If you’re looking for graphic designers, Cape Town is the creative hub of South Africa. With over 200 graphic design companies in Cape Town, you are definitely not going to be starved for choice.
But how do you go about finding the best graphic designers in Cape Town for your project? The one that is going to create an eye-popping brand, that stands out from your competitors, for your company. Here are five things you should think about before hiring a graphic designer.
1. Finding the right graphic designer
There are two routes to take in finding the right graphic designers, experts recommend using word of mouth – a tried and testing graphic designer used by someone you trust is a good option. But what if you have no word of mouth recommendations to go on? The next step would be to have a look at the graphic design companies Cape Town has to offer or search the web for freelance designers. Take a look at their portfolios, find designs you like. Make sure to ask the designer what role they played in the project. Some designers will offer you a portfolio that they worked on, but they themselves were not in charge of the conceptualisation of the design.
You want a designer with strong conceptualisation and implementation skills.
2. Can your designer do what you need?
Before hiring a designer make sure they have experience with the task you are giving them. While some graphic designers may be great at logo design, they might not know the intricacies of creating packaging or billboards layouts. Perhaps check out a graphic design agency Cape Town has to offer, to make sure you are getting the right designer for the job. An agency will be able to recommend the right designer for your job.
3. How much are you willing to pay?
In general, a freelance designer will cost less than going through an agency, but pricing will always be dependent on a) the designer’s level of experience and b) what you are wanting to get out of the project. Most junior designers charge a minimum of R350 an hour while a senior designer can go up to an hourly rate of R1500. In order to find the middle ground of experience and price, it is recommended that you get quotes from one of the graphic design companies Cape Town has to offer. The price of the project will increase with the amount and complexity of the work needed to complete it.
4. Do you know what you want?
It is imperative that you go into a meeting with your potential graphic designer knowing what you want from them. While you don’t need to have a fully polished end design in mind, a detailed brief with objectives clearly laid out is key, the business environment described and your available resources and accepted constraints. This will help your designer understand your needs from the get-go.
Remember your designer is not a mind reader. Provide source material and examples of things that you like and dislike.
5. Do you know your message?
The most important part of your designer’s job is to convey your company’s message. Your company’s message is your values, purpose, and attitude combined in a visual format. Help your designer understand your company’s message by providing them with an explanation of your business model. Keep this concise. Let your designer know who your target audience is. Communicate the objective with your designer – what the design piece should prompt the viewer to do, or what knowledge the viewer should take away from the design. Prepare adjectives so your designer knows that you want – smooth and elegant as opposed to dark and grungy.
Now that you have some ideas of what you should be thinking about when hiring a designer, go out and enjoy the visual feast, with all the graphic design Cape Town. You should have no problem finding the right designer for the job. But should you have any more questions our team at The Agency are always happy to help?
