It’s finally here! The day you decide your business is ready to take things to the next level!!! You’re so excited and so ready for this next step. You’ve decided you’re ready for a fresh new logo, new brand colors, a new YOU! So you pull out your laptop, hop on some Facebook groups, ask around for an awesome Graphic Designer or Brand Specialist who can help you, send out some emails to a few candidates, and BAM! You wait! Sounds about like how it goes right? What if I told you there are somethings you should be looking for when you decide to hire on a designer/brand specialist? What if I told you you should do some research into this person before just hiring someone?

What I’m about to tell you is going to change the game and blow your mind, are you ready for this? Not every designer is meant for YOU. Whaaaat? I mean one size fits all right? Nope, now let’s talk about it.

Here’s the truth, and the honest truth, not every designer will fit your business needs and your style. Just like not every outfit will work for everyone, not every designer will work for everyone. But here’s the exciting part, there will be a designer out there who was meant for YOU and your business! It sounds wild, but think of it this way, if you are into the light and airy style of photography, would you hire a photographer who only specializes in dark and moody styles? Probably not.

When you are looking to hire a designer, here are a few pieces of advice and tips on how to find the one for you!

➕ Tip 1: Look at their Portfolio ➕

If you are looking for someone who specializes in mascot logos, big corporate logos, or even soft and dainty logos, you are going to want to look at your designer’s portfolio. Our portfolio is where we showcase some of our best work, our favorite work, and it shows what we are good at! It’s our pride and joy! So, if you skip right past the portfolio, how would you know what your designer is capable of? Would you know what they have designed before? Who they’ve worked with? The portfolio is always your best place to stop by first before hiring a designer!

➕ Tip 2: What types of businesses do they work with? What’s their client experience like? ➕

Who are they working with? Do they specialize in small businesses? Big corporations? Oil Industry? Creatives? Who is your designer working with? Now, this might not be a make or break factor, and some designers work with all types of clients (such as yours truly), but it is important to see who they are working with and what their client experiences were with this designer. Are they trustworthy? Quick turn around times? Are they friendly and helpful? Do they know what they’re talking about? These are all important factors to look into if those are things that are “make or breaks” for you.

➕ Tip 3: What are they like? ➕

Now this may seem absolutely silly to you, but I 100% believe you need to be on the same page and connect with your designer. Relationships are key when designing a brand that means something to you. You have to be able to relate to and connect with your designer on a personal and business level and have a mutual understanding of what it is you need from them as well as for your business. Whenever I meet with my clients for the first time, I usually go get coffee and I ask them about their business, their life, and why they got started. I can usually get a pretty good vibe if we’re on the same page or not from that meeting. Building a brand is a personal and deeper connection to your business, and if your designer can’t understand your message or connect with you, is it a good fit for you and your business? Probably not. You want to work with someone who can communicate your ideas and bring them to life! After all, that’s why you hire us right? 😉

Choosing your brand designer can seem scary, but it doesn’t have to be! Do your research, look around and reach out to them! See how they connect with others, check out their portfolio to see what their style is, and more than anything, connect with them. At the end of the day, your designer is a person who puts their heart and soul into what they do and they are human too! Build that relationship & connection and see where it takes you. Who knows, you could end up with a great networking connection and a friend at the end of the day 😉 ❤️