**In the fast paced world of business, first impressions count; and your visuals have got to have the ‘wow!’ factor.**
Whether you’re a B2B or B2C business, you need to instantly show your customers that you’re the right company for them. You need to show them that you’re fresh, trustworthy, and have exactly what it is that they’re looking for.
Sounds like a lot of work for a logo, website landing page, or printed brochure right?
But there is a species out there that can help your business’s marketing materials stand out from the crowd; and they live, in a creative design agency.
How to choose the right graphic designer
The graphic designer spends their day (link: https://www.superdream.co.uk/glossary-of-design-terms/ text: talking in jargon), but can work wonders on Photoshop. Whatever creative challenge you have, the graphic designer can bring it to life. If it’s a logo or leaflet, brochure or rebrand that you want; these are your guys.
But with so many agencies, freelancers, and international companies offering these services at a range of prices; how can you choose the right graphic designer? What is it that you should look for in a creative agency?
1. What does their portfolio say about them?
(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/1-portfolio.jpg alt: Superdream’s portfolio)
The first thing you should look at when choosing a designer is their portfolio.
Does it demonstrate creative flair, diversity, and success? Or do all their designs look like one variation of another?
The work a designer displays can say a lot about them, but you shouldn’t just stop with their online portfolio. If you have a specific requirement, ask the agency or designer to show you examples of similar products. This way, you can get a much better idea of how well they can handle your project.
2. Do they have a passion for design?
(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2-passion.jpg alt: Designers hard at work)
You obviously want to work with a designer that has a real passion for what they do. This will really shine through all their past work and any proofs they send you, and is very hard to fake. When choosing a creative design company; make sure that they love what they do.
When you speak to them and share your ideas, make sure that they’re enthusiastic and share plenty of ideas. The more passionate they are the more creative and impactive the end product will be. For your marketing materials to stand out, you need to work with a passionate designer.
3. How well do they collaborate with you?
How well the team works with you, is the next thing to consider.
Do the designers spend time getting to understand your brand and your company? Or do they just jump straight in and create visuals, with no input from you?
(link: https://www.superdream.co.uk/building-an-iconic-brand/ text: Building an iconic business brand) is one of the most important things you will ever do, and you need to make sure that it is (link: https://www.superdream.co.uk/creative/branding-brand-management/ text: managed correctly). Without a collaborative way of working though, you can’t be sure that work undertaken fits with your brand values.
Make sure that the designers you choose takes on board your ideas, and help you grow them into the brand you’ve always wanted to be.
4. What is their location like?
(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/4-location.jpg alt: The Superdream offices)
The fourth thing you should look for in a creative agency is: location.
Do they have a physical office, or is all communication email based? While working with freelancers can have a number of benefits, they can also be hard to track down if anything goes wrong. Working with an agency instead of a one-man-band gives you increased security.
More than this though, what does their office space say about them? Is it a creative hub with a welcoming atmosphere? Does their creativity flow thorough into their work space? This can be a great sign that you’re working with a reputable company.
5. Are you kept in the loop?
During the design process, you obviously want to know how things are getting on. The best design agencies should keep you in the loop at all times; regularly keeping in contact in person and over the phone.
More than this though, you want to liaise with a single point of contact. By working with a designated account manager, you always know who to turn to when you need anything. If you’re constantly passed from pillar to post when you reach out to the team, alarm bells should probably ring.
6. How big is their team?
(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/6-team.jpg alt: The Superdream Creative Team)
The size of the creative team is also a point to bear in mind when deciding on an agency.
Another advantage of working with a larger, agency team rather than a one-man-band is that you have access to a much larger creative pool. A larger team can come up with more ideas for your requirements, and you can utilise their experience across multiple specialisms.
This means you will have more options to choose from, and a whole host of new ideas to consider. This will keep your marketing fresh, and help you make a real impact with your promotional materials.
7. Are they transparent with their quotations?
Finally, you should choose a creative designer that is transparent with their quotations. Is everything clear and outlined? Do you understand exactly what you’re paying for, or are there a number of hidden charges?
The best agencies and designers will make it clear exactly what you’re getting for your money, and what additional work will incur costs. Hidden charges will only mean that you end up paying more than you expected to, and can even slow the design process down.
If you’re looking for a creative agency to undertake any design challenge; we can help.
Our team of (link: https://www.superdream.co.uk/who-we-are/ text: 9 graphic designers) has skills across a whole host of specialisms, and can bring any brand to life. (link: https://www.superdream.co.uk/why-our-agency/ text: Click here) to see why you should choose to work with Superdream, and then (link: https://www.superdream.co.uk/contact/ text: click here) to put us to the test.