Some things to consider before hiring a Graphic Designer

Here's a few things you should consider before hiring a designer. These steps will help you ensure that the person or company you choose is right for you and how you can help make sure that you're happy with the results.

View Their Portfolio

Any good designer will have a portfolio of some of their past work for you to see. It may be online or in a book, but it should be available for you to look at on request.

Collect Materials you Like

Found a brochure you like or an advertisement with a font you think would work? Hold on to it. Design is a very subjective field and what one person finds perfect, another may hate. If you're prepared with materials you think suit your project it will greatly simplify the designers job making it easier for them to prepare something you'll be happy with in a shorter time at a lower cost.

Ask for choices

Not quite sure what you want? Most people only have a general idea of what they're looking for at first. You're designer should be able to provide you with choices. On smaller projects, or where budget is the main concern, the designer may opt to create just one proof, but you should always be able to request options on these type of jobs and you should always have options on a big job.

Look at Proofs Carefully

Before printing a job, you should be presented with a proof. Take a look over it closely looking for any typographical errors, weird colours, or anything else that seems wrong. Your designer may not know if the address is wrong or if the colour of a photograph is incorrect. Once you have approved a proof, the job will be run and any errors that might still exist become your responsibility. To ensure that this costly error doesn't happen to you, look at the proof carefully before signing off on it.

Colour or Black & White?

It's no secret that colour catches the eye and for some subjects there's no choice but to use big, full colour photographs. Unfortunately, colour comes at a price. To reproduce photos correctly and use a full range of colour, you will need full colour, or process colour printing. On some graphic jobs, a simpler two or three colour solution may be more appropriate and cost effective. Finally, there is plain black printing, using only black and shades of grey. This is the most cost effective technique and another place where a graphic designer can help you greatly. A properly designed black-only print job can be much more appealing and successful than a poorly executed full colour print. Or perhaps the solution for you is a black print on coloured paper. Your designer can help you make the choice that's right for your project and budget.