How to Choose the Right Graphic Design Help for Your Business

Outsourcing makes the world go round. Want in on the action and have your business reap the benefits? Hiring a graphic designer is a great start. But before you look for designers  left, right, and center, take a step back and learn how to choose the right graphic design help for your business.

If you want to run a successful business, you need to be as efficient as possible. Work smarter, not harder! Outsourcing tasks to professionals is the way to go. Let’s be honest; can you really get away with another sloppy social media post full of design fails?

In this day and age, we can’t deny the importance of graphic design. The only way to be successful is by looking your part. Did you know that 75% of your website visitors judge your brand’s credibility based on your web design? And that’s just one of the many statistics proving graphic design's importance.

Time to hire a professional! But how do you find a match made in heaven? Nowadays, the internet is filled with self-proclaimed designers ready to tackle your design requests for peanuts. But the age-old saying “you get what you pay for” especially rings true here. That’s why we’re here to help you.

Let’s look at how graphic design can help your business grow by taking the time to hire the best graphic design help for your business.

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How can a graphic designer help your business?

We get it; running a small business means cutting costs wherever you can. But all that time spent on DIY design could very well obstruct the potential growth of your business. Graphic design help could boost your brand in numerous ways.  

How can a graphic designer help your business? Here are 4 critical aspects:

• Save time and money – Instead of spending hours on design and missing out on countless conversions, a professional dealing with your design needs will help you cut costs and leave you with extra time.
• Stand out from the crowd – In an ocean full of common design, having custom visuals will help you stand out from the crowd.
• Transform from business to brand – Stunning branding assets will help you gain recognizability and credibility.
• Amp up your conversion rate – With carefully curated landing pages and striking design, you’ll find customers reaching for those call-to-action buttons in no time.

How to vet a potential design partnership

Graphic designers aren’t hard to come by if you know where to look. You could hire a local graphic designer or head to one of the many freelancing platforms. But before you start looking for a graphic designer, it’s vital to know how you can vet a potential design collaboration.

Think of it like dating. Before jumping the gun and getting married, you want to know who you’re dealing with, right?

Just like marrying the ideal partner, having a professional relationship with the right graphic design partner can lead to fantastic results. But it’s crucial to know when to take the plunge and how to vet potential graphic design help.

Specify your design needs

Before thinking about where and how to find graphic design help, it’s crucial to specify your needs. Back to the dating analogy: you want to have an overall idea of what you’re looking for in a partner before you enter the market.

The world of graphic design is vast and ever-evolving. An online graphic designer specializing in web design is inherently different from a logo designer. Plus, web and print fundamentally differ in how file formats are delivered to you and in which color systems.

A mismatch is easily avoided by deciding ahead of time what your design needs are and how you’ll use them. Choose a designer based on your specific needs and not because he’s your best friend’s cousin, or did an illustration you kinda like. Delve into the nitty-gritty of your project and let your potential design partner know beforehand what you expect.

Know what makes a good graphic designer

Once you know exactly what type of graphic design you require for your project(s), you can slowly start looking around. There are some tell-tale signs of a good designer, as well as a couple of red flags you should look out for.

Broad perspectives

Did you know we naturally tend to hire people that are similar to us? That’s a mistake, especially when it comes to hiring a creative, such as a graphic designer. One of their roles is to encourage you to think outside the box and offer a fresh perspective. Therefore, building your team with various voices and outlooks is wise.

Adaptation and grit

How does your potential design collaboration handle challenges and setbacks? See if you can find clues by asking them about the creation of previous projects while interviewing them. Design is an ever-evolving discipline, so you definitely want to pair up with a designer who knows how to deal with the inevitable curveballs of the design process.

A collaborative mindset

Design is a collaborative process. Think about it; your design often needs accompanying copy or needs to be tested by users. And in the end, you’ll review designs and send feedback. Imagine working with someone that isn’t up for the social aspect of a design collaboration… Chances are it’s not going to work out!

Open to feedback

If only we lived in a world where every design was spot on the very first try. That’s rarely the case, so feedback and reviews are a big part of the design process. If the graphic design help you’re about to hire can’t handle criticism, it’s a good idea to give it a second thought. A great way to test this is by having your potential design collaboration do a trial project and go through at least one feedback round. Feel free to be a little harsher than you normally would; a good designer can handle it.

