How to choose your designer

Originally published on September 21st, 2010

I’ve recently been asked by a colleague how she should choose a designer for a branding project.

Here are a couple of rules I would follow:

If a designer gives you a price quote or flat fee right away, don’t hire them.

Brand design isn’t an item that can be ‘bought’ off a shelf. It is something that is unique and crafted to suite a particular audience, and should speak to them in a way that is engaging and relevant. Because of this, time spent on researching and understanding is most likely to vary depending on a designer’s familiarity with the audience —and as we all know, more time = more money.

Test them

The perception of a company’s brand plays a huge part in their consumer’s decision to buy. Therefore, before hiring, you need to make sure that the designer understands your audience enough, and has the requisite skills necessary to make an impactful first impression. The only way to do this is to request that they share initial ideas/sketches with you before you commit to hiring them.

Simply looking at past work isn’t a solid indicator of ability. There are a lot of ‘coat-tail designers’ out there —designers who claim to have designed something, but may not have been an integral part in its outcome. This happens a lot with people who have worked on a team responsible for creating a brand, but didn’t necessarily create what they promote as being their design.

You need to be sure that the designer you hire can deliver based on their own experience and talent, or what you ‘see’ isn’t going to be what you get.

Expect, or rather make sure, that the designer wants to work with you.

Similar to job interviews, the decision to hire and commit to work depends on what both sides can give to one another. The designer needs to see investment in your company. Making sure that the designer you hire has a stake in your company —whether through personal growth or interest, etc., ensures that the work will be professional and that it not only meets your needs, but the standards that the designer holds themselves to.

Simply put, money should never be the motivating factor —if you find it is, realize that you’re throwing integrity out the door.