How to tell if your graphic designer is any good

The right graphic designer for your project can make all the difference in the world. With so many options out there, it's hard to know who to trust and who will give you the best value for your dollar. Worry not - this guide will show you how to weed out the bad designers, and give you some tips on how to spot the good ones.

What do you look for when hiring a graphic designer?
Graphic designers should be proficient in Adobe Creative Suite, as those programs are used to create vector images, produce layouts, edit photography and manipulate typography. They should also have experience with the latest design trends and know how to work with animation, mobile apps, social media marketing, and responsive design. If your designer is only capable of producing artwork using one Adobe Software such as Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator - then they are most likely unable to fulfil all of your creative requirements for print and digital marketing. If they say they create all their artwork in Canva - they are not a Professional Graphic Designer.

How to work with your graphic designer
When you're ready to work with your graphic designer, decide on what type and colours you would like. Identify the message that you want to communicate and how it should be conveyed. Determine the budget and deadline for the project. Create an outline of the work that needs to be done with a detailed timeline. Give your creative team plenty of time to provide feedback before they start designing. Once your designs are submitted, review them carefully before signing off on them.

How to make sure you're getting what you paid for
There are a few ways you can tell if your designer is any good. One is to look at the final product and see if it's what you imagined or hoped for. You can also look into how much work they're making you do during the design process. 

• Do they ask a lot of questions about the details?
• Is the artwork they supplied in keeping with your brief? 
• Are you having to micromanage the project?
• Do they have a good attitude? (this makes all the difference when trying to meet tight deadlines!)
• Were they on budget and accurate in what they quoted?
• Was the turnaround time as expected? 

A Professional Graphic Designer (like myself) will require little creative direction or input unless offered. They are able to interpret the information you sent whilst using their own experience and initiative to produce artwork to specification. They will always research and take into consideration your target audience, products, services and brand voice. 

Professional Graphic Designers are hard-wired to be problem solvers. They are there to help you solve your creative problem and with their can-do attitude, they will be able to resolve any problems that crop up along the way and utilise the entire Adobe Creative Suite for the best creative solution.They will also have great attention to detail on minute details such as letter spacing, line spacing, information hierarchy and print or digital specifications. 

Conclusion
The moment you meet with a graphic designer, ask them these questions to see if they are worth your time. Did they have any experience with the type of project I want them to work on? How many projects have they done in this style? If they don't have much experience, find someone who does...get in touch today.