How to Receive Quality Work from Graphic Design Services
Graphic design has skyrocketed as an in-demand service for most businesses globally. More than 70% of companies have created or requested designs. It has become an invaluable resource, and businesses have invested in it. In doing so, they use graphic design services that will fulfill their projects. This way, they can focus on what matters most for the business. Plus, they’ll receive high-quality and compelling work from professional designers or design services.
Learn how you can get quality work by choosing the best graphic design service and getting results.
Choosing Graphic Design Services
Many businesses know the impact of high-quality graphic design. It can drive traffic to your website and attract more customers to purchase your items or avail of your services. That’s why most businesses would hire a graphic designer.
Let’s say you’re looking to revamp your schedule on your website, so you need to tap a website designer. You may need a design for your social media, so you need to hire a social media designer.
Here are the types of designers you might need for your business:
- Graphic designer
- Brand designer
- Logo designer
- UI/UX designer
- Website designer
- Flash designer
Freelancers
Freelancers are the first choice by most businesses and brands. One of the most attractive qualities of a freelancer designer is they work on a project basis. So, there’s no long-term commitment unless stated. Plus, most of them charge less than design agencies or unlimited graphic design services. That’s why they’re the go-to graphic designer for any project.
If you choose to hire a freelance graphic designer, know that most of them have specializations. So, you need to be specific when you’re looking for a freelancer through Fiverr or Upwork. You might even find them on some design marketplaces too.
In some cases, though, they might partake in design contests. But be wary of using design contests as you might get low-quality designs. Plus, it raises some questions about ethics too.
Amateur and novice freelance designers may charge less than experienced ones, which may not guarantee quality. That said, you might want to hire a professional freelancer. They can provide you better quality designs because they have the know-how and training. But with that, they might cost you more money, especially if you have to pay them hourly.
Instead of hiring different freelancers for other projects, most businesses may opt for a design agency. That way, they can request for other assets depending on their requirements.
Design Agencies
Design agencies have become the leading choice by most businesses because of their capabilities, experience, and expertise. Most big brands would entrust their projects to design agencies because they know how to make your brand consistent and relevant. Plus, some design agencies offer more than just design.
As such, design agencies will ensure the quality of work for your business. They’ll make sure to meet all your expectations and requirements. Thus, they come at a high price.
The alternative to a big-name design agency is a boutique design agency. They’re suitable for small businesses too because of the low cost. However, due to their low price, they might take in more clients. Thus, it may take a while to fulfill a client project as soon as possible. So, some would go for an unlimited graphic design service due to quick turnaround and quality.
Unlimited Graphic Design Service
An unlimited graphic design service has sparked an interest in many businesses because of its business model. The idea is to subscribe to a plan and request as many designs in one month at an affordable price. From there, a client can cancel their subscription once they are done with the project or continue with their plan as needed.
One of the advantages of using a subscription graphic design service is you don’t have to worry about finding a specialized person for the job. Since unlimited graphic design services hire the best graphic designers on board, they’ll assign the project to someone suitable.
Another perk in using an unlimited graphic design service is unlimited revisions. If you’re not satisfied with the design you receive from the designer, you can point out some design elements that need improvement. Usually, some designers would resolve it within 24 hours.
Working with Graphic Designers
Since you want to receive quality design from your graphic designers, you need to know how to work with them. Here are the four most important things you need to remember.
1. Knowing the Basics of Graphic Design
As a client, you might need to know some graphic design basics. After all, if you want to receive quality work from graphic design services, you need to learn basic design jargon.
- Typography (font, kerning, leading)
- Color (monochrome, complementary, color theory)
- Visual hierarchy (white space, scale, proximity)
These key terms may help you in understanding your graphic designer better. Or you may use these so the graphic designer can figure out what you need on your design. Plus, it may increase the chances of you receiving quality work.
2. Finding Your Design Inspiration
Before choosing one of the many graphic design services out there, you need to figure out what type of design you need. If you want to redesign your website, you can refer to templates, themes, or other websites you found that match your business’s aesthetics.
This way, you can consider designs you like as examples to send over your graphic designer. However, never try to copy others’ designs. You can tell your designer they can make unique and much better than the designs you sent.
3. Setting Realistic Expectations
You must set a date that would allow your graphic designer to work on your project. You can’t expect them to work on a big project for a few days. Unless, of course, they’re not working on other projects. Set a realistic time for any project.
Most designs might take hours to accomplish. Flyers or ads may take less than 10 hours to finish. Logos can take a while because you might have revisions on the first or second drafts. You can’t expect to show a sketch by the time you hire a graphic designer or choose a graphic design service. They’ll read your design brief or expectations. From there, they can proceed with your design.
Remember that the first design draft you receive from any graphic designer might not meet your standards. Don’t expect them to go over the top just yet. Give them room to interpret what you want. From there, point out what needs to be revised.
4. Communicating with Your Graphic Designer
While working with a graphic designer, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions during the design process. If you’re going for a freelance graphic designer, make sure to ask for their portfolio if you want to see more of their work. This way, you can gauge if they’re the right designer for you.
You need to make sure that you’re working harmoniously with your graphic designer.
You can ask them about any graphic design related questions, updates, and expected output. Plus, make sure that you communicate regularly and consistently with your graphic designer. This way, you can ensure that they won’t be missing in action. Stay open with each other.
Part of communicating with your graphic designer is to provide meaningful feedback. It’s the best way you can receive quality work from graphic design services or a freelancer. If you don’t clarify or establish what you want for your design, you might not get what you expect from it.
Here are ways to provide feedback to your designer:
- Make sure that it’s specific. Ensure that you point out things that your designer needs to improve. Don’t let them do the guesswork. This might lead to more miscommunication. Instead of saying, “make it more classy,” say something like, “please replace the font to a serif.” Maybe, you want to improve an illustration. You could say, “please make the cat’s eyes larger and their lips smaller.”
- Use the sandwich technique. Point out good things first, then tell them what needs more improvement, and end it on a good note.
- Provide more examples if needed. Maybe they’re not getting your design requirements based on the samples you showed. Give them more of an idea of how you want your design executed through more samples.
- Give a solution. If you want to receive quality work, provide a solution to the graphic designer. They may not figure out what you’re saying, so, let them know how you want a specific design element solved.
- Allow them to explain their process. Listen to what they have to say regarding the execution. From there, you can provide feedback and ask more questions and how to improve it.
Knowing What Results to Expect
As mentioned previously, once you’ve given a design brief to your graphic designer, they’ll send over the first draft. It could be an unpolished version or interpretation of your requirements. However, as mentioned, you should also communicate with your graphic designer. This way, you don’t run into any issues in the future.
As per the results, most design agencies have a professional design output for most clients. It’s usually compelling and high quality because there’s a team working on designs. Plus, since they’re big-name design agencies, they also have a reputation to uphold. Here’s a sample of how design agencies present their work.
Here’s a sample of the works from the Design Doctor portfolio. As you can see, the final results are polished. It’s also modern, clean, and professional. Since it’s an on-demand design service, expect to have this done in a couple of days. This way, you have designs ready when you need them.
If you need any graphic design asset for your business, you can subscribe to Design Doctor. The professional design team can provide you with high-quality and compelling designs. Once you sign up for a Design Doctor plan, your subscription also comes with unlimited revisions. So, you can get quality work on any design you request. Click here to subscribe to any plan that fits your needs.