How to Select the Best Graphic Designer for Your Project
If you have little know-how of the marketing and graphic design industry, picking a suitable graphic designer for a business project can get quite challenging. The best candidate cannot be selected based on their talent. Instead, the key is picking someone that can deliver solid results, is easy to work with, offers creative solutions, considers deadlines, and is very committed.
Keeping all the above factors in mind will ensure a successful project with results you can enjoy and be satisfied with. You can even contact a marketing/design agency like Bizango if you want a graphic designing and branding team to work for your business. Below we have compiled a list of smart tips you can use to pick the best possible graphic designing candidate. Keep reading to learn more.
What Is a Graphic Designer?
A graphic designer creates functional visuals using technology. Their work is meant to be meaningful and purposeful, but project requirements vary based on individual companies and clients. Some common job responsibilities include:
Creating visual assets for a marketing campaign
Creating graphic overlays for social media posts
Creating a formal layout for printed adverts
Designing brand logos
Retouching photos
Importance of a Graphic Designer
A graphic designer helps create a unique and memorable brand identity. This includes designing a logo, choosing a color palette, and setting typography guidelines, which gives a company or product a distinct personality and helps it stand out in a competitive market.
A graphic designer can help convey complex information in an easy-to-understand format, such as infographics, charts, or illustrations.
High quality makes your business appear more professional and credible to customers, clients, and partners.
Advertising campaigns, such as social media posts, email marketing templates, banners, posters, and brochures, help attract attention, increase brand awareness, and drive sales.
While hiring a professional graphic designer requires an upfront investment, it can save money in the long run. A designer knows the most efficient ways to create designs and can prevent costly mistakes, such as printing errors.
Potential Risks of Picking a Poor Graphic Designer
Mismatched Aesthetic Styles
Different designers have unique styles and aesthetics. If the designer's style doesn't align with your brand identity, the outcome might not be what you envisioned.
Lack of Industry Understanding
Designers who lack experience in your specific industry might not understand its nuances or the preferences of your target audience.
Poor Communication
If the designer has weak communication skills, it can lead to misunderstandings about project requirements, timelines, revisions, and overall expectations.
Inconsistency
A designer who lacks professionalism might deliver inconsistent quality or fail to meet deadlines, which could delay your project or negatively impact its quality.
Budget Overruns
Without a clear agreement, costs can escalate. Some designers may charge additional fees for revisions or other services not initially included in the contract.
Copyright Issues
If the designer uses copyrighted images or designs without proper permissions or licenses, it can lead to legal issues.
To mitigate these risks, it's advisable to thoroughly research potential designers, review their portfolios, check references, and establish a clear contract outlining the scope of work, deadlines, payment terms, and ownership of the final design.
Steps to Pick the Best Graphic Designer
Set Clear Expectations and Goals
Design a creative brief describing your company, project objectives, and specific candidate qualifications that you require. It is also a good idea to mention any potential obstacles the designer may face along with a proper deadline. This will allow interested graphic designers to not only understand your project but also assess whether they will be able to meet your expectations before they submit a proposal.
Consider Their Skill Type
Allow yourself to get a basic understanding of the design world and the skills that must be present in the candidate you pick. This will not only ensure project success but will allow you to review proposals more easily, guaranteeing a smooth interview process. Some skills you may want to consider include:
Photography skills
Ability to work with Visual Studio or Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop knowledge
Assess Candidate Capabilities
A smart way to narrow down to the best possible candidates is to throw an unexpected question during the interview process. For example, you can ask a candidate to critique a popular project and ask how they could have done it better. This will allow you to assess their capabilities and get insight into each candidate's creative process. It will also ensure that the graphic designer you pick can work under pressure, think out of the box, and even handle the unknown.
Avoid Relying Solely On Portfolios
Simply picking a candidate based on their portfolio can backfire, especially if you require top-notch quality. Question candidates about their portfolio designs and what inspired them. This will give you an overview of their creative process, their authenticity, and whether they can come up with suitable inspiration for your project.
Offer a Trial
You can begin the hiring process by offering a small sample project requiring only a few hours to finish. You can request touch-ups on a previous project or even ask for a logo. Opt for a simple task that will allow you to see each candidate's potential and talent. Note that you will have to pay for the trial project.
Request a Video Call
A video call will enable you to assess candidates better during the interview process, especially if you hope to hire a graphic designer online. Read their body language and expressions over the video call and ask the applicants to share previous experiences, interesting stories, and sketches. You can connect using Google Hangouts or Skype. If required, you can take another team member on board during the interview process via video group calling to assess each candidate better.
Talk About Yourself
During the interview process, you must also talk about your company and the project. Explain your requirements to the designers and ask them what they need for the project. This may include:
Artwork
Documents
Proofing concepts
Design choices
Feedback
Ensure to enlighten candidates about the brand's mission, values, and project goals. Explain how your company relates to and serves consumers and what outcome you expect from the design project.
Look for Industry Experience
A candidate may be a perfect match if they already have experience working for your industry. This could be a consumer or competitor. Look into their resume for industry experience, as this will omit the learning curve required to work on your project.
This will allow the designer to not only complete the project on time and in a short duration but will also guarantee business success. They will be able to design and create a project that resonates with your potential audience efficiently.
Talk About Inspiration
With clear project goals in mind, it is necessary to pick a candidate with the right motivation and inspiration to bring the project to life. Ask each designer where they draw inspiration from, especially the brands, movies, books, artists, and websites they like. This will allow you to have a clear idea of their style and even give you additional unique design element ideas. Note that you need to pick a designer that does not just have a specific skill set. Instead, they must be creative, committed, willing to adapt, and open to new ideas.
Qualities to Look for in a Graphic Designer
A good graphic designer possesses various technical and soft skills contributing to successful design outcomes. Here are some key qualities to look for:
Creativity: This is a fundamental quality for any designer. They need to be able to come up with fresh, innovative ideas and convert those ideas into eye-catching and meaningful graphics.
Technical skills: Proficiency in design software (such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign) is crucial. They should also strongly understand color theory, typography, layout, and print processes.
Strong communication skills: Good graphic designers articulate their ideas clearly and are listeners. They understand client briefs, ask pertinent questions, and effectively incorporate feedback.
Problem-solving abilities: Graphic design often involves overcoming challenges, such as balancing client expectations with practical or aesthetic considerations. Good designers are creative problem solvers who can find innovative solutions.
Attention to detail: From alignment and spacing to color choices and typography, good designers have an eye for detail that ensures the final product is polished and professional.
Time management skills: Design projects often have tight deadlines. Excellent time management skills are necessary to juggle various projects and deliver work on time.
Understanding of marketing principles: A good graphic designer should understand the basics of marketing and branding. They should know how to create designs that look good and communicate effectively with the target audience.
Continual learning: The design industry is always evolving, with new trends and tools emerging regularly. A good designer will continually learn and adapt to stay relevant in the field.
Professionalism: They should demonstrate a professional attitude by respecting deadlines, communicating effectively, accepting feedback gracefully, and maintaining integrity in their work.
Portfolio: Lastly, a strong portfolio that showcases their style, versatility, and skills is a critical quality of a good graphic designer. It provides tangible evidence of their abilities and experience.
Endnote
Following the tips above will not only allow you to narrow down to the best possible graphic designing candidate for your project but will also ensure business success. Going through the lengthy process of selecting the best candidate once can even minimize the hassle for later projects.
Reviewed by Opus Web Design
on
July 20, 2023
Rating:
