5 Qualities to Look for in a Graphic Design Company

 

Some companies may find it difficult to hire and work with a graphic design firm, as this is a highly subjective field that deals with bringing vague concepts and visions to life. Graphic design is a collaborative process that requires various people to work together on a single goal, and it calls upon specific artistic and visual language that not everyone understands. To help, we’ve highlighted a few qualities to look for in a graphic design company.

5 Qualities To Look for in a Graphic Design Company

1. Excellent Communications

Graphic design projects often involve translating both ideas and feelings into visual language, and to do this well requires clear and concise communication from everyone involved. For a graphic design team, this begins with active listening during the early stages of your engagement with them. You’ll want a team that really pays attention to what you’re looking for, and a good sign of this is if they’re asking smart follow-up questions during your discussions.

In addition to showing the ability to listen and understand, a good graphic design company must also be able to clearly communicate in both verbal and written form with other team members such as project managers and copywriters. Graphic design is often a subjective and collaborative process that requires a great deal of teamwork, and without excellent communication, it will be difficult to generate positive results.

2. Proper Time Management

Most graphic design firms juggle multiple clients and projects, so it’s important to know they have a successful time management system. There are many ways to achieve this, and if you’re considering an engagement with a graphic design firm you should feel free to ask them about their time management methods. Find out how and why they chose their system, and ask for past examples that required juggling multiple projects and how they handled it.

Graphic design is often just one piece of an interconnected puzzle in projects like product launches and marketing campaigns. Delays with any piece of the puzzle can have a domino effect that derails company plans, so it is critical that graphics be delivered on time as promised.

3. Ability To Take Criticism

Graphic design obviously requires a heavy dose of artistic creativity, and as with any of the arts, this can be a highly personal process. You certainly want a firm that can deliver uniqueness and creativity, but you also need an ally that will not take criticism personally. Realizing your vision is a collaborative process, and the company you work with should realize that any feedback or direction you give is a necessary part of that process.

Watch for any signs that indicate a firm may be inflexible or unresponsive to your feedback, or that they may be oversensitive or bound to certain aesthetic standards. You might consider asking about prior client engagements they’ve had, particularly those that may not have been successful. If you ask them what went wrong in their opinion, the answer may shed some light on how they react to criticism.

4. Storytelling Ability

Graphic designers create your company logo and help design your website, product packaging, and any visual materials that communicate your company message to customers. They are a critical part of crafting your brand story, so it’s important they have the ability to weave a consistent, attractive narrative. Your graphic design team needs to understand your target audience and come up with visual solutions that will attract and keep their attention.

Effective storytelling has become more and more important as global economies become increasingly dependent on the value of customer attention. Take the time to review each graphic design firm’s portfolio and focus on how they’ve interpreted and delivered company messages. Look for consistent logic and problem-solving ability that will be useful in crafting your company’s message.

5. Patience

Great creative work tends to take time, and graphic design can take even longer than most as it requires collaboration and client approval at every step of the process. The company you work with needs to demonstrate the patience to accept feedback and work through different design iterations to arrive at the best final product for your needs.

Graphic designers also need a great deal of patience to wade through and process feedback that may be vague or conflicting. A calm and patient demeanor can help refine your discussions and make productive decisions without undue stress or delay.

These are some of the most important qualities and abilities to seek if you’re looking for a graphic design firm to work with. Some of these are related to methods and practices, such as how they manage time and execute projects. Others are more conduct-related, such as patience and communication skills. Take your time and use this list to help find the firm that best suits your needs.