How to choose the right designer for your brand

Have you been burnt before? Or maybe you’ve been in search of the right designer forever?

I’ve seen this kind of post a lot in business-focused Facebook groups lately; lovely ladies confessing about ‘having been burnt before’ by designers.

You might not have thought of this before, but not every designer will be the right fit for you (or vice versa). And that’s okay! We all have our niche, our style, which means you’ll get more of one partnership than the other. It’s not always that it’s either your or the designer’s fault, more that you’re not a perfect match for each other.

So if you’re still unsure on how to choose the right designer for your brand, here are my 3 tips;

1 | Have you looked at their portfolio?

It might sound obvious, and yet… If the designer you’re looking to hire has a very feminine style, but you want your brand to have more of a masculine vibe, then there’s a chance it may not work out. Not to say that we as designers can’t tackle projects that are out of our ‘comfort zone’, but you’re more likely to be setting yourself up for success by hiring someone whose style matches what you’d like for your brand.

2 | Have they done similar work to what you’re looking at having done before?

Now, I’m not saying a designer who’s never worked on, say, a brand identity won’t be able to get yours done, BUT if they have, this will give you an idea on how they worked on that project, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing they have a good understanding of what your project requires, too.

3 | Do you like them personally?

Don’t get me wrong here, your designer won’t always happen to be your best friend, but you WILL spend a good amount of time working together so getting along will definitely help in making the whole process enjoyable, as well as a success.

Other things worth asking for…

What is their process like? How many rounds of revisions are included in the package? What happens after that if you need a little extra time? What is included / not included / what should you consider budgeting extra for? What are their preference when it comes to communication? What is the expected timeline? …

And lastly — Always have a contract! It protects both your interest and the designer’s.

Are you looking to work with a designer? Anything else you wish you’d know about collaborating or how the process works?