Hiring Web Designers and Other Creatives

Finding a creative professional to work with isn’t always a piece of cake — not only do you have to find someone whose talents match the project you’re working on, but you must navigate the process of working with a web designer, writer or other creative professional. The process just isn’t the same as working with a typical vendor.

Getting the Right Creative

Buying creative services isn’t really the same as most purchases you might make for your business. You can’t exactly run down to the local office supply store and pick up a logo the way you might grab a box of envelopes.

You’ll likely be able to find someone whose portfolio matches what you have in mind for your project by looking at who other people in your network rely on or by looking online. But finding that graphic designer or copy writer is just the beginning. You’ve got to check availability, pricing and a host of other questions to make sure the fit is good. The creative professional in question also needs to be comfortable.

Todd Adkins is the creative director behind Born to Design, a firm that has created brands and designs for a wide variety of clients for over 13 years. He points out that while most creative professionals have the opportunity to pick and choose projects, not that many actually do — meaning that if you can sort through the details, the designers or writer will probably be on board. “My experience has always been that it’s hard (and sometimes dangerous) to say ‘no’ to a project. So many really good projects have been borne out of a recommendation from someone who gave me a project that really wasn’t my cup of tea. Specializing is a good idea, but I find the variety keeps me, and hopefully the work, fresh.”

Common Misunderstandings

Adkins has seen numerous projects, including a few misunderstandings between clients and creative professionals. When it comes to the key problem, though, Adkins says “…The only one that comes to mind is that you can’t always drop everything and tend to a specific client’s needs right then and there. They may be used to a devoted staff for their needs, but I may already be putting out a fire for another client that really has to be wrapped up before diving in elsewhere. Patience is a good thing to have on both sides.”

If you’re used to handling most projects in-house, working with an outside creative professional can be a big adjustment.

Staying On the Same Page

The key to just about every issue that can arise between you and a creative professional is communication. Ask every question you need an answer to and bring up any concerns that you might have. If you can talk through each step (including your assumptions), you can wind up with not only a great project but a relationship that will allow you to continue to work with a creative professional for the long-term.

Photo by Flickr uUser PedroSimoes7

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 8:00 am and is filed under Workforce. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.


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