Graphic designing has become an essential concept in the recent times and is used to spread awareness about a brand or product. Multiple softwares are available for the purpose, but it is not feasible for a business to give much attention to this department. Such work is therefore outsourced. Freelance graphic designers are being hired these days over design agencies from various freelance websites. However there are a few things that should be kept in mind before hiring a freelance graphic designer.
The job of a graphic designer is to create or design attractive visual concepts on a given subject. These concepts and designs should be attractive so as to gain the attention of the required audience. How to choose a graphic designer is a big question in hand. The graphic designer should have some specialised skills. Creativity and detailed knowledge of various softwares like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop is crucial. The following things should be considered while hiring a good freelance graphic designer:
1. Be clear with your goals and expectations
How to choose a graphic designer without having a clear image of your needs? Don’t. Clients should be clear with what their goals are. Decide the target audience and have a basic idea before hiring a freelance graphic designer and know exactly what you expect. This makes the communication process better and efficient.
2. Match the graphic designer’s skill set
Technical knowledge is the most basic requirement, that the client or his team member should have. It helps in making the right judgement about the graphic designer’s skills. The client should atleast have a basic idea about the work dynamics. Only if the skills of the graphic designer match the requirements of the client, the next step should be considered.
3. Check the Designer’s Work Portfolio
The portfolio of an artist speaks a lot about his/her work. It can be defined as a summary of the previous projects taken up by him or her. It also helps to judge the skills of graphic designer. If the quality of the designer’s previous projects matches with what the client needs, a deal can be established. You can also check some of the most amazing graphic design portfolios created by eminent professional designers, read our blog: ‘7 captivating graphic design portfolios that will amaze you’.
4. Give a Trial project
In case the required skills and graphic designer’s skills in his/her portfolio do not match, or if it is still uncertain whether the designer would be able to handle the project or not, a mini project can be worked upon. Making a little expenditure can prove to be beneficial. If the trial project is not satisfactory, the whole amount that otherwise would have been invested in the required project can be saved.
5. Look out for the designer’s inspiration
What inspires a designer, also affects his or her work. Therefore, knowing about the designer’s inspiration and role models can help to know him/her better. It can help you to know about the graphic designer’s skills. It can also provide a fair idea on how the designer would go about his/her work.
6. Set realistic budget and timelines
A realistic budget is necessary. Expecting high quality work in a low budget is idiocy. Negotiations should be made with the graphic designer regarding the amount of incentive. Same goes for the amount of time taken. The time given should not be too short or too long. If it is too short, the designer may demand more money or may not be able to complete the required work on time. If too long, the designer may get into a procrastinating mode and may gradually lose interest. Therefore, a right and realistic budget and timeline should be decided.
7. Consider the designer’s workload
The number of projects a designer is already working on should be talked about. If the designer is already working on multiple projects, he/she should not be hired. Hiring a freelance graphic designer despite knowing his/her workload increases the uncertainty about the project being completed on time. Also, only experienced freelance graphic designers should be hired for large projects who have the backing of a skilled team.
8. Ask questions regarding technical queries
There should be no hesitation in asking questions about the project, especially the technical ones. It is advisable to clear all doubts and make sure that both the parties have cleared all their queries. The client should not feel embarrassed about clearing his/her queries from the graphic designer, who is to be hired. There should be transparency between both the parties.
All the above aspects are important to be considered, while hiring a freelance graphic designer. Graphic designing plays an important role in attracting people towards a brand or product. Therefore, only the graphic designer whose skills seem to be promising should be hired. Share your thoughts with us on how to choose a graphic designer, below in the comments section.
