How to choose the right designer for your brand

You’ve decided it’s time to create a new brand identity for your business, how exciting! But now — how to choose the right designer for your project? Picking the right designer for your brand is key to creating a strategic, long-lasting brand design. Choosing a professional of whom you share the same values and view, will make your project rewarding and beneficial.

However finding the right designer for your needs can be truly intimidating and overwhelming. You might not even know where to start looking. Or you might be indecisive between a few options. Maybe you’re even tempted to hire your graphic designer cousin, just so that you don’t have to bother with the research process.

It might sound obvious (but probably it’s not!): from a brand designer point of view, let me say not every designer is right for every project. I trust that most professionals would address you to a better option if they themselves are not a good fit. But I want you, as the client, to be aware of what you’re looking for in the first place.

Designing your brand should be a fun, exciting, rewarding experience. In this post I’m providing a guide to choosing the right designer for your brand, to make sure your investment is worth every penny and you come away with a design that will truly serve your brand for a long while.

How to choose the right designer for your brand project

Know your brand

Before you even start thinking about hiring a designer, get to know your brand. You might want to work with a brand strategist (and some designers might be able to also help you with this, but not always), or really find the time to focus on your messaging. I highly recommend resources like Brand Brilliance by Fiona Humberstone or even my book Design Yourself (Italian only at the moment!) to work on your strategy first and find clarity on your brand. 

Work on your vision, mission, target audience, values and messaging style first, and you’ll be equipped with the right tools to get started with your search for the right designer. 

Collect design inspiration

Once you’ve established what makes you unique, start gathering inspiration for your project. Create a visual mood board to gain clarity of what you want your brand to look and feel. In this phase you want to save any kind of visual inspiration (not just logo designs): patterns, textures, photography, illustration. Anything that speaks to you and can help you recreate the right atmosphere for your brand. This isn’t to say your designer won’t suggest a different direction for your brand, if more coherent, however this exercise will help you gain further clarity and provide a starting point for your designer search.

Take your time

Don’t rush things when choosing a designer for your project. Take your time. Look for designers online (don’t limit yourself to local designers, unless you think you’ve found the one; after all, the magic of the internet allows us to work with anyone in the globe!), who align to your vision board. Maybe even look within your mood board to find the designers that inspired you in the first place. Follow the designers online for a little while, to understand if their style is truly aligned with your vision.

Look at value

A few things to consider to choose the right designer for your brand are: 

• Values: do you share the same view? 
• Field: can you find designers who are specialised in your field? Professionals who are experts in your field have a much clearer understanding of what you need.
• Chemistry: jump on a call and try to understand if there’s a special connection between you two.

Also, you should consider the value of the offered service. Different designers will have different offerings at similar or completely different prices. Consider what are the deliverables in each offer compared to price. Some designers might be able to support you in different aspects of your brand (also think web design, social media branding, newsletter design, and more). Choose the best offer based on what your business needs at the moment.

Consider the process and timelines

As well as values and chemistry, you should consider the designer’s process and if you’d be comfortable working through it. The brand design project should be enjoyable for you both, and understanding what tools will be used and the communication approach upfront is fundamental in the decisional process. Timelines and deadlines are also something crucial to consider: some designers might have a waiting queue and you might want to consider if it’s worth waiting. From my experience though, if you feel like you’ve found the right designer for your needs, it’s always worth waiting to work with a professional you admire and feel aligned with. Don’t rush the process; you can always use the waiting time to properly work on your vision and better prepare for the project.

Determine your budget

Budget is of course a fundamental aspect of your investment. Especially if you’re just starting out, you might be on a tight budget and not be able to afford a specific designer. However, as you determine your budget, consider brand design as a huge investment that will help you gain priceless credibility and brand recognition. Investing in poor-quality branding will cost you more than investing right from the get-go. Sometimes it’s wiser to temporarily hit pause on your project and save some money to be able to afford the right designer for your brand.

Go with your gut

As with any relationships, a lot of the decisional process should and will be instinctive. While it’s fundamental to take a considered decision, trust your gut as well. Do you feel that working with that person is the right decision? Then go for it! 

---

I hope these tips can help you confidently go through the process of choosing the right designer for your needs. Feel like I am the right designer for your brand? I specialise in curated branding and web design for creatives and small businesses. I’d love to consider your project and discover if we’re a great fit. Get in touch — I can’t wait to hear from you!