Hiring a graphic designer for your business can seem a bit overwhelming if you don’t know what you’re looking for. It’s especially intimidating if you’ve never worked with a designer before and have no design experience yourself.

What to know before hiring a graphic designer

What most people don’t realize is that the designer you hire is an EXPERT. So, when they give you a design, there’s a reason it’s done a certain way. Asking them to make change after change to fit what you “think” it should look like can be soul crushing. Let’s just say, your company design isn’t going to end up in their portfolio after this type of experience.

So here’s some advice if you’re hiring a designer:

1. Check out their work first. Make sure their style matches what you have in mind. (See questions to ask below)
2. Be specific with what you’re looking for. They’ll ask you lots of questions to be sure their designs are what you want, but if you tell them you want a calm aesthetic and forget to say you hate the color blue, you’re not going to be happy… and neither will they. 
3. Give them examples of other designs that you love. They’re not going to copy the design, but they’ll get a better idea of what you want the end result to look like.
4. Be very up front with your budget and respectful of their timeline and process. Extra revisions cost extra money!
5. Trust that they are an expert. If you don’t particularly like something, ask them to explain why they made that design decision. I’m willing to bet it is based on market research, best practices, and user experience.
6. Be open to suggestions on things like cutting copy or changing colors. Best practices and user experience come into play here again. Color contrast is an important part of accessibility. You want your content to be readable, right? You also don’t want things to be overlooked because there’s TOO much to read.

Questions to ask a designer before you hire them:

1. What design services do you offer? (You might be hiring for one reason right now, but maybe you’ll need something else from them in the future)
2. Have you worked with my type of business before? Can I see examples?
3. What is your process? This is where you find out how they get to know you, your business, and your target audience. 
4. (If hiring for web design) What is your experience with designing for accessibility and user experience? Ask them to walk you through samples of their work.
5. How long will it take to complete my design?
6. Can you do this within my budget? -Or- What is included for this price?
7. What will you need from me before you start? (this may include your logo, images, content, etc.)
8. Do you have references and/or testimonials?

Maybe what you really need is a virtual assistant or online business manager. These service providers often offer some light graphic design services, as well. Check out my post Tips for Working with a VA or OBM to be fully prepared.