Like any business partnership or collaboration, the graphic designer you work with can have a big effect on how your project moves forward. While you can never know for sure how your working relationship will be until you work together, here are a few things to consider in your search to help you find a graphic designer who can help your project succeed.
What are your priorities in the project?
I’d recommend making a list what priorities for your graphic design project. What are your must-haves and what are you flexible on? What do you value in a collaborator? Are there factors that could hinder your project or cause you frustration? This will help you assess how a graphic designer’s skillsets and personality type will fit with your needs before you hire them.
What style are you looking for?
Each graphic designer has their own stylistic flavour. Having a sense of what you’re looking for will help you assess potential candidates’ portfolios. It will also help you give clear direction to the designer you hire. Are you looking for a design that is modern and classic? Serious or playful? Luxurious or wholesome? Vibrant or subdued?
Do they think strategically?
In my experience, practitioners fall into two categories. The first will take your instructions and do as you ask without questions. The second will stop to think about why you are asking for those things. While the former has its place, I have always found that projects with people who stop to consider “why?” go more smoothly. A project with a strategic thinker can often exceed expectations and even save you money. They can come back with alternate suggestions that will better meet your goals. They will think about what might come next and design towards end goals beyond the end of the immediate project.
Have a discussion with potential hires
Once you have answered the questions above for yourself and found some potential candidates the next step is to have a chat with them. Use the insights from the questions above to inform the conversation and you should be able to get a good sense of whether they are the right fit for you and your project.
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My name is Mark Garrison and I’m a graphic designer in Victoria, British Columbia. I have more than 20 years of experience producing creative work in a variety of media and using strategic thinking to build and grow projects.