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Trying to find a graphic design company is similar to buying a car; you need to know what to look for before you step onto the lot. We have provided a checklist of the most basic elements to selecting a design firm, and much like purchasing a new vehicle, knowing a little can save you a lot in the end.

1. Beware of prices that are ‘too good to be true’. Anyone can claim they are a designer, impossible promises are the first indicator they may not be what they claim. Of course this does not mean that “more expensive = better design”, look no further than the 2012 Olympic Logo debacle to prove this point. It does mean, however, that if the claims of turnaround time and pricing seem non-human, they generally are. Expect your design to reflect that. In general, for smaller designs a 72 hour turnaround is good, and should be longer for bigger projects such as websites, brochures etc. In the end, it is usually your budget that determines your selection, but don’t always go for the cheapest, nor the most expensive. Great design is usually found somewhere in the middle.

2. Do they talk, or ask questions? A good design company will want to be educated about your business, your services, and your goals. Questions about likes and dislikes concerning fonts, colors, and graphic styles are important, but good design can swap out any one of these and still look great. A good design company will have asked the right kind of questions long before beginning your project, and will be able to capture your business essence in very clean and concise terms. In turn, your design should quickly project this feeling to potential customers.

3. Outrageous Sales Claims. Some companies will drop names quicker than Randy Jackson of American Idol, but that doesn’t mean they are good. So what if they designed a dog can for Alpo, a design company’s portfolio should consist of good design, not a VIP client list. A couple of names to help establish a trust factor are fine, but either bragging about too many VIP clients, or taking one former VIP and using their name everywhere says they may not care as much about the little guy. Look for a portfolio that is very diverse in names and design, and maintains professionalism across any style.

4. Purchasing ‘As Is’. Just in case you’re not familiar with kerning, in a nutshell, it is the amount of spacing between letters. Most fonts are pre-set to have the exact same amount of space between each letter. Some design companies trust that you have no idea to look for these small things, so they don’t bother fixing them. A good designer knows that these amounts should not be the same for every letter combination, and will adjust them accordingly, this shows attention to detail, and is exactly the kind of service you should look for.

5. Original Equipment Manufacturer and Design. Much the same as you would avoid a car with a door, hood and trunk painted different colors… make sure the design company is adept at taking the various elements of your design and making them mesh well together. Designs with too much going on confuse and annoy. Look for how well the different pieces of your design come together to help determine whether you are getting original design, or getting it pieced together from previous parts.

6. Big Words Don’t Mean A lot. Does a double-overhead intake, naturally aspirated, carbon-fiber polymer exhaust manifold mean anything to you? Most likely not, and most don’t care. Big words do not mean knowledgeable or talented, they just mean fluent. A poor designer will try to talk “above” you using high level lingo to throw you off and make you feel dumb. If you feel embarrassed, they feel empowered and will use this against you. Upon completion of your design questionnaire or consultation, you should feel like you learned something, but were not preached to. Good designers will educate as they create.

Design is the face of your business in the real world, and you should carefully consider these important things before you enter the Dealership. Hopefully this checklist will better prepare yourself to get the most out of your design company and your designs, and it will help make your next design experience an enjoyable one!

This entry was posted on Monday, July 23rd, 2007 at 1:27 pm and is filed under Logo Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.