WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN ENGAGING A GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Hi guys, how are you all doing today?
I'm giving some tips today on how clients can have a pleasant work experience with a graphics designer. These tips are inspired by my recent experience(s) and reports I got about some designers in the arts/graphics section and the dissatisfaction/regret of their clients. While I can't totally prevent such occurrences from happening again, I can at least try to give pointers that will reduce the occurrences to a minimal level.

1. Have an idea of designer's strengths and weaknesses:
   Graphics design happens to be a very wide field. It comprises of branding, print designs, photo editing, video editing, 3D designs, animation, etc. While some designers happen to know quite a fair number of the various fields of designs, others don't. So the common thing is to have a designer skilled in one or two of the design fields, be at intermediate level with one or two other fields and have no idea about others. So always make sure to ask clear questions regarding their strengths and their ability to deliver what you seek.

2. Request for their previous jobs:
   Sometimes, taking a designers word for it might not be the best idea. Always request to see the portfolio of the designer you wish to hire. Their portfolio will let you know how good they are and if they are up to the standard you seek.

3. Conduct an on-line background check:
   This has become necessary in recent times due to the high number of posers and scammers on-line. You don't want to be dealing with someone who is a ghost on-line. Do a Google search, go through their social media accounts, read comments on their walls and their relationships especially with family. Be sure that there are people the designer has link to who can be reached when necessary and there are people whom the designer won't want to disgrace/disappoint by being fraudulent. Not like this cancels out a designer being shady, it at least greatly reduces the possibility.

4. Agree on the price before committing yourself:
   I'm not sure this is something anyone needs to be told again though a lot of clients and designers including myself have made the mistake at one point or the other in the past. Clients should always know what the designer is charging and the services he'll be rendering at that price. Negotiate if need be and always ensure you both reach a definite conclusion. This is to avoid stories that touch after work has commenced.

5. Ask for final file formats you'll be getting:
   So this happens to be an issue. Designers finishing up on a job and sending one or more files to the client but not the source file. The clients ask why that is the case and the designer is all about it being his intellectual property and the client paying more to get it. This of course would be fair if the client had known from the onset. While some designers don't have a problem giving out their source files, some others do. So it's advisable to always know what files you are getting from your designer when the job is done.

6. Respect:
   Most will agree that this should have come first. It's the most important ingredient in every human relationship, not just for graphic designers and their clients. Clients should make sure they don't demean or disrespect a designer in the process of negotiating price. I hear things like ,"so so designer only charged me $20 for a logo design and he did a very nice job, why are you charging $50 for yours?". Then I wonder why they are talking to me about their logo and not the other designer. Or things like "is it not just to draw a line here and there?". Well, I ask why they need me when they already know how to go about it. Every designer didn't go through the same training, and they didn't make the same sacrifices to be where they are. Also, they don't have the same level of experience and professionalism. Negotiate the price without any disrespect to the designer or his work. Move on if you feel you can't afford it.

7. Ask for mode of payment:
   Many designers will ask for full payment before commencing on a job while some others will ask for some percentage upfront and collect the balance when the job is done before sending the necessary files. Most designers I know will never agree to not getting anything before starting the job. This is because people can be unreliable. There are cases of designers devoting their time to a job and the client at the end of the day saying they are no longer interested because something else came up. There are also people who have some cheap designers somewhere and will come to you to waste your time and steal your idea to give to the cheap designer. So it's always advisable to know the designer's pattern of payment and be sure you are okay with it.

These are the few I've been able to come up with, I hope they will be of some use to first time clients and even the experienced onces. No one is above making a mistake. Kindly add yours if you feel it's not included in the list above.
Thank you for reading.