed correctly, this almost always results in an inconsistent application and interpretation of a brand, leaving prospective customers confused. If your company needs a range of materials and you don’t have someone dedicated to championing and managing your brand, you should look at design shops that can handle all your needs. Some freelance designers will also have all the skills and experience necessary to complete such a package of services; make sure their logo portfolio reflects this.
Let’s take a look at some specific projects you may hire designer help for corporate identity
A designer who is good with web or print design will not necessarily create a credible, compelling, and memorable logo mark for your company. Remember, this is the foundation for your communication and promotional efforts. It has to be versatile and robust enough to support all other elements of your communications package and stand on its own.
Look through a prospective designer’s portfolio for logo work, and ask him to elaborate on what part of the process he was responsible for. Junior designers’ portfolios are often padded with the work they may have had only a small role in.
Web design: Some people think graphic designers make websites, while others think this is done by more technical types (developers or coders). In most cases, working with a designer, you will need both a creative and technical type to develop a successful and productive website. The creative side extends the user interface, helps organizes content, and understands usability issues and behavior.
The technical aspect involves taking all the content and creative input from the designer and making it all work across multiple browsers and platforms while possibly setting up a database to serve up the website content.
Occasionally one person can do both. More likely, if you hire a creative, they already work with a firm that can build back-end databases or code in PHP. Unless the creative person you are considering has direct experience or resources for development on the back end of things, you may want to continue looking.
Occasionally one person can do both. More likely, if you hire a creative, they already work with a firm that can build back-end databases or code in PHP. Unless the creative person you are considering has direct experience or resources for development on the back end of things, you may want to continue looking.
Print materials design
This area is probably the easiest to find creative help. Business cards, brochures, sales sheets, and mailers are all pretty standard fare for most designers. Look through prospective portfolios for solid aesthetic, clear, and targeted communication of brand messages.
Also, look for signs of original and strategic thinking. If the designer’s three samples of corporate brochures look similar, then yours will likely take on this aesthetic as well. Every company or product has a unique personality, so materials that support and promote it should have a single visual language to deliver brand messages. Also, look for signs of original and strategic thinking. If the designer’s three samples of corporate brochures look similar, then yours will likely take on this aesthetic as well.
Every company or product has a unique personality, so materials that support and promote it should have a unique visual language to deliver brand messages. One thing that separates a professional designer from a novice is their knowledge of the printing process.
This is true, especially if you will be working with spot color (instead of full processor color) or custom printing solutions like embossing, die-cutting, and metallic inks. There is a learning curve when working with the printing process, and a designer with knowledge of the opportunities and pitfalls is valuable.
Where to start looking
The best place to find a creative and professional designer is through contacts you may already have. Ask business associates and friends if they have worked with designers and if they would recommend any.
Barring that, open a web browser; many resources are available. If your project requires face-to-face meetings or onsite work, start by looking through your local chapters of the
- AIGA www.aiga.org
- Graphic Artists Guild www.gag.org
- Society of Designers gdc.net
If you are comfortable working remotely with a designer, try some of the online directories like:
- DesignFirms.org www.designfirms.org
- Guru.com www.guru.com
- Freelance Designers.com www.freelancedesigners.com
Making the right choice
By this point, you have some names and contacts for designers, have seen their work and had some preliminary conversations about the project. It would help if you had a good sense of compatibility and their level of interest in your project. If you are on the fence about who to hire, submit an RFP (request for proposal) outlining your goals and expectations, deadlines, and deliverables.
You can determine many things from the responses to your RFP and narrow down your selection quickly. You will also get a sense of how professional a designer/firm is (Did they answer all your questions and run a spell check before submitting their proposal?).
Your budget
This is often one of the key decision-making factors when choosing a designer. You will likely see a range of prices and processes in the proposals you receive, but don’t make the mistake of blindly jumping for the lowest bid. When hiring a designer, the old cliche “you get what you pay for” often holds. Remember, when considering your budget, hiring a designer is an investment, not an expense.
Then, ask yourself these questions
- Does the designer’s/strong portfolio reflect their price? Even the least creative among us get a sense of the quality of work in a designer’s portfolio. That is the power of good design; it resonates with just about anyone on a very instinctual level. And if you don’t get that sense, you should keep looking.
