Hi, I’m Anthony, a brand and graphic designer who helps businesses to transform their marketing visions into a reality.

Nowadays everyone thinks they are a graphic designer! Right? With online tools such as fiver, canva or vistaprint, a person can now design their own social media graphics, flyer or business cards in a few short clicks. As simple has uploading an image, adding some colour and writing some text, hey presto, your branding is complete.  I have no problem with individuals using these tools, they are a cheap and often a free method to market your business and are especially helpful to start-up businesses, however if you want to stand out from your competitors, hiring a creative graphic designer will help you to create an identity that reflects your business model and engages with your target market. With that in mind,  below are some considerations to reflect on before hiring a graphic designer.

1 – Portfolio

Most graphic designers will have some sort of online presence, whether it be a webpage or social media page showing previous projects. This helps to give an idea of their design style, types of companies they have worked with and types of collateral they have designed such as a brochure, stationery or logo design. Check out some of my own samples at https://mcglynndesign.ie/graphic-design-donegal/.

2 – Experience

Most designers will hold a formal qualification or degree in graphic design however this not always the case. If a designer has years of experience, good knowledge of the software and an understanding of design theory/ colour their quality of work will stand for itself. This will also be reflected in their portfolio with the companies they have worked with previously.

3 – Client Testimonials & Google Reviews

When searching anything on the net, I usually look to see if the company has good google reviews, generally if there are loads of great reviews, then they are a safe bet. Google reviews is a much better option as you can see who has left a good or sometimes negative comment.

4 – Quotation 

Before starting any work with a designer, always request and receive a quotation. Most designer will have a pricing structure, whether it be per job, per hour or some designers will opt for a monthly retainer option, where you sign up for a monthly fee.

5 – Timeframe

Always ask how long a job will take and if the designer can take you on as a client and most importantly provide you with the best service you require.

6 – Printing

This is an important one, some designers only focus on providing a design service and leave the printing to the customer. I myself provide design and print to all my clients. Having many years of experience dealing with printing companies and understanding paper types and finishes it saves my clients time and energy to focus on their own businesses.

I hope the above is of help when choosing a graphic designer, if you have any extra questions, please email myself at hello@mcglynndesign.ie