In my last post we talked about knowing when the right time to hire a designer is for you. Now that you know you need one you’re probably overwhelmed. There are so many amazing brand and website designers out there and it can be hard to narrow it down so I’ve put together some questions you should be asking during your discovery call to find out if you’re a good fit.

 

1. What types of things do we talk about or go through before you start designing my logo and visual identity?

With this question you are really asking about how much support and pre-branding work you and your designer will do before the actual designing begins. Each designer has their own process, but if someone tells you they get right to designing after hearing a bit about your business you should be wary. There are a lot of things that go into creating a logo and your designer should have a detailed process to help walk you through that.

2. Will you be showing me how to make changes to my site after it is built?

Your website designer should definitely be showing you how to make updates like adding posts or images to your site after it has been built. There is nothing worse than having a beautiful custom site with no idea how to make changes and then messing it up in the process. Even if they send you a PDF guide or a set of videos they pre-recorded to walk you through that there should be a bit of guidance before the project is over.

3. How much communication will there be and how will we communicate?

This is a great question so that both parties are on the same page and boundaries are discussed ahead of time. I only work with 2 people at a time during my 3-week process and both people are not in the same part of the process when working with them. This means that I have a lot of time to dedicate to your project and respond within 24 hours (except on weekends) if I’m working with you. I also expect my clients to respond within 24 hours so that we are on track for our 3 week timeline. I discuss this ahead of time so that everyone is on board and we can respect each other’s time this way too. Each designer and business is different so just be aware of the process for this so that everyone is happy!

4. What is the project timeline look like?

Your designer should have a process and timeline in place to help get your project done on time. They should also clearly communicate what are your responsibilities in helping keep the timeline on track. Too many times projects can become delayed or rushed because there was never a clear timeline in place from the beginning.

Now, that you are better acquainted with your designer and their process it is time to get to work on the branding process. I hope this helps you identify who you want to work with and if their process will fit your needs. The foundation to each great working relationship is understanding each other and the process so that you are completely over the moon with the end result.