Design is such an important aspect to building your business – it’s one of the building blocks that is often overlooked, and yet it’s fundamentally the signature of your business.

Choosing a company or graphic designer to create or recreate your identity can be tricky – they could hold the identity of your business in the palm of their hand.  So how do you choose the right designer?  Here are a few questions to ask, preferably in person:

 What is your design process?

Yes, design is a process.  It’s not an “airy, fairy, creatives only” art form. There are specific requirements and objectives, and therefore a process is required to manage the project from beginning to end to ensure that these objectives are met. This process will be malleable in that every business will have different objectives and require different outcomes.

Can I see your portfolio?

This gives you an opportunity to get a feel for the designer, and to see the variety and diversity in their design.  It also gives you an idea of the kind of work they are able to do, and to see who some of their clients are.

Will you be doing my design?

The person you are dealing with might very well not be the person doing the work. You want to have direct access to the designer.  This process is about you and your business, and you are an integral part of the process. Be involved, and be honest.

So be selective about who handles your business’s identity.  Talk about it and get referrals from colleagues.  In Afrikaans there is a saying: “Goedkoop is duurkoop”.  Good design does not come cheap.  There are lots of ways to cut costs, but when developing and enhancing your business’s identity, the cost is worth it.

Reference: Lisa Guillot of Step Brightly