Whether you’re looking to hire in-house or searching for a trusted freelance designer, here’s what to think about before you commit.

1 / Don’t hire based on skill set alone  

While someone may have all the talent required to create great work, that doesn’t necessarily mean they have the right attitude or work ethic. While their portfolio of work should still be factored into your considerations, there’s plenty more you should think about before hiring an in-house or freelance designer. Once you have established that they have the basic technical and creative skills required to get the job done, your next priority is to do some more digging.

2 / Weed out the fakes  

Even if a designer has an extensive portfolio of strong work, that doesn’t mean to say it’s all legitimate. There are more people than you may expect posing as designers while using the work of others to build their own portfolio. To spot the frauds from the legitimate talent, ask them about the story behind the work and the thought process they went through to get to the final result. They will have to be quick thinkers to make something up on the spot for plagiarised pieces.

3 / Figure out their process

Without a process, designers are likely to take longer than desired to reach deadlines which in turn can make it difficult to ask for amends once the work is complete. Before you work with a designer, establish how they plan their day and how they prioritise work. By asking for an overview of the steps they take towards completing a project you will gain a deeper insight towards what to expect.

4 / Communication

It’s essential that you determine how a designer works under tight deadlines, how well they communicate and how they work under pressure. If you’re working with the best designer in your area but they’re unable to get the job done when you need it, they’re not worth your time or money.

5 / Attitude

Unfortunately, there are a number of designers out there who believe that their way is the best and only way, which means it’s very tough for them to receive feedback. This can result in them getting defensive and difficult to work with. Before you work with a designer, it’s vital that you develop an understanding of their values and principles to ensure they align with yours.  

6 / A/B testing

Before spending a lot of money on your advertising, first, you need to create A/B tests on your campaigns. This will involve creating multiple versions of an advertisement with different colours, fonts and imagery and seeing which resonate most strongly with your audience. A great designer will understand that their personal taste won’t necessarily be everyone’s cup of tea and that A/B testing is essential in making the right kind of impact.  

Above all though you need to consider the designer's ability to accommodate fluctuating workloads; Cheap freelancers are all well and good, but many designers get snowed-under very quickly with demands from multiple clients, which can impact looming deadlines. Here at Skein Agency we have both in-house designers and a trusted network of designers we can rely on in an emergency. And having multiple skillsets means we can accommodate deadlines easily to meet our clients' demands.

To find out more about working with Skein for your design projects, get in touch.

Photo by Hannah Wei on Unsplash