- Who do you want to compete with? This is important. If your goal is to compete locally and you don’t have plans for growth into other markets, you will probably be fine hiring the less experienced freelance designer. Remember that creativity can be a significant factor in your company’s success. If you plan to compete on a higher level, even with small to mid-size regional companies, you will likely be better off hiring the professional if they charge a little more.
The Contract
A contract should be a detailed document outlining what you will provide, the client (copy, photographs), what the designer will ultimately produce for you (logo, print materials, website), and who is responsible for what.
Working with a designer, the designer usually develops a proposal and submits it to the client following initial conversations or an RFP. Here is a brief list of items that should be addressed in a proposal/contract. A brief description of the project: What are the goals and expectations?
A clear description of deliverables: Including details about sizes, color, quantities, and other known characteristics of deliverables.
- Fees and expenses: Some expenses may not be known, but look for printer-related estimates in your proposal if your project includes print materials.
- Process outline: This should cover deadlines for content delivery, concept presentation, final product delivery, and how many rounds of client edits are included in the estimated fees.
- Terms: Look for details on project cancellation, rights transfer, and what happens when a project grows outside its original scope. Designers may break the proposal down into phases for large long-term projects based on delivery deadlines. However, be aware that there is a necessary order to develop a series of items. Please don’t ask a designer to update your logo system after creating the brochure you need for next week’s trade show. Be patient and let the horse pull the cart.
Also, be prepared to pay for some of the project’s upfronts. Designers should not be expected to float expenses like printing or paying subcontractors before receiving payment from their clients.
Working with a designer: a brief look at the process that will get you from start to finish
A professional designer will already have a process developed for working with clients. Use the information in this section to help you understand the general steps from signing contracts to delivering materials. One commonly overlooked process stage by inexperienced designers is also the most crucial.
The “research and planning” stage sets the scene for all the work to come, and if it is ignored, you may end up with something that doesn’t meet your company’s needs.
Like with a garden, If you don’t prepare your soil correctly, all the work you put into seeding, watering, and weeding could still result in a poor harvest. So here is an overview of the three general steps you should expect to follow when working with a designer:
Research and planning when working with a designer: work the soil
The contract has been signed, and you are anxious to get started to catch the first glimpse of your new brand! This stage is crucial to solidifying your expectations and laying the groundwork for the entire project.
Don’t give your designer clear written objectives and goals for your brand update, don’t be surprised when their “shot in the dark” misses the mark. A professional designer/firm will send you a “client survey” or conduct interviews with you and other key decision-makers in your company.
They will ask probing questions like “what is the primary message you wish to convey?” “Who is your target audience?” And “how does your company differentiate itself from competitors?”
Both the designer and you need to know answers to questions like these before any creative can begin. And be prepared to put some time into defining these key directives.
Companies often spend a lot of time answering these questions when they find that different people in their organization are coming up with entirely different answers. Coming to conclusions that everyone can agree on may be difficult, but doing so is paramount to the success of your design campaign and your company.
Both the designer and you need to know answers to questions like these before any creative can begin. And be prepared to put some time into defining these key directives. Companies often spend a lot of time answering these questions when they find that different people in their organization are coming up with entirely different answers.
Coming to conclusions that everyone can agree on may be difficult, but doing so is paramount to the success of your design campaign and your company. At the research and planning stage, it is also essential to lay out deadlines for the project (if you have not done so in the proposal). The designer should also spend some time getting to know your company, your competitors, and your industry.
Creative: plant the seeds
OK, now the fun begins. The research and planning stage gave your designer some clear direction for his creative work.
- Brainstorming/concepts:
Now your designer will be off somewhere sketching, clipping images, fanning through Pantone color books, and applying concepts to computer models. This is the most visceral stage of the creative process.Most clients are not directly involved in this stage. The possibilities all need to be wide open during this process; there should be no roadblocks or discretion over ideas – this only limits the opportunities for the outcome. If you have ideas you want the designer to explore, be sure to present them before this process stage.
- Refinement:
The designer will eventually see the best solutions and refine them to meet client objectives.
