Signs It's Time to Hire a Brand Designer

Hiring a designer is a big deal, both in terms of investment and commitment. Finding the right person for your brand can be a huge responsibility. But mostly, knowing when it’s the right time to hire a brand designer can be crucial to avoid spending time and money for a design that won’t last. 

You might be asking yourself questions like — “how do I know if it’s the right time to hire a brand designer?”. You don’t want to do a big investment with no clarity, and you might be tempted to attempt DIY. And let’s be honest — sometimes it’s the best thing you can do, and in some cases I’d totally recommend it.

It might sound weird said by a designer, but here’s the thing: if you don’t have a clear vision and strategy for your brand, there’s no point in investing resources into a professional brand design that won’t last or support your business as it should.

Design created at the right time and with the right clarity instead, can be one of (if not the) most powerful resources for your brand. Hiring a brand designer will give you an external objective perspective on your project and help you bring your business to the next level.

So, back to the question — how do you know it’s time to hire a branding professional? Here are 5 signs you should consider.

Sign n.1: You’ve been running your business for a while

When creating a new business, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the amount of investments needed. You might decide to skip brand design, and on a few occasions, I’d 100% encourage it.

While professional long-lasting design isn’t something you can DIY most times, you can definitely start out with the bare minimum tools (yep, I’m talking about fonts & colors) to affirm your brand before deciding to invest. 

The first couple of years of running your business will shape your vision and help you gain clarity towards your mission. At some point, you’ll find yourself in the position of having enough clarity of the direction you’re taking. This is the perfect moment to start thinking about hiring a brand designer to create a professional design that can support you in this transformation process.

Sign n.2: You’re structuring a new business with a solid vision

What if you’re starting a new business? Should you invest in a professional brand design right away? 

As mentioned, there are a few occasions when creating a definitive brand design is not possible from the very start. But in an ideal case scenario, taking flight with a professional brand design from the get-go will assure your business the best chances to be successful.

To do so, you should have a solid vision and a clear strategy from the very start. I recommend you take the time and energy needed to gain clarity beforehand. Only this way you can be sure you’re investing into a design that’ll last.

Sign n.3: You don’t feel aligned with your visuals

As your business levels up, as you grow as a small business owner, you’ll start identifying your strengths and refining the audience you’d like to work with. You become more and more an expert in your industry, and this makes your message clearer and easier to communicate to the right people.

But what happens if your visuals don’t align with your strong message? Brand design is a fundamental support to your messaging. If the two don’t align, you’ll find it more difficult to communicate with ease, and your audience will notice the disconnect too. This is how you know it’s time to rebrand, and I highly recommend you hire a professional to help.

Sign n.4: You’re ready to work with an expert

This is crucial. When deciding it’s time to hire a brand designer, you should be ready to work with someone who’s an expert in the field. This means you’re open to hear professional feedback on your idea, knowing your designer is only interested in doing what’s best for your business. You’re ready to bring your brand to the next level. You’re conscious that your presence in the project is fundamental, and are ready to invest not only money but also time and energy into the project.

Sign n.5: You’re excited for the investment

More than anything, when hiring a branding professional, you should feel excited about your investment! Design provides a return on the investment and creates unestimated experiences for your audience and brand.

Also, brand design can be quite the investment — I know. Knowing that you’re not throwing away your money, but investing in something that will return a gain from investment that’s way bigger than what you invested, will allow you to approach the design process with positivity and trust.

You should feel that itch to make changes in your brand, that sparkle of positivity that instinctively lets you know you’re going in the right direction.

Last, but not least, brand design is fun! There’s a lot of work involved, but the process is truly enjoyable and full of ah-ah moments.

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In the end, hiring a brand designer can create a major difference in your business. If after reading all this, you believe it’s time to hire a brand designer to support your vision — well, how exciting! I hope you enjoy the process and will be amazed with the results.

In the past 6 years I've specialised in branding and web design for small business owners and creatives. Hire Miel Café Design to help you craft a memorable branded experience through unique, hand-crafted brand and web design.