Graphic design is an important element to every business. The right graphics can help attract your ideal customer. However, in most cases, this is the type of work you’ll definitely want to consider giving to a professional.

You can outsource graphic design without all the headaches involved if you do remote hiring the right way. Here’s the entire process laid out for you:

Find A Trusted Marketplace

Knowing where to look is usually the first hurdle people encounter when trying to find a graphic designer. Depending on the scope of your project and the frequency of the work, you’ll want to decide if you want to work with a freelancer or an agency. Hiring a freelancer can sometimes offer you more flexibility and can be more cost effective for your business.

Using a trusted freelance marketplace like FreeUp can help connect you with some of the top talent in the industry. The process of hiring a graphic designer through FreeUp is easy and stress free.

Ask to See the Designer’s Portfolio

A printed copy of a graphic design executed on a laptop.

Any experienced professional designer will have a portfolio of their previous work. When deciding on the designer you want to work with, it’s important to make sure you like what they’ve done in the past. Since each designer has their own unique style, you’ll want to make sure that their artistic style matches what you’re looking for.

You’ll also want to ask if they have experience working on any projects with a similar scope to the one you need done. Establishing these things in the beginning can help avoid hiccups down the line.

Be Clear About The Requirements of Your Project

Sit down and think hard about all of the graphic design elements that your business needs. Think systematically so you can set up a process that works for your business.

Write out 10-20 graphic design projects that your business needs. Then think through engagement and marketing, labeling and packaging. Write down all the different pieces of collateral that you need to have available throughout the growth process of your business.

With this organized plan, you can outsource graphic design for the exact end result that you need. In a nutshell, know what you want so you can get it done.

Be Clear About Your Budget

A vice grip holding coins balanced on a calculator against the background of a budget printout.

You know what you want, now you have to find and hire the best graphic designer for the job. This begins with how much you can spend on the different projects. Start with a reasonable monthly budget so you can be flexible depending on your target results.

Cost and Value

Research the going rates for graphic design work around the world. You want to get a good idea of how much it costs to hire a professional graphic designer. Freelance portfolios and reviews are your best proof of quality. You want to look through some of these so you can connect the level of quality with price.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for within your budget, try looking for designers in other countries, or adjust your budget. You need to find a balance between expense and quality.

Do a Test Project

A laptop showing a sketch with a color palette and graphic design tools around it.

You need to start small when hiring a new designer, so it’s best to run a discovery phase. Choose a small project to have the designer work on. This is for you to see exactly what the designer is capable of – including their soft skills like communication, making suggestions, meeting deadlines, and receiving feedback for revisions.

Keep in mind that the project you choose should be small, but should present a challenge so you can really test the designer’s abilities. The project should also be a representative of the larger projects that you will need done.

Make sure that you set expectations on work processes and deliverables before you hand over the project, including their turnaround time. Then let the designer get to work, and check in here and there to see how things are going.

Expect a few rounds of feedback at first. Observe how the designer responds, and make adjustments if you find fault on your end. If there’s something wrong on the designer’s end, consider testing another candidate.

If all goes well from here, then you have found the best graphic designer who can push on to the rest of your needed projects.

Final Thoughts

Finding and hiring the best graphic designer for your projects is something that should be taken seriously. Once you connect with the right person for your project, you can feel confident that all of your graphic design needs are in good hands.