3 Questions to Ask A Designer Before You Hire Them

Finding the right person to create your brand and/or website can be extremely challenging unless you know the right questions to ask a designer.

Even if the designer comes highly recommended by a professional or a friend, interview the designer thoroughly to find out if you have the same needs as the person giving you the recommendation. Just because a designer is great at creating ads or ebooks, doesn’t mean they have the same level of skill in developing a brand identity or website. And vice versa.

Your job is to vet the designer.

Remember, the consultation process is as much about you interviewing the designer as it is the designer learning about your project and giving you a quote on price. So don’t be shy — create a list of questions to ask a designer for every project you need done, and ask them of every designer you get on a call with.

Inside this blog post you’ll learn:

✔️ The top 3 questions to ask a designer on every consult.

✔️ What you should do before you ever get on a consult.

The Top Three Questions To Ask a Designer

You should always be prepared to ask a variety of questions specific to your project on the consult, but be sure to include these top three questions:

1. How much experience do you have?

The old saying, “You get what you pay for,” is true. Many graphic designers charge less when they are just starting out as a way to drum up some early business. Sure, they may know some design basics, but can they actually apply those principles to their clients?

I’m not saying you shouldn’t work with a new designer — after all, I wouldn’t be where I am today if no one had been willing to take a risk on me in my early designing days. What I am saying is this: you need to consider what the right move is for your coaching business.

Do you want to pay a discounted rate for your branding? You’re likely to get a newer designer for a lot cheaper than an experienced one.

Less experience = lower price.

More experience = higher price.

Either way, does their portfolio match up to their answer? (Hint: you should always check out their online portfolios before you even get to the interview process.)

If they tell you they’ve got 10+ years experience working with your industry, but they only have one example in their portfolio, they’re not being totally transparent.

2. Do you have experience doing this type of project?

The same way that not all photographers can successfully shoot weddings, not all designers can handle company branding. A designer who specializes in company branding may not design eBook covers or website graphics. Not because they can’t, but because they choose not to. Or maybe they outsource those smaller projects to another designer.

It’s always convenient to work with a designer who can handle a variety of projects, but keep in mind that the cost can be more expensive. Likewise, if you pay a pretty penny, you deserve to know who actually designed the pieces you need.

3. Please explain your design process.

This is where you’ll find out how your potential designer works. How long it takes to get you a first draft; how many times you’re allowed to make changes; when you’ll start incurring additional costs to the project.

If they can email you a timeline, great; just keep in mind that this timeline really depends on how quickly you communicate, the feedback you provide, and how timely you pay your bill.

Also, they should provide you a list of everything you’ll walk away with when the project is done — and you should also be prepared with a list of everything you need done as part of this project. Full transparency on deliverables is key to a healthy, happy client/designer relationship.

Never be afraid to ask questions of any service provider you’re thinking of hiring. Going into an outsourcing situation blindly never ends well, so do your due diligence. The more clearly you can explain your needs when it comes to what you’re looking for, the easier the design process will be.

Coaching the Coach: Final Thoughts + More Resources on Finding The Right Designer for Your Coaching Business

Thank you for reading this far! Ready to find a designer for your coaching business? Here are some pro tips on what to do before you ever get on a consult with a designer.

1 – Always look at their portfolio first. No experienced designer doesn’t have a portfolio to show you. If you’re looking for someone to work with, get to their portfolio first. Even if that portfolio is a list of links to different live projects you can check out, you should be able to take a look at something to make sure that designer’s style fits what you’re looking for.

2 – Check out their website/blog/podcast/videos to discover their personality. A really in-depth project for your business can mean multiple phone calls, zoom meetings, and email conversations between you and your designer. If their basic personality doesn’t vibe with you, all that communication can be torture. Make sure you’re working with someone you enjoy talking to!

3 – Create a list of exactly what you want to get out of working with them. Most client/designer relationships fall apart when expectations and final deliverables are unclear. You need to know exactly what you’re looking for before you jump on the call, so you can be clear in what you expect.

About The Author

Cass

Website

Hey! I’m Cass, a Certified Brand Coach and a Co-Founder at Lovely Impact. I help coaches elevate their businesses with beautiful branding and websites. Here on our blog, my content focuses on branding, web design, and storytelling.