Five things to consider when choosing a graphic designer for your branding project

Here are 5 things to consider when choosing a branding bff.

1) Pricing

Pricing is a bit like the wild west in the graphic design world, there really isn’t a set standard. For this reason I wouldn’t recommend making a decision based solely on price alone. Pricing is usually based around experience. Less experience doesn’t mean less good, but usually it means there are less systems in place. If you don’t work well in a structured environment this can be great as there’s lots of room for creative freedom. However if you prefer to have clear expectations around how a project will play out then it’s worth paying more for an experienced designer who has set systems in place. 

Price is also based around deliverables. This varies massively designer to designer. It’s important to find out exactly what you are paying for. Which leads me to my next point.

2) Experience

If you’ve decided to go down the freelancer route then a good thing to think about is how much experience the designer has. First things first, less experience doesn’t mean less good. Fresh new talent is popping up all the time and they are incredibly skilled and creative. What less experience usually means is less systems in place. If you prefer a less structured work environment this can be great as there’s lots of room for creative freedom and exploration. However if you would rather have clear expectations around how a project will play out then it’s worth paying more for an experienced designer who has set systems in place. 

3) Deliverables

This varies massively designer to designer. It’s really important to be aware of what you need and what your potential designer will deliver. These are a few things to think about:

• Do you just want a logo or do you want a whole branding system (colour palette, fonts, illustrations, patterns, photography style, iconography, etc)?

• Do you want branding rollout and if so what do you want (website, social media templates, stationery, etc) and does your designer offer that?

• When it comes to your collateral do you want a) everything created for you b) templates designed so you can add/change information or c) do you want to DIY everything yourself?

• Will this designer provide me with all the relevant file types or will I have to come back to them if I need something new designed? 

4) Time Frames

Time frames are usually based on process, so what works for you really depends on how you want the project to play out. Both of the below examples relate to freelancers, as agencies have teams of people so can create more in a shorter timeframe.

Short timelines are better for:

clients who are want to launch quickly and are either really clear on what they want or are happy to follow their designers lead. The client will need to make themselves very available as decisions need to be made swiftly. This process can be more intense but is great if you are super decisive. 

Longer timelines work better for:

clients who want guidance developing their visual strategy. The client will have more time and space to reflect on whether the direction of the branding fits their objectives. This process is great for clients who want to bounce ideas around and work together on the inspiration and visual strategy before diving into the design.

5) Style

Style is a huge consideration when choosing a graphic designer but not necessarily in the way you think. If the branding work a designer creates looks like a variation on a theme then there are really only two reasons 1) all of their clients have the same values, vision, mission and purpose or 2) they focus on aesthetics over visual strategy. That’s not to say designers don’t have stylistic preferences - of course they do! But it’s important to look at how they have adapted their style to meet their clients business needs. Beautiful branding is all well and good but if it doesn’t communicate the brand purpose and values then it’s not working as hard as it could. 

6) Communication

Communication is the most underrated consideration when choosing a graphic designer but it’s arguably the most important. Visual branding is all about communicating a business’ values and personality, so if your designer doesn’t understand what you are trying to impart then it will be difficult for them to visualise it. So how do you know if you and your designer will be a good fit? 

Some questions to ask:

• What are your processes in getting to know my brand?

• How do you present concepts?

• How do I give feedback?

• What work is expected of me as a client? 

Some things to ponder:

• Did I feel listened to?

• Was I inspired by their ideas?

• Did I feel reassured that I could trust them?

• Am I excited to work with them?

• Did they take the time to explain things?