Key Questions to Ask Your Designer

Finding the right designer to handle your business’ branding, website, and any other smaller projects is extremely important but also daunting unless you know the right questions to ask. Even if a designer comes highly recommended by a business associate or peer, always go through the interview process because your needs may be very different from those who offered the recommendation.

Certainly, write down a long list of questions to ask in the interview but be sure to include these top three questions:

1. How much experience do you have?

A common saying in the design community is that you get what you pay for. This holds true as the more established a designer, typically, the higher their rates will be and new designers will charge less or offer a discount when they are just starting out as a way to drum up some early business.

Before hiring any designer, it’s important check their online portfolio so you can be sure they have the required skills you are looking for.

2. Do you have experience doing this type of project and will you be the one actually doing the work?

Just as not all photographers can successfully shoot weddings, not all designers can handle business branding. If you find a designer who specializes in branding, they may not design social media graphics, eBook covers or website graphics. Not because they can’t but because they choose not to. Or maybe they outsource those smaller projects to another designer.

It’s always convenient to find a designer who can handle a wide variety of projects but be aware that the pricing will likely be higher. Likewise, if you’re paying a pretty penny for the work, you have a right to know who is actually designing the pieces you need.

3. Please explain your design process.

This is where your potential designer will explain how they do things. How long it takes to get you a first draft; how many rounds of changes you are allowed; when you will start to incur additional charges to the project. If they can provide you a timeline, that’s a great reference for you; just be aware that this timeline will often depend on how quickly you communicate, when you give your feedback, and how timely you pay your invoice.

With these questions, you will be able to get a better understanding of what your designer is capable of doing for you. Designers are not one-size-fits all and it’s important to know that before hiring them. Going into an outsourcing situation blindly never ends well so do your due diligence. And the more clearly you can explain your needs when it comes to what you’re looking for, the easier the design process will be.

Don’t have the budget to hire a designer yet? No worries! You can still create a beautiful brand on your own using the right tools for free! I highlight these tools and how to use them in my free masterclass, “5 Free Tools to Build a Beautiful Brand”!!

Every successful business owner is concerned about keeping their bottom-line expense low, and there’s no shame in utilizing free resources when you’re new to the game.

Register now at www.vividpixelstudio.co/free-tools!!