- Presentation:
OK, NOW you get to glimpse the future and begin to shape it. Designers have different ways of doing this. They may present you with various pencil sketches and other unfinished models if you are a very conceptual person. Others may present some of their best-computerized concepts, showing color, imagery, and typography. In the case of a logo, a designer may wish to work in black and white only until you decide on the form and then add color. Your logo must communicate in black and white. A website may also be essential to show how interactivity will work (such as when a user rolls the mouse over a button, etc.)
- Edits/reviews:
Your proposal should detail how many edits and review cycles there will be. Three rounds of edits are usually enough to finalize a concept. Any more than this is a sign that either something was not decided at the right time or a communication breakdown.
Also, remember you have to let go at some point. After multiple rounds of significant edits to an original concept, I have witnessed befuddled clients ask, “what happened to this project, it was looking so great, and now, it’s a mess.”
This is a textbook example of too much meddling by the client. Another thing to remember during this step, if you are responsible for providing content, make sure it is edited and finalized before you give it to your designer. Rounds of edits can be wasted editing text, and it’s no fun finding a grammatical error when a job is on the printing press.
Also, be sure to compile all necessary feedback into one document. Getting multiple edits from different sources within your organization will confuse the designer and ultimately add time to editing.
This is a textbook example of too much meddling by the client. Another thing to remember during this step, if you are responsible for providing content, make sure it is edited and finalized before you give it to your designer. Rounds of edits can be wasted editing text, and it’s no fun finding a grammatical error when a job is on the printing press.
Also, be sure to compile all necessary feedback into one document. Getting multiple edits from different sources within your organization will confuse the designer and ultimately add time to editing.
Production: cultivate
So now you have “signed-off” the final version. All final proofreading is complete, folding dummies, and paper stocks are secured. Most designers will and should manage the printing process and development process of a website.
Working with a designer – Designers are detail-oriented, and they see things at press checks and during web template testing that you may not. Still, it would help if you were involved. Just be sure you know that changing your mind during this process stage means a lot of backtracking and additional costs.
- Print production
Preparing files for printing is a chapter of its own, but suffice to say, and a seasoned designer will know exactly what to do and be able to avoid problems once files are transferred to a printer or other vendor. If you have procured the printer, get your designer in touch with them well before the file transfer date to discuss details about file preparation. You might also request to be involved in reviewing printer proofs for color accuracy, imposition, and final content.
This is your last chance to review your project before it gets burned to plates and goes on press. Press checks almost always illuminate something that needs to be addressed. Pressmen can adjust color slightly and eliminate “hickeys” from plates and blankets. Your designer should know what to look for at a press check, so you don’t need to be involved at this stage.
Web production
Seeing your website come to life is exciting; this is where you see your brand working for you. The key during this process is ensuring it works for everyone else. Know your audience and how they are likely to access your site. If working with a designer who sees he is not technologically savvy or has slow dial-up connections, your site will need to be tested in a similar environment. Additionally, different browsers and platforms display web pages differently.
Be sure your designer tests and makes corrections accordingly, so everyone sees your website in all its glory. Web surfers are very fickle; you have seconds, literally, to make your point, and if your site doesn’t display correctly or your navigation only works on Internet Explorer for PC, you’ve just lost a market segment.
Again, if you are responsible for the content, ensure it is final before delivering it to your designer to flow into their web templates. This will save you hours of future revisions.
To the uninitiated, all of this can seem overwhelming. The bad news is, this isn’t half of it; this is only a brief overview of what you need to know when choosing and working with a designer.
The good news is a sound designer will help guide you through this process and make it all fun and rewarding. And most importantly, a designer can help your company grow and prosper by providing you with materials to make your marketing efforts more fruitful.
If I could leave you with a critical message, it would be this: Spend the money and time it takes to build your brand right; you will only be hurting yourself by cutting corners. When you hire a professional designer, be clear in your directives and expectations, and remember that you hired them for their insight into communicating your brand message.
So now you have qualified yourself and a small pool of designers to complete your creative projects. Check back (anticipated date goes here) for part two of “How to Hire and Work with a Graphic Designer,” We will cover what to look for in a contract and what to expect from the working process.
Kyle Mueller is the principal and creative director at MUELLER design in Oakland, California.
With over 12 years of experience working with clients and hiring designers, he has cultivated brand vitality for Wind River, McKesson, Heller Ehrman Attorneys, Nintendo, and Boeing.
