Hot Tips For Choosing A Graphic Designer
As a business owner, it is likely that you are going to need the services of a skilled graphic designer at some point, probably more than once. The final results you receive will depend entirely on the knowledge and skills of the professional you choose for your graphic design needs. How can you find the perfect graphic designer for your company’s needs? Many people find their graphic artist by checking with design companies or freelancers, taking referrals from other companies or business associates, posting free classifieds in online design forums, or through online graphic design contests. All of these are great ways to find leads for hiring a graphic design professional but there are also factors you need to consider when deciding if a graphic designer fits your needs. When making your decision, look at these aspects of each professional:
- Personality and professionalism – Is the graphic designer dressed professionally? Does he or she conduct himself or herself in a professional and courteous manner during your meeting? Pay attention to small details. If the designer is unkempt or has dirty fingernails that may mean that he or she is just as lax in other aspects of life, including work.
- Interpersonal skills – Good communication skills can make all the difference. After all, completion of your company’s graphic design projects will require collaboration and communication to make sure your goals are met in the best possible manner. Your design candidate should demonstrate excellent listening and understanding skills and should also be able to clearly communicate ideas to you.
- Marketing skills – Although a designer does not need to have a marketing degree to be qualified, some marketing skills are a must to be successful. He or she should be able to clearly express the plans for marketing your company’s brand in order to achieve results.
- Testimonials and referrals – Does the designer have an acceptable amount of glowing testimonials and referrals from past clients? Are these presented to you without prompting or do you have to insist on seeing them? Excellent feedback from prior clients is one of the best measures of how well the designer will perform for your company.
- Design portfolio – This is possibly the most important factor of all. A great design portfolio that includes a wide range of projects demonstrates not only the versatility and creativity of a designer but also shows experience. If a designer has a substandard portfolio, or none at all, he or she may not have the qualifications your company needs.
When choosing a professional to meet your graphic design needs, you will get the best results if you hire based solely on merit. Do not allow unimportant factors such as nationality, religion, politics, or other personal preferences to sway your judgment. Instead, rely on the factors of professionalism. Although all of these factors should play some part in the selection of a graphic designer, your own personality and needs will determine which are the most important. What do you consider to be the most valuable characteristics of a graphic designer? Are there any areas in which you would be willing to compromise
