I get the question all the time at speaking events and workshops: “How do I find a great graphic designer for my brand development?” It’s not the kind of question that can be adequately answered in a couple of minutes, so I thought I’d write a multi-part series here on finding a great graphic designer.

I get calls nearly every day from entrepreneurs who know they need to hire a graphic designer for brand development, but they have no idea where to start. By ‘no idea’, I’m not just talking about the finding a designer part.

They frequently have no budget in mind, no known annual operating budget from which they might figure out a project budget, no business plan, and no long-term goals down on paper. They often have no idea what constitutes a good logo design, and they have no idea what elements make up a brand. They just know they need a graphic designer.

Can I work with this set of variables? Well, I certainly try! The truth is calls like that are often the launch pad to a bunch of tough questions. Sometimes it leads to a great relationship.

Now, I could throw a guesstimate price out there based on what I think they need – and sometimes I just have to – but if I really want to help the person by providing an accurate estimate and have any chance of landing their business, it’s important to learn a few things first. Primary among them are their budget and goals.

Hands on the table

Ten years ago, if I asked about a project budget, I got a straightforward answer, but things have changed. Now when I ask for the budget prior to providing an estimate, about 85% of the time the answer is, “I have no idea. What should the budget be?” If I then produce a middle of the road estimate, I stand a good chance of seeing my prospective client’s utter surprise fly across the room or through the phone, smacking into the wall like a cast iron frying pan.

I often find that people have a preconceived notion of what a design project is worth before they have any idea what the end-product will do for them.

Some people hold back on sharing their budget because they think it’s smart business, like maybe they’ll get a better deal. And maybe they will, but it’s more likely they won’t. A far more efficient strategy for getting an exceptional design is everybody with their hands above the table, working towards a common goal.

If you truly have no idea what your budget is, that’s ok, as long as you’re willing to do the work together to figure it out. At some point, your budget and goals absolutely have to align, or you will likely wind up frustrated or disappointed, or worse, over budget.

Making sense of budget alignment

A company called me last year wanting a custom font designed and programmed. I was told that budget wasn’t a problem. I mentioned that custom type design and font programming can run between $5,000 and $15,000, depending on complexity. I heard this: “What?! Oh, I thought it would be maybe one or two hundred bucks.” Click.

Type design is often a 100-200 hour (or more) conquest. The end result is a truly unique typeface that becomes a core part of a company’s marketing communications. It provides a distinctiveness that few other elements can. The financial benefit of it is tremendous because it can transform a company’s marketing pieces from mediocre yawnfests to attention-getting masterpieces.

SO: Say I spent 50 hours on their type design project. At $200, I would make $4 per hour on the project. Next! Had the company’s goals and budget been aligned, I could have suggested a smart solution for them.

Take note!
Creative problem solving is part of what you should be looking for in a great graphic designer. It’s what elevates design to another level, one that connects with people on multiple levels.

The point of this series
If you read every article in this series, you will be one informed entrepreneur, ready to march out and find an absolutely perfect fit in a graphic designer for your brand development needs (or virtually any graphic design project needs).

Does this sound like a valuable series to you? Let me know in comments, and stay tuned!