7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Freelance Logo Designer

“Does your dog bite?”

“No.”

*dog bites*

“I thought you said your dog didn’t bite!”

“It doesn’t. That is not my dog.”

That’s the power of asking the right questions. If you ask the wrong questions, you might end up in a similar situation.

Whether you need an attractive logo designed for your business or you want to redesign the old boring logo, hiring the right logo designer is the ultimate key. Be it a freelance logo designer or a design agency; there is a process that you must follow to hire the perfect designer.

To achieve this goal, you must ask the right questions from your potential logo designer. Not every designer will be the right fit for your business; that’s why asking the right questions will help you get the best people on board.

Read More: Incredible Logo Design Trends in 2019

When in doubt, ask these questions to know which designer is best suited for your business.

• How much relevant industry experience do you have?

Words are cheap; experience is grand. A logo designer’s portfolio is enough to judge the skill set of the potential designer. Does the logo designer have work samples from your industry?

The relevant industry experience is essential to consider before making the final hiring decision.

The best of many designers have work experience from various industries. The vast experience shows that the logo designer has a knack of creativity and curiosity to expand its skill.

• Can you provide some references?

Nothing is more assuring than speaking to a satisfied client.

Sure, first impressions matter. You might be impressed by the work of the designer but how the designer communicates, respond to criticism, delivers on deadline can only be revealed by a previous client.

A professional logo designer will gladly give out references without any hesitation. However, if the logo designer is making an excuse, it means there is something black in the lentil. Raise the red flag and inquire why the designer is not giving references?

• How much will you charge based on my requirements?

A freelance logo designer will charge differently for every project. It can be a flat fee or per hour fee. Before talking to a designer, it is a good idea to check the market rate and compare them with the designers’ rate.

It is crucial to understand how much the logo designer will charge. You don’t want to underpay or overpay the designer. List down your requirements and ask the designer how much will he charge for each?

When you clarify everything right in the start, it will be easy for you to decide whether you have the right person in the room or not.

• What information do you require from us to get started?

Every business has its requirements. A designer needs everything to abut the brand before he can come up with something genius.

Don’t judge a person by his answers, judge him by his questions. If the designer is not asking anything or just inquiring about payment, stand up, and leave the room. The designer is not for you. Alternatively, if you’re taking the interview, ask them to leave, cause leaving, in that case, might be a little awkward.

Ask them what specific information related to your business will help them create a masterpiece. You can try out giving out a random project and ask them if they have any questions about the project.

• What is your final price and are there any additional costs?

Mostly, the freelance logo designers ask for an additional fee for revisions. That is why it is essential to ask before what is the final price for everything and what is included in that price.

Don’t forget to ask if the price includes the final artwork files in all file types, as well as 100 percent ownership of the copyright.

You might also need social media branding, and in that case,  what will be the additional charges? Often you will receive a specified number of revisions, with additional rounds costing extra.

• What is your estimated timeline for each project?

A fundamental question that will eliminate many confusions. During the initial pitch, the freelance logo designer might quote a vague timeline. Ask them if the deadline is realistic. Moreover, how much extension is needed if things go south?

Just make sure that you’ve provided complete details regarding your brand and then ask them about the actual timeline. Make sure you provide full information regarding your needs and then ask for a timetable for your specific project.

• What about concepts and revisions?

An essential question to ask a freelance logo designer. How does a particular designer work in terms of concepts and revisions? What will be included in the initial quote and how many ideas can be added without a fee and what will be additional charges for changes?

The answers to all of these questions should be outlined in a logo design brief, which keeps the project on track.

If you have a clear picture of what you want, you can quickly get the most out of the designer without asking too many questions.

Conclusion

As you can see, the best qualifying questions don’t have to be complicated. They are designed to help you quickly and efficiently eliminate designers that are not a good fit and highlight those that are worth exploring and establishing a relationship with to work on your logo project.

By no means are these the only questions you should focus on, as every situation will have some project-specifics that will need to be addressed, but these are a great foundation to use as you begin the hunt for the best logo designer.