Investing in a brand design can be a lot like buying your first home: research is key. As with any investment, there are a few things to consider and think about, and hiring a brand designer is no different. We’ve got some pointers for you to jump off from so you’ll get that perfect brand designer for your small business.

Solidified business idea and structure

Your business is not a business until you know who to target, what to offer, how to market and how to budget. This sounds a bit like administrative work that might not suit all creatives, but these are such important things to consider and think about. Visual branding comes when you’re ready for these ideas to be materialised, thus making it a lot easier for your future brand designer to grasp your business identity. When hiring a brand designer, make sure they understand how your business is laid out, the plans moving forward, your go-to-market strategy and processes.

Vision

Having a vision that is as concrete and steady as possible makes it a lot easier to visualise your ideas. Without a concrete vision, you may be going by personal preference only and that might lead to you forgetting where you’re going, or a brand that is not cohesive and solidly built. Remember, your designer can help you with the visual direction tremendously, but you are still the brain behind your business. Make sure you articulate your vision as clear as possible to your candidates.

Big vs Small

Consider your candidates fully and decide whether you want to hire a solo freelancer, a small team or an agency. They all differ in how they work, their price structure, their processes, the way they work and just their general vibe. You want to make sure that you make the right choice for your business.

Foundational research

To fully understand your target market, your competitors, and how to price your products and services, you’ll have to do some serious research. This will take some time but the sharper you get into solidifying these elements, the closer you will get to having your brand identity right and that person that will get you there. This part may even determine how much you should be spending on your brand based on your product and/or service pricing and therefore, which candidate is best suited for the job.

Launch strategy 

Identify your platforms and produce your content accordingly. You may need a set of media materials that are to be used for ads and marketing, which means the designer will need to provide you with these materials well before you launch. Knowing what you need in advance means that both you and your designer(s) are able to plan accordingly. Remember, the bigger the project the longer it may take to brand, so make sure you book your designer(s) in advance before their availabilities run out!

It’s clear that choosing a designer is a big job, but it’s an even bigger job to make sure that you’re ready for them. Remember, everyone’s time is valuable and you want to make sure that you have all your ducks in a row so that you can jump in with both feet and get to workin’!

As always, if you need help with branding, we’re just an email away.

PS. Need some tips on finding a designer on a budget? Have a look here.