How to work with a designer

These creatures that talk about color all the time and throw in design lingo that sounds like gibberish to you; you wouldn’t be the first to be intimidated by a graphic designer. However: bear in mind that a design partnership works both ways.

You can have an exceptionally talented designer with excellent soft skills, but if you haven’t got the faintest clue of how to work with them, chances are your collaboration will crumble and fall apart.

Let’s go over a few tips and tricks on how to work with a designer.

1. Communicate clearly

Communication is key, people. A collaboration all falls or stands with proper and clear communication. Be upfront with your designer, and ensure you give them clear and proficient instructions from the get-go.

As much as designers like their creative freedom, it’s actually really helpful to know exactly what is expected. Is your goal conversions or brand awareness? Are you using the graphics on your light and fun social channels or in your business report? Give your project context and include your designer as much as possible.  

2. Construct a workflow

Between the creative process of designing a graphic and diving into this quarter’s financial administration, the preferences of a workflow are vastly different. Establish a status quo with your designer to start off strong.

When will you check in, and how? Especially when you’re outsourcing to a freelance designer, you can’t expect them to be available 24/7 specifically for you (unless you pay premium prices, that is). Setting up a workflow regarding communication, deadlines, preferred platforms, etc., will ensure everyone knows upfront what to expect.

3. Get involved

We’ve briefly mentioned it, but designers actually like it when you supply them with ideas and examples! Feel free to share anything that could inspire your designer. Additionally, it is a fantastic idea to learn the basics of design. This allows you to step into the shoes of your designer, albeit on a surface level.

In short: get involved and stay on top by giving your designer plenty of inspiration! Here are a few resources filled with awe-inspiring design:

• Awwward – A manifesto of the world’s best-designed websites.
• Behance – This massive platform revolves all around showcasing creative work.
• Abduzeedo – A design blog filled with articles and striking visuals all about design.
• Dribbble – This platform is a big hit with designers to showcase their portfolios.

4. Trust your designer

The worst thing you can do is mistrust your designer’s decisions. After all, you’ve spent all this time ensuring you have the perfect fit for your design partnership. Have a little faith in your designer and realize that you’re dealing with a professional.

Give them space to do their thing, and encourage creative freedom. By placing your trust in your designer, you’ll give them a tremendous confidence boost, guaranteeing the best results.

5. Give feedback

You made sure your designer is open to criticism. Now it’s up to you to give them clear and concise feedback, which will lead to an even better design outcome. Here’s how:

• Be specific – What do you dislike, and why? Point out specific aspects and communicate why it doesn’t work in your opinion.
• Focus on the problem – Remember, your designer’s job is to design. Rather than offering solutions, trust your designer can transform the design according to your dislikes. Giving them specific instructions could harm the process and lead your designer astray from the desired result.
• Ask questions – Allow space for your designer's input by asking questions. It’s perfectly fine to ask your designer why they made a particular choice in the design. Additionally, asking questions gives your designer the responsibility to enhance the result.
• Stay objective – Non-designers often get stuck in their personal taste. Remember who the design is for and who the professional is, and try to stay as objective as possible. Just because your designer didn’t use your favorite colors doesn’t mean the design isn’t going to work the best for your target audience.
• Offer praise & critique – You can bombard your designer with a list of dislikes, but you’ll likely ruffle a few feathers. Be respectful when offering your feedback, and make sure to offer praise when due. Highlighting aspects that you do like will actually help a designer make progress.

Ready to partner up?

Once you realize how graphic design can help your business reach staggering growth, you probably want in on the action. The good news is that you’re now set up for a successful design partnership. But there’s still the dreaded task of finding a designer that meets all of your requirements.

One of the better options may have been right in front of you all this time! Here at ManyPixels, we offer unlimited design for a flat monthly fee. We take design seriously and only partner up with the best designers out there. That way, you’re ensured of a professional collaboration without having to worry about vetting a designer.

Our subscription-based service helps you manage your design projects cost-effectively and hassle-free, no matter your size or industry.

Want to know more? Have a look at our different pricing plans, or schedule a demo call to get a glance at our platform.