Hiring a Freelance Graphic Designer: What to Look For
It happens time and again. When I begin working with a new client, they often share their horror stories – or at least a few not-so-humorous anecdotes – about their past experience with freelance designers. Having worked as a senior designer at an agency and now as a freelancer myself, I figured I have some insight to share on the topic. Here are a few things you might want to watch out for next time you’re interviewing prospective freelancers:
Schedule and workload
Perhaps this one goes without saying, but you need to make sure your freelancer has the ability to meet your timelines. In a feast-or-famine industry, it’s very easy for a designer to fill their plate with projects whenever they can get them, and then not be able to deliver once work is underway. Inquire about your prospective designer’s workload and keep your spidey-sense tuned for an honest response.
Availability and response time
Make sure you know when your designer is available for contact. Some freelancers have chosen their career path in order to allow flexibility to do other things such as side projects, other business ventures, continuing education, or even hobbies (I met one West-coast freelancer who works at night in order to surf during the day). Find out what days and hours your subcontractor is available for meetings, discussions and online contact so that you’re not left wondering where he/she has disappeared to.
Portfolio
It’s not difficult to find a freelancer with an impressive portfolio, but make sure you understand his/her level of involvement in the projects you’re seeing. I’ve seen some great portfolio pieces from designers only to find out that they had little involvement in the actual creative. Perhaps the designer in question only performed the photo retouching under the direction of a senior designer who was responsible for the concept development. Of course it’s common for creative professionals to work in teams, but a designer should be upfront about his/her role in any given portfolio piece.
Experience
This one might be another no-brainer, but I’ve met clients who have been lured by the lower hourly rate of a junior designer and then became disappointed when responsibilities weren’t upheld. Experience counts for more than just technical skill. Many young designers are extremely talented when it comes to PhotoShop, web programming, etc., but experience builds far more than just computer knowledge. It also develops a designer’s ability to manage a project, communicate well with clients and understand marketing objectives. Be careful to choose the right level of experience for the job.
Support network
Of course the nature of the freelancer is to work alone, but a reliable support network is a huge benefit. A freelancer with a good quality network of contacts can be extremely helpful when you need some additional expertise such as photography, illustration, programming, printing, etc. Even more important, a solid network of support is great insurance in case of an emergency. If your designer falls ill or has a family emergency, is there someone in their resource pool who can step in when the deadline is looming?
I’m sure I could add more to this list, and perhaps I will in a future post. For now, I hope this presents some food for thought when you’re sourcing some support for your next big project. Feel free to drop me a line if you’d like to discuss more about the merits – and pitfalls – of subcontracting a freelance designer or writer.
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