If you've never hired a designer you may be wondering where to begin. In fact, it's not unlike hiring any other type of contractor, so start by asking around. While the best way to find someone is through a personal or professional recommendation, you can also try searching a web design gallery such as Creattica to find designs you like and then contacting the designers.
Alternately you can try putting up a freelance job ad on a site like FreelanceSwitch to have applicants contact you about the job. Finally, a site like Sortfolio will help you sort through freelancers and agencies according to budget and location to pick out an appropriate candidate. Some useful tips for hiring a web designer are:
Ideally you want to hire someone who has done work similar to what you are looking for. Without this proof it's hard to know whether they are capable of delivering the right level of quality.
Contacting other clients of the designer is the best way to find out if they deliver in a timely fashion, what they are like to work with, and about any major pitfalls of working with them. Like all references, you will often need to read between the lines of what they are saying and listen to what is not said as much as what is said. Prepare a few openended questions and then just listen to what the reference has to say.
It's important to discuss and agree on terms about what the work includes and doesn't include. Ask about revisions and changes and how they work. Also ask about how many design concepts will be delivered. If you like choice, you can ask for multiple concepts, but keep in mind you will be paying for it.
It's always wise to make sure you have the right person for the job in the beginning, and then get out of the way so they can produce something brilliant, rather than making hasty early decisions and then trying to copilot the project yourself.
Prices for design can vary wildly. Freelancers are almost always cheaper than agencies and less experienced freelancers are cheaper than the more experienced variety, at least in hourly rates. Freelance designers tend to be more variable and risky than agencies, particularly if you find someone freelancing in their spare time or with a short track record.
Even amongst agencies and amongst freelancers, however, you will find pricing varying. This is often to do with quality, service levels, experience, the type of client they usually cater to, and where they are situated. Unfortunately there are no hard and fast rules, so it's best to get a range of quotes and speak to at least a couple of different service providers before making a decision.
Most web designers will have an hourly rate they can quote. Unfortunately this rate is mostly meaningless as a job can be quoted for very different lengths of time! Still it's a good way to get a first gauge for how expensive a designer will be.
After briefing the designer you should ask for a quote or estimate for the job. The difference is that a quote is usually fixed. That means if the designer quotes a price of $2100 for the job based on their hourly rate of say $70 and their internal estimate that it's going to be 30 hours of work, but that in the end the job takes 20 hours or 40 hours, you still pay the same amount. This is called a fixed quote.
An estimate, on the other hand, will just provide a best guess at how many hours of work will be involved. If you are getting an estimate, make sure you know what the hourly rate is for extra work. Moreover, you should check in at regular intervals to find out where the job is up to and how the bill is faring so you avoid getting an unpleasant surprise at the end.
Whether the work is done on an estimate or quote basis is often down simply to the individual preference of the contractor. Hourly rates for web designers vary wildly depending on experience. It's best to simply ask a few designers who are interested in the job to get a handle on what to expect in relation to what level of quality.
Most freelancers and agencies will charge a non-refundable deposit of 20 – 50%. While it sounds obvious, you should know that you will always have to pay for the work done at the end of the job. You cannot choose to pay only if you like the design work, as the hours are put in by the designer regardless of your satisfaction with the result. This is why it's so important to pick the right person to work with.
Like all staff and contractors, if you don't brief a designer well, you cannot expect them to deliver what you want. So it's important to compile the following information for them at the very beginning (preferably before they even quote for the job):
It's important that you get copies of all Photoshop design files and work done on your job. Make sure you double-check at the beginning of the job that this will happen. Additionally, find out the names of any fonts used so you can get copies for your own use. If you are having a logo designed make sure you get a vector copy of the logo. This is usually in EPS or Illustrator AI format and is really important if you need to hand the job to another designer in the future.
Our website is not responsible for the information contained by this article. Articleinput.com is a free articles resource thus practically any visitor can submit an article. However if you notice any copyrighted material, please contact us and we will remove the article(s) in discussion right away.
Note: This article was sent to us by: Sharon Reed at 02152011
1. Show off Your Twitter for Wordpress
All articles are property of their respective authors. Please read our Privacy Policy!
© 2009 ArticleInput.com.
Partners: Damenmode