How to hire a designer?
There are many ways to find and commission a designer but the process can take time. Before you begin, it is useful to write down exactly the type of project you are considering, reasons for it, and the budget you have identified with proposed timescale. Share this information with other management colleagues and encourage their input. It is important at this stage in the selection, that everyone feels part of the decision-making, as they may well have to work closely with the designer as part of the creative process in the future.
Ultimately you want to a mutually beneficial working relationship that will improve your business competitiveness and sales performance. Recommendations can help to speed things up, but be prepared to spend time on the designer selection process. You should interview designers asking questions about their project approach and experience, which are relevant to the design project being considered. Always remember that you are going to have to work with the selected designer closely, so chemistry is vital and good communication needs to work both ways.
Some people will ask for speculative design to be undertaken, however this is generally not considered to be good practice; nor does it provide a great beginning to what should be a fruitful relationship. Instead of this, ask designers to provide a credentials pitch, demonstrating their previous client work, along with their proposed outline of approach and costing for the project to be undertaken. The best design outcomes will result from an appreciation of both parties and agreeing sound financial arrangements.
-
Jack Lee
Next article: Interested in a career in design – where do you start?
This is the Articles section.
Where designers and clients can share their thoughts on the role of design. Please let us know if you’d like to contribute an article.
More Articles articles
- Irish Design 2015’s Global Irish Design Challenge
- Northern Ireland Creative Employment Programme
- Film of Anatomy of Design #007: Jamie Neely – Monotype
- Film of Anatomy of Design #006: Sarah Drummond – Snook
- Film of Anatomy of Design #005: Tandem – Provocation by Design
- Mapping the Design Industry in Northern Ireland
- Designing Innovation
- Film of Anatomy of Design #004: Paul Davies – Psychologists Who Can
- Film of Anatomy of Design #003: Giving Voice to Ideas with Mike Reed
- Film of Anatomy of Design #002: Complexity, Scale and Making Things Happen with Matt Coyne
- Film of Anatomy of Design #001 — Stephen McCarthy GDS / GOV.uk
- In support of the middle
- Design Education: the profession and the student
- How to keep your clients happy?
- How to win new business?
- What is a designer?
- How to hire a designer?
- Interested in a career in design – where do you start?
- How to write a good brief?
- How to recruit a designer?