You may have a highly skilled marketing team but if retaining an in-house graphic designer is not financially viable, how do you choose a designer that is right for you and your organisation? There are many out here from freelancers to those working for agencies and they all come with different strengths, skills and experience. They may also have an area of expertise focusing on packaging or large outdoor advertising so choosing the right one is essential and the first step towards creating the right image for your business.
Stay Local
You may not have considered the location of your graphic designer but depending on the needs of your organisation, deciding to choose a local company could be the best option. You may need to meet with them at short notice so not having to wait hours while they drive to your office or arrange their train or flight would obviously be the best option. Having to rely on email, phone calls or skype may not be the perfect choice for your organisation as you can’t beat face to face contact. You can sit around the table to look at and discuss a project together, perhaps piecing together elements of several ideas. You will also gain the absolute focus of the designer whereas on the phone they may not be concentrating 100% on your project.
Their Work in your Hands
You should ask to see samples of their work. You can look at their client and project lists on their website but when you meet with them face to face, ask them to bring physical examples of the work they have produced. It’s always interesting to understand their thought process, how they came up with the idea and how this transfers to your business and the type of projects you will give them. Look not just for interesting designs but is the work neat and accurate? Do they have a certain style that dominates everything they design? Does their work demonstrate attention to detail, style and creativity? You need to like what they do and be confident they will be able to handle anything you throw at them.
Industry Knowledge
It may be essential that you choose a designer who has knowledge of your industry, the products your produce and the market you operate in. If you work in the event industry for example, you need to be confident that the agency you are considering to hire have exhibition stand designers with experience of creating outstanding images that will help get you noticed. If you are a packaging company then your chosen designer will have to have relevant experience within the retail and packaging industry so they understand the physical challenges that have to be met when creating designs for boxes or bottles as well as the visual requirements the market place commands. Consideration needs to be given to the style of the designer as some designs will that will work well in certain industries will not necessarily work well for your company.
Remember Your Budget
Finding the perfect designer that fits in with your budget is essential. You don’t necessarily need to go with the most expensive, though skill and expertise do come at a cost, you get what you pay for. However, it is a competitive field and there are always ways of negotiating a good deal. Doing your research and understand the sort of prices you should be paying will ensure you get value for money. Certainly building a relationship with a prospective design team helps and depending on the amount of work you have to give them and the length of their tenure, you may find that the company you thought were out of your budget can work for you after all.
