Never hire a graphic designer that does not have a portfolio to show you. Every graphic designer should have a portfolio of their work. It should include samples of the kind of design (i.e. brochures, websites etc.) for which you are hiring. It will show you, as a client, the designer’s capabilities and also what their style is like. You will be able to see if you are compatible or not. Graphic designers will have their unique style so by viewing their portfolio you will see if your designer and your project will match. For example, if you are a children’s nursery, you won’t want a designer whose style is edgy, using skulls with dark colours. This design would be more suited for something like a guitar or bike shop – something looking for a rock/punk style. Instead, you would want someone with a softer style with pastel colours and playful images.
Some designers may have their work online, especially web and graphic image designers. If your designer doesn’t have their website, or their email address (a @XYZname.com, and not a free one like @yahoo.com) then you might want to think about why? Are they newly starting out? Are they even properly qualified? Consider that they may also be using social media like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to highlight their content. Either way, make sure you get a good sense of what their work is like.
Key Tip: Ask for recent referrals from past clients. They should be able to confirm how well the designer worked – were they courteous, professional, punctual, good communicators etc.
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