What to look for when choosing your graphic design
or branding consultant

Your relationship with your branding consultant is an important business decision. It will impact on the return on your investment in marketing, and will result in either more or less work and stress. For your own sanity, it’s worth considering a few factors when choosing a graphic design or branding consultant to partner with.

Experience & versatility

Be sure to find out what range of projects the firm has been involved in. Do they have the knowledge, experience and resourcefulness to address your current and future needs, or will you have to deal with several firms in an effort to receive exactly what your organisation requires? In other words, try to determine whether they are capable of handling any immediate and future requirements that your organisation might have. This will save you having to change to another firm doen the track and begin the relationship all over again.

History

Are you sure that the selected firm will still be in existence in a year or so? It can be a frustrating and costly waste of the time and effort when you’ve invested to build a beneficial relationship with a provider, only to find that they have closed their doors the following year.

Around 75% of businesses will no longer be in business after 5 years, 85% no longer exist after 10 years. What you need to decide is whether you are looking for a long-term business ‘partner’ or a cheap, quick fix?

Long-term relationships with key suppliers can benefit your organisation in many ways, including a better understanding of your business and your needs, more efficient communications and more effective creative solutions based on a history of projects and scenarios.

Quality work

Can your chosen graphic design firm produce the same quality of work today, as the work they are showing you? And can they acheive this quality with your budget? Be sure to ask to see recent work. They may have had a great designer working for them 10 years ago, but what quality are they producing now?

Does the quality of their work align with how you want your customers to perceive your business or your products? Can they deliver the level of design sophistication and visual quality you need to brand your business or product appropriately? If you’re like many business people and you aren’t a visual person, you may want to ask an artistic acquaintance’s opinion, to help you with your choice.

Clients

Ask about their clients. Look for firms with a broad range of businesses and industries within their portfolio. If you are an SME, don’t be fooled by a list of big names. Often it takes more skill and creativity to brand a small company that it does larger companies with huge marketing budgets – assess the quality of design relative to project budgets. That being said, larger companies will generally work with capable and reliable firms.

Integrity and customer-focus

Who is overseeing your project? Are you dealing with a sales rep who doesn’t really understand business let alone the design and manufacturing processes involved in your project? Are they focused on making sales rather than building your business?

Is the firm more focused on selling you additional products or services than they are on understanding your business needs and achieving real results? Look for a firm that emphaisises the importance of developing an understanding of your business, your customers and your marketing objectives.

Does the firm have long term relationships with their clients? This can often be an indication of quality, reliability and customer-focus. Traits which are incredibly beneficial when dealing with any creative service provider.

Management & QA

Try to get a feel for how your selected firms run their businesses. Do they have a dedicated production manager, or are designers trying to manage your projects? Does the firm pay close attention to details? Are they thorough?

Do they have quality control and data back-up systems in place? Will they have your artwork files in 5 years time, or will they have experienced “a system meltdown” resulting in your files being ‘destroyed’? It is important to consider the management of the firm because it usually a direct indication of reliability and quality. A well-managed design firm will always deliver on time and on budget.

Expertise

Ask about the scope of services they provide. Can they produce what you need now, as well as what you may need in the future. A firm with a broad range of in-house services and expertise can save you a lot of time, money and frustration!

Capacity

Ensure that your selected design firm has enough staff to deliver the reliability you need. You don’t want to be left high and dry when you have an urgent project. The size of the firm needs to fit your marketing requirements. Don’t expect a one or two man show to be able to deliver consistent reliability.

Technically skilled

There’s creativity but there are also the associated manufacturing processes and related pitfalls. If the firm has limited technical experience or knowledge, then ‘unforseen’ problems, delays or costs, are inevitable. Look for a reputable creative provider who has a track record of quality solutions and consistently reliable service.

Visit our main website for more about our branding and graphic design services and to view examples of our work.