Hiring a Designer? There are Things You Should Know.
When Hiring a designer, whether you are seeking a new logo for your business, or a complete branding overhaul. There are indeed some things you should understand before pulling the trigger.
Table of Contents
1. Not All Designers are the Same.
Seems obvious but worth noting. The old saying you get what you pay for, is usually true. However there are some really good designers out there offering their services for little to nothing. That is why it is important that you know some basics about design and what a designer should deliver as a final product.
2. Your logo should be delivered in a vector format.
Many startup businesses do not realize the importance of hiring a good designer. They think they will just throw a nice chunk of money out there and they will get what they need. Sadly, that is not always the case.
When it comes to your logo, you need to make certain upfront that it will be delivered as a vector file, such as AI or EPS. The alternative is a raster such as jpg or png, and while those are also useful, they will not always suit every need. A raster is pixel based and cannot be scaled larger than the original file. So if you need something like signage, you might be out of luck, if all you have is a jpg or a png.
When it comes to scalability, vector is king. Unlike the blurry pixels of a raster graphic, a vector retains its sharpness and crisp lines when it is scaled. Vector files are composed of paths instead of pixels. This allows it to be scaled without any loss of quality to the graphic. A vector file is often required for many print jobs.
Make sure you hire a designer that can deliver the right formats for the job.
3. Simplistic Designs Perform Better Than Complex or Detailed Designs.
When it comes to branding and design, usually less is more. In branding the goal is to reach your customers in a way that they will remember you and come back again.
Think of some of the largest brands you know. The first thing that probably comes to mind is their logo. What is special about their logo? Nine times out of ten, its going to be very simple. Sometimes its a word using just the name in a clean font. Sometimes its a very simple symbol like a check mark. What you won’t see in most big brand logos, is a lot of detail and complexity. It’s usually very simple. There is a reason for that. It’s easier to remember. We want our customers to remember our brand. The simplistic design makes this much easier.
Don’t get me wrong, more complex designs can be just as successful. But I wouldn’t overdo it. Even some of the more complex brands like Starbucks, is still relatively simplistic. And its gotten more simplistic over the years. My advice is, try to stand out while keeping your design as simple as possible.
4. Consider How Your Design Will Look at Different Sizes.
Whether you are designing a logo or an informational graphic. When hiring a designer, try to think about how the design will look when scaled down. This tip kinda ties into the previous. Graphics with too much detail can look very bad when scaled down. Will the text be legible? Will the fine detail become lost? These are important things to consider.
Your design will need to be displayed in small areas, for example a logo on a ballpoint pen, or a small advertisement in a newspaper. You want to make sure the design suits the medium it will be displayed on. Sometimes its good to have a totally separate design for instances when it must be scaled down, such as an icon. Regardless of what the design is, its best to consider these things before its too late.
5. Request Source Files for all of Your Designs
Source files are the files used to edit the designs. It’s the file that a designer saves his work to. This file is very useful if you need to make changes. Some designers will not provide these files, some will provide them at a cost, and some will include them.
It’s a good thing to have the source files, even if you love your designer and plan to always use him for every design job you have. Sometimes last minute things come up that require a source file for a quick edit. Not having it could mean waiting days to get in touch with your designer, when you need the job done right away.
These are just a few things you should know before hiring a designer. There are more, but we will save that for another time. Never be afraid to ask the important questions. The right designer will have the answers.
If you are interested in a quote on your branding project, Skilled graphics would love to help. Feel free to contact us for a quote.
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