First off cheaper is not always the better deal, especially when it comes to hiring a graphic or Website designer. People get lured into these offers from Etsy, Fiverr and other online Websites making it seem like they’re getting a great deal! These deals can be very deceiving to the average person. You also don’t really know who you’re working with because all the communication is done through the website or via email. Some of these people aren’t even located in the United States and require full payment up front. All Red Flags.
I receive a lot of phone calls from people, four in the last month alone who have entered into these types of transactions and are looking to me to help them. Either they come to me to have something printed and the art was not created in the proper format for all the types of printing they want to have done. Or the relationship went sour and they’ve lost all communication with the designer as well as the money they have paid them. Then they’re back to square one and having to pay someone else to do the job correctly. So they truly end up paying double or triple, when they could have done a little research and hired a local professional.
I feel bad for these people because they don’t know any better. These online companies that take advantage of people, make the professionals look bad and make people think we all work that way. Not true.
FIRST, DO YOUR HOMEWORK!
Contact designers within your area so you can meet them in person and interview them so that you feel they’re a good fit and understand your goals. Or if there’s a local business that you like how they’ve branded themselves - ask them who they work with. Visit their website or online portfolio to see if you like their design style. When you finally contact a designer tell them what you’re looking for and ask a lot of questions. Good designers will ask you what your goals are and then educate you so that you can make the best decision that you can.
Most professional designers including myself will never ask you for all the money up front. Typically we ask for a down payment and then the balance when the final art is approved. They will also provide you with a detailed contract that protects both you and themselves should any issues arise.
Visit Yelp and Google+ to read reviews about their company. You can also ask for references, so you can contact them to ask how their experience was working with them.
Another important question to ask is what software they use. The industry standard is the Adobe Creative Suite. Professional designers use Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop. If the designer says they only use photoshop, they aren’t that experienced.
Here’s a little description and how they’re used:
Illustrator
is meant for creating logos or vector based illustration work (they should not use Photoshop). Sign printers, apparel printers and even some website designers will ask you for your logo in vector art. This file extensions are usually .ai or .eps.
Photoshop
is photo rendering software for image manipulation and drawing as well as creating elements for your website.
InDesign
is a desktop publishing software for designing business cards, letterhead, print ads, posters, brochures and other printed material.
I hope this gives you a little-educated insight when you’re going to hire someone to help create your brand. Whether you use Kreative Design / Marketing
or another professional, at least you can feel good about the money you spent and walk away with your expectations met.
