Did you know there are nearly 300,000 people in the US alone that identify as a graphic designer? That doesn’t even count all the multimedia artists, web developers, or art directors.
All of these professions deal with design and aesthetics in some shape or form, making these individuals some of our greatest creative minds and go-to resources for creating beautiful images. With so many designers to choose from though, how do you know where to find a brand designer to work with that actually really gets it and your business?
(This article contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission for purchases made through links in this post at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I 100% believe in. Read the Privacy Policy for details.)
Brand designers are a special breed of designers that specifically focus on crafting a unique brand aesthetic and experience around your business. A brand designer’s mission is to help shape the perception of how your audience sees you. They can help you not only create a beautiful logo design, but a cohesive color palette, custom illustrations, packaging, and more. If you’ve ever thought that your business doesn’t reflect on the outside, what it is in on the inside, then a brand designer is exactly what you need! So, where do you find one?
Find a brand designer for your startup.
If you’re in the startup stage and aren’t willing to spend more than a few bucks, you have a couple of options. One option is to purchase a pre-made logo or brand kit from a designer on a site like Etsy or Creative Market, or K Design Co 🙂 This gives you the ability to customize a template with your name and other options depending on the designer. Though, often a brand kit doesn’t come with exclusive rights – meaning anyone else can purchase the same kit as you and have essentially the same look, so it’s not the most unique option – unless the designer puts a limit on the number of kits they sell. Logo kits and brand templates like this can run anywhere from $10-$1000 depending on who you purchase from.
Related Post: Good Logo Design vs Bad Logo Design: What’s the Difference?
Of course, you can also scour talent pool websites like Fiverr or Upwork where freelance designers are cheap and abundant. If you don’t have a ton of cash, but still want the personal touch of a designer, these sites might actually be a reasonable choice for you. I wouldn’t recommend using a solution like this long-term as your business scales, but if you are desperate for a creative eye and strapped for cash, it could be worth it to try it out! Upwork postings for logo design jobs can range anywhere from $40 – $1000+, but the benefit of using this website is you can set your own price. Be wary though: you get what you pay for.
Find a brand designer for your established business
If you’ve graduated your business to the big leagues — congratulations, it’s time to step up your brand as well! That means working 1-on-1 with a professional brand designer who gets to know you and your business inside and out before they even think about booting up their design program to work on your logo. I’m guessing you’ve been around the block a few times and maybe tried some of those cheaper solutions before, but things didn’t end up working out so well. Or, maybe your DIY logo was good enough for a while, but now you are ready for bigger and better things, and that goes for your brand too!
Related Post: How to Know If You Are Ready For A Professional Logo Design
Luckily, we live in a time where the world is literally at our fingertips in the form of a google search bar. Finding a professional brand designer is literally just clicks away, however, the tricky part is finding one that’s the right fit. At this stage of your business, you aren’t looking for just anyone who knows a thing or two about Photoshop. You are looking for someone that you connect with personally and who has an amazing portfolio of awesome work. You want to see their talents demonstrated before you actually hire them.
If you are going to make an investment in your business, you want to know that it is money well spent. You want to know that they can take your complicated crazy-exciting-mess-of-a-vision for your business and turn it into something that is polished, unique, and totally you. This is where you will have to get your hands a little dirty and do some digging. Looking at different designers’ websites and their portfolios is a great place to start, but you can’t just stop there. You need to personally interview/consult with at least a few different people before making your decision. To make sure it’s the right fit, here are a few things you can be mindful of:
- Don’t just hire the first person you talk to unless you are certain they are your soulmate designer
- Ask questions about their process and what types of things are included with their services
- Be sure you feel comfortable with their communication style and personality
- Ask about recent projects they’ve worked on and if they can share any testimonials from previous clients
- If you get any red flags when talking with them, it’s time to look at other options
These are just a few helpful tips for making your search for a designer a little bit easier. Although much of this subjective, sometimes you just know when you’ve found the perfect fit, but it can also take some time to dig out those true gem designers 😉
How about you? Are you ready to find a brand designer to help you uplevel your business? Check out my brand design services and I’d love to have a quick chat with you one-on-one about bringing your vision to life.
