How to Find a Graphic Designer You Love
How to start the process of finding a graphic designer you love
Whether you’re starting from scratch or thinking it’s time for something fresh when you decide to look for a graphic designer, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged with all the options out there. With so many places to find someone with talent, it can be challenging to feel confident in your decision. We’re going to share some tips to help you find a graphic designer you love on the first try!
Before you jump right into looking for a graphic designer, it’s essential to think through and make a detailed list of what you’re looking for. When you start looking at designers, you’ll learn more about their strengths and skills, which can get overwhelming if you are unclear on what you’re looking to accomplish through your work together. Ask yourself questions like:
What are the intangible impacts you’re hoping for based on your work with them?
Do I want them to build my brand from scratch or work with existing assets?
Am I looking to completely redesign my website, or just make some tweaks to the current development?
Do I want someone to design social graphics and templates for you to use on LinkedIn or Instagram?
What are my expectations around the software my designer will use to create content? Do I need easy access, or do I want my designer to handle it all?
Are you interested in working with them for a specific ad or a specific campaign to help boost results?
Where to start looking for a graphic designer?
Once you have a clear idea of the project you’re looking to hire a graphic designer for, it’s time to start looking for one! It’s up to you where you look, but there are a few places you can get some good leads with a bit of patience and some internet digging.
Independent places graphic designers post work:
Social media - Graphic designers are people too, and it’s common for them to share their work on platforms like Instagram, Tiktok, Pinterest, Linkedin, Behance, Dribbble, and more. You can search hashtags and keywords to help find posts and accounts that could interest you. Make a list of the ones that you like, and be sure to find and save a few posts that caught your eye or stood out to you. When you’re looking to explain what you want to them later, it’s helpful to have a previous piece of their art that is similar to help show them exactly what you’re looking for.
Google - Most artists have a blog or a website, allowing them to be found with a quick google search like “graphic designers in Chicago” or “graphic designers near me.” The pros of this are that you will see everything they have for display in their portfolio at once.
Using one of these methods will allow you to compare and contrast the different styles and personalities that each designer brings to the table. Every designer you met will bring a different set of offerings, a new style, and their own processes/outputs. It’s important to find one that resonates with you and your business to create an end result that you’re proud of.
Websites that host graphic designers for hire:
Fiver - Fiver hosts a lot more than graphic designers, but with an extensive graphic designers database, if you’re looking for a couple of simple things, this could be a great fit.
Upwork - Similar to Fiver, Upwork hosts more than just graphic designers, but it’s complete with a database of designers with all levels of experience and expertise.
99 Designs - 99 Designs is an exclusive design site. It works a little differently as you post the project info and budget, and then designers submit work you can review and accept. You pick the design you like over the designer you want.
All of these sites can be helpful for one-off projects or something you need a quick return on. With these platforms, you provide clear deliverables and they return exactly what you asked for. It’s the perfect system for quick fixes or last-minute additions, but it can lack a sense of partnership. If you’re looking for someone who will brainstorm with you and help you create a brand that moves your business forward, it can be a better investment to work directly with a graphic designer.
What to look for when you are looking at a graphic designer's work
When looking at someone’s work, it’s about more than seeing if it looks pretty. You’re aiming to find someone who can design with the eye you want, someone who will thoughtfully embrace and embody your brand to create something sensational. Pay attention to the details and ask yourself questions like:
What about these designs stands out to me?
Do the things they make evoke any sort of emotion or reaction when you see them?
Does all their work strike the same sentiment? Are you looking for something different?
Is there something about the work they do that pulls you towards it? What is that thing?
If you like the answers you find to the questions above, reach out! Fill out the contact form on their website, or send them an email or a message on social media. If you’re interested in them, it’s time to get to know the graphic designer a little more!
Get to know them
When it comes to getting to know a graphic designer, you want to focus on your interactions with them as a whole. Ask yourself questions like:
Are they quick to respond to emails and messages?
Do they respect your time and boundaries?
What do they value in business?
Do you find it easy to communicate clearly with them?
What kind of essential information do you feel like you’re missing?
After reading up about them on their website, exchanging some emails, and hopefully having a phone call or a video call to get to know them, you’ll have a good idea of if the two of you will work well together. If you’re unsure here are a few more questions you can explore to help you make a decision:
Do I like who they are as a person?
Are their values aligned with mine?
Would I find communicating with them restoring or draining?
Is watching them bring your vision to life an exciting thought?
What to do if it’s not a good fit
When you did a lot of initial research, there’s a good chance you found more than one designer you liked—time to move on to the next one on the list. If you used your whole list and still haven’t found someone you love, we encourage you to take another look at the expectations you have and see what you would be willing to compromise on if it’s not all feasible at the same time.
Getting to the point where you find a designer you love isn’t always easy, but once you do, you get to work together to create magic. You’ll be blown away by their ability to bring your vision to life in an exciting, captivating way to help you elevate and refine the brand you’re building.
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