How to Hire a Graphic Designer Right For Your Business

Every business needs design, but does every business need to hire a graphic designer? We’ll help you decide and provide data, tips, and guidelines on how to choose the best designer for your business!

With heaps of modern design tools available nowadays, DIY design might seem like a good idea. This is rarely the case. 

Without a good logo you can never create a memorable brand image. A website’s UI will ensure a positive user experience and boost traffic. Ad design can help increase conversions. And the list goes on.

‍Design has a direct impact on the success of your business, so hiring a professional designer is always recommended.

How to hire a graphic designer?

Now you know all the main reasons to hire a graphic designer. So, you must be wondering how to hire a graphic designer that’s just the right fit for your business.

We’ll go through the most important steps. 

Define the project scope

Before you get to hiring a designer, you should understand why you’re hiring one.

For example, deciding to hire a designer for a one-off project is very different from hiring someone to work with you regularly. 

Next, remember that graphic design is a vast field. So, you should list down all the types of graphic design jobs you need before (e.g. brand identity creation, illustrations, motion graphics, presentation design, etc.)

Set a trial project

You can spend hours going through a designer’s portfolio or interviewing candidates, but nothing beats vetting prospective designers as effectively as a trial project. This is your chance to see the designer in action and figure out if they can deliver on their promises.

Although it was common practice a few years ago, unpaid trial projects are both unfair and harmful to the process of finding the best designer. Quality designers usually won’t agree to do unpaid work and if they do, they might not give it their best. 

The scope of the trial project should be such that you’re able to provide adequate compensation. For example, if you’re looking for a logo designer, a trial project shouldn’t be a complete logo, but perhaps some element of it (illustration, typography, etc.) or a rough concept that the designer can talk more about in the interview.

Hold an interview 

Hiring a designer should always involve an in-person or video interview. It’s a great way to avoid scams if you’re using freelancing platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, but it’s also an important step in finding the right personal fit for your company.

Come prepared with specific questions, directly related to the project. But also take time to get to know them better, ask them about their creative process and if they have experience working with a bigger team.

Many great designers are not verbal types. So, leave some room for more casual questions, such as their personal background, interests, and daily life to help them feel at ease. 

Discuss budget and deliverables

Before your designer gets to work, they should know what the expectations are.

If you’re working with freelance designers, make sure you set a clear deadline for a specific set of deliverables. Agreeing on the number of revisions (as well as what constitutes as a revision) is also advisable.

Where to find designers

Unless you move around creative circles, perhaps with a couple of designer friends, you might be tempted to just google “designers for hire”. Well, that’s certainly one route to go, but you’re better off looking for creative talent on these specialized platforms.

ManyPixels

ManyPixels is a top unlimited design company with 40+ professional designers on our team. Unlike some other platforms, we eliminate the need to spend time searching for and vetting designers.

Instead, we will pair you with a designer whose skills and experience best suit your needs.

The flat monthly rate means you always pay the same price, no matter how many projects you request. Unlimited revisions are also included in the price.

We have a truly vast scope of services that includes brand design, websites, landing pages, illustrations, social media graphics, motion graphics, and much, much more.

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Your own website

A business or personal website isn’t just for potential clients - it can be a powerful tool to attract the right candidates for a graphic designer job. Designers who specialize in a certain niche might keep an eye out on your site to find employment. Moreover, those who learn about the job through your site can make great graphic design hires, as they probably have a genuine interest in your brand. 

Jobseeker sites

General job seeker sites allow you to attract a range of candidates. However, since lots of people use these sites, you’ll need to spend a lot of time finding the right designer to hire.

You can also turn to location-specific websites, such as JobRack (Eastern Europe), JobStreet (Southeast Asia), Naukri (India), or Eurojobs (Europe).

Freelance websites

You can find a freelance graphic designer with virtually any skill or type of experience imaginable on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr. 

The biggest drawback of freelance designers is that they’re usually not a viable solution for the long term. Paying per-project or hourly means costs accumulate fast. So, you can often end up paying more than the cost to hire a graphic designer in-house

Portfolio platforms

If you want to hire a graphic artist, you need to be where they are. Portfolio platforms are the best way to get in touch with designers directly, and get a feel for their work and skills. Here are some of the biggest platforms to explore:

• Dribbble: Dribbble features snapshots of projects, so it’s a great place to start your search for a creative designer to join your team. You can hire them directly through Dribbble or get in touch to see if they’d be open to working with you.
• Behance: This is the most extensive portfolio platform, featuring a range of projects from interior to website design. It’s a great way to really dive deep into a particular designer’s work, and get a sense of their style and capabilities.
• Dieline: Dieline is a specialized platform for branding and packaging designers, so if you’re looking to hire one, this is where you’ll find some of the most outstanding talents!
• Awwwards: Need a website designer? Head over to this site to see some of the most groundbreaking web design work there is. Of course, bear in mind that a lot of the work featured here belongs to big design agencies, that might be a lot more expensive than hiring a designer

Hire a professional design service 

Hiring a designer can take a lot of time and effort. Most importantly, one designer can hardly handle every design project you throw at them.

In comparison, an unlimited design service is the most affordable way to get all the graphics you need. Flat monthly rates usually stand between $500 and $1,000. This is a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-time designer, and usually the price of a single design project like a logo or website.

If you want to talk to us directly, feel free to book your 1:1 consultation. We’ll be happy to answer all your questions!