How to Effectively Hire a Graphic Designer

Tuesday, November 09, 2010

The smallest details have the greatest impact on how your business is perceived. Whether it’s the materials you use or the employees you choose every decision made is a reflection of you and your business. It’s important to take the time and spend the money to ensure that your customer’s first impression is as professional and polished as the business you run.  Your brand and company’s collateral are particularly important in projecting your business sense, quality of work and professionalism. If you aren’t willing to spend the time on your own business why would you be willing to spend the time on your customer?

Although it’s not always feasible to have all of your collateral professionally designed at one time its important to pick a few and build a good foundation of brand identity and design to work from. Here are a few suggestions of where to start when you are trying to build a professional business with a graphic designer.

Logo design is particularly important because it’s the name, font or image that your customers are most likely to associate with your business. It is important that your identity complements your mission and exemplifies what sets you apart from everyone else. By establishing your business with a clean professional logo it increases the effectiveness of your entire business. Your business cards and website look more professional, your polos and company uniforms become more inviting. Even the brochure or sales sheets that you design yourself become more appealing.

"Do it yourself" brochure design may seem like an “easier” or “less expensive” design option, but its probably not the best option for a couple reasons. First, since you are not a graphic designer you may find yourself struggling for days on a design project that may have only taken a fraction of the time for a professional designer to complete. Next, it’s likely that after going through the trouble of designing it yourself the files you have created just simply cannot be professionally printed. More often then not, you’ll end up paying a designer to set up your files if not recreate the entire project. Do yourself a favor and be open and honest with your graphic designer – give them an idea of your budget and let them put the man-hours into creating effective brochures and sales collateral that you can be proud of.

Website presence is becoming an increasingly more valuable tool for your customers to learn more about your business and what makes it tick. Its important that your website is functional, effective and reflects your brand. Your time is valuable  - in the countless days you would spend to get your website up and running you could have been out securing new customers and growing your business. This is another project that we suggest you leave to the professionals. Spend the time to gather information that you would like to share about yourself and your business, find websites of your competitors and other sites that you like, and hand it over to a professional. By preparing the information and guiding the designer in the right direction it will help the process run smoothly and get you on the web faster.

Potomac Printing Solutions has the resources to take your project from concept to completion with our group of dedicated graphic designers. Our creative and production teams work with our clients to uncover the messages that will expose the essence of your company and deliver these key messages to your audience. We will develop tailored branding solutions that not only look good, but also are also effective and cost efficient. So if you are looking to move your business forward consider Potomac Printing Solutions for all of your graphic design needs.

Here are just a few of the design projects that we can help you with. Logo Design, Business Card Design, Letterhead, Envelope Design, Mailing Labels, Internal Stationery, Direct Mail Pieces, Newspaper Advertising, Pamphlets, Catalogs, Billboards, Bus Advertisements, Signs, Banners, Posters, Handouts, Postcards, Newsletters, Annual Reports, Magazines, Booklets, Marketing Campaigns, Email Blasts, Website Design, etc.

We are happy to be serving all of the DC Metro area from Northern Virginia to Baltimore Maryland.  Including Ashburn, Alexandria, Annapolis, Arlington, Baltimore, Bethesda, Dulles, Washington DC, Fairfax, Herndon,  McLean, Reston, Rockville, Tyson's Corner, Vienna, Owings Mills, etc.