How to Find the Right Designer for my business?

Why is it So Important to Choose the Right Designer? 🤔

A great designer doesn’t just create a logo — they help communicate your brand’s essence. Think of it this way: your brand is your business’s personality, and design is how that personality comes to life. The wrong designer can miss the mark, leaving your brand feeling flat or disconnected.

The right designer? They’ll make your business unforgettable by understanding your audience, your goals, and your values.

How to Find the Right Designer

Know Your Goals

Before diving into the search, be clear about your goals. What’s your business’ purpose? What are you trying to achieve? Are you just starting out, are you expanding, do you need a rebrand? Do you have your brand positioning figured out, or do you need strategic help for that? How will you measure the project’s success? Be ready to answer these questions and more while meeting with designers. No, ‘I just want a logo’ isn’t enough 🤭

Look at Portfolios

A designer’s portfolio reveals more than their skill — it shows their style, versatility, and creativity. Look for examples of work that resonate with your brand’s vibe. Ask yourself: Can I see my brand fitting into their portfolio? Does this designer’s work inspire me? If you don’t connect with what you see, move on.

Prioritize Communication and Compatibility

A designer isn’t just someone who delivers files — they’re your creative partner. You’ll be working closely together, hopefully for years to come, so good communication and compatibility are non-negotiable. Pay attention to how they communicate during your initial conversations. Here’s what to look for:

• Are they asking thoughtful questions about your business and goals?
• Do they explain their process clearly?
• Do they listen and adapt based on your needs?
• Do you feel understood?

Look for a Clear Design Process

Understanding a designer’s workflow can tell you a lot about what working with them will feel like. A designer with a well-defined process is more likely to deliver consistent, high-quality results. Key steps they should explain include:

• Discovery: How will they get to know your brand in detail?
• Concept Development: How will they come up with ideas? How many concepts will they present you and how?
• Refinements: Are they open to feedback and do they offer revisions?
• Final Deliverables: What kind of final files can you expect? How will you get them? Are there any extras?

Plan in advance

It’d be a shame to find the *perfect* designer just to learn that they’re fully booked and can’t deliver before your deadline. Some designers are booked out months in advance, but like a good restaurant, it’s often worth the wait! To avoid making rush decisions, plan ahead! Anything below a 2-month headway and you’re seriously limiting your options (the ideal being booking at least 4 – 6 months in advance, especially if it’s a brand launch, since you’ll have to get into marketing afterwards).

Define Your Budget

Budgeting is a big part of finding the right fit. And let’s be real — brand design really varies in price and it depends on a lot of factors. But here’s a quick breakdown to give you perspective, based on what I’ve seen:

• <$1,500: You’ll either be working with an inexperienced designer or be receiving less deliverables! Just beware that it can mean the designer doesn’t have a well-established process, which can in turn create delays and stress. Great for small businesses just starting out and looking for minimal designs to test out the market.
• $2,000-$3,000: This is the average range for brand designers that work with small brands. Expect comprehensive deliverables which you’ll be able to use for at least a couple of years before scaling up.
• $4,000-$8,000: This is a common range for brand design studios. You can expect to receive quality work with a more robust branding system and more precise usage guidelines, which will save your precious time and money down the line and be easily shareable with teammembers and stakeholders.
• $10,000+: This probably falls under the design agency category, which means there’s a whole team working on your project. Best for large-scale businesses.

Remember, design is an investment. Cutting corners to save money now could cost you more later in rebranding or fixing design issues.

Where to Look for Designers 🧐

Instagram

Looking up “brand designer” is a good start, but you might be overwhelmed. My tip is searching specific keywords that match what you’re looking for, like “bold color palette”, “fun brand design”, “coffee shop brand design”, etc.

Pinterest

If you’re ever browsing for inspiration to add to your brand moodboard, there’s a good chance that some of your pins were created by brand designers that are available to work with you! Check the pins for details about the creator.

Behance & Dribbble

Check out Behance or Dribbble to browse designer portfolios. These platforms showcase real-world projects and allow you to contact designers directly.

Referrals

Ask for recommendations from other business owners or friends. Designers who come with glowing endorsements are often worth checking out.

Red Flags to Look Out For in a Designer 🚩

They have rushed timelines

To be fair, some projects take longer than others, and that’s to be expected. But if a designer is promising you quality, custom, extensive work within mere days, that’s probably a red flag, or at least the sign that they won’t take the necessary time to do strategic research, and that what you’re getting isn’t custom, but based on some generic template that they build upon to save time — and if you’re investing in your brand, you probably don’t want it to feel just like any other brand already out there.

They don’t charge a deposit

This might sound like a weird one, but hear me out: good designers are not only skilled and creative, they’re also reliable, organized professionals, and that often comes with making you sign a contract that protects you as much as them, and paying a deposit upfront (often 30% – 50% of the total). Charging you upfront is the sign they’re a somewhat seasoned professional. Of course, if they want to charge you for the entire project before they even start working, that’s another red flag in itself!

FAQs About Finding the Right Designer for You 🙋‍♀️

Finals Thoughts: You’ll Find The One

Finding the right designer is about more than skills — it’s about compatibility, professionalism, and creativity. Take your time, review portfolios, get on discovery calls and pay attention to red flags during your search. When you find the right fit, you’ll know it in your gut, and you’ll have a partner who brings your brand to life in ways you never imagined possible ✨

And how about you start right here? We’re an independant studio offering premium design services to ambitious, playful brands. If that sounds like your business, you can check out my portfolio and send me details about your brand through my inquiry form. I’ll be in touch within 1 to 2 business days. Let’s get this party started!

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love, Marjolaine xo