5 Tips to Help You Hire the Right Design Agency

My days are filled with meeting people and learning about what kind of marketing materials they need. The meetings are interesting and I learn a lot about their organizations and missions. Then I pull out our portfolio to tell my prospects about our services. At about the time I pull out the third sample, I often notice a look of pure terror on their faces.

At first this baffled me because, frankly, I don’t think I’m a particularly frightening person. Then I realized it’s not me, but rather the notion of hiring a design agency that has them quaking in their shoes. I don’t blame them. Paying for something when you aren’t really sure what you’re buying is scary.

Unless they’ve worked in a corporate communications department, many of our clients don’t know what exactly they are buying when they hire a designer. Or, I think more accurately, they don’t know what they should expect from working with the designer.

Relax. Hiring a designer is not really complicated or scary if you know what to look for. The following five tips are guidelines that will help you choose the design agency that is right for you.

1. Know what you want to accomplish with this project and share that goal with the designer.
2. Share your project budget.
3. Look at the agency’s portfolio to make sure they do the kind of work you need.
4. Get a detailed proposal that clearly states what the design costs include, and ask for clarification if there is anything you don’t understand.
5. Map out a schedule.

In the following weeks I’ll post with more detailed explanations of each of these five tips. Feel free to comment or call with questions if you can’t wait!