{"id":8317,"date":"2013-08-13T12:44:17","date_gmt":"2013-08-13T19:44:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/creativemarket.com\/blog\/?p=8317"},"modified":"2024-08-02T05:30:58","modified_gmt":"2024-08-02T12:30:58","slug":"simple-tips-for-finding-a-great-designer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/creativemarket.com\/blog\/simple-tips-for-finding-a-great-designer","title":{"rendered":"Simple Tips for Finding a Great Designer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The world of graphic & web design is a vast landscape filled with thousands and thousands of incredibly talented designers, and a few not-so-talented ones. When you’re faced with a new project and the task of hiring a professional designer, you may be wondering how exactly you differentiate between the two and pick the best designer for the job. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might think, so long as you’re willing to spend a little time and due diligence to help the right designer surface to the top. These days there are plenty of articles with advice on the subject and even some handy tools that can help take some of the heavy lifting off your plate. We’ve collected some of our favorite tips & tools for finding the right designer and we hope these come in handy for your next project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Where to Start?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First things first, if you have a strong professional network, designer recommendations from the people that you know and trust is always a great place to start. However, if you’re starting from scratch there’s no need to be intimidated. Thanks to the magic of the internet, there are plenty of tools available to help you in your quest for the right designer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Scoutzie<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Scoutzie<\/a> is a great website that connects you to designers with proven portfolios. You search based on what you need, when you need it, and how much you want to pay — then you can browse and message designers that match your needs. Designers then submit proposals and you can discuss the details and terms before you move on to start building something awesome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Scoutzie<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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\"Scoutzie<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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<\/span>Dribbble<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dribbble<\/a> has been called the most influential online platform for graphic designers<\/a>, and if you spend just a few minutes browsing around, you’ll see why. In addition to finding infinite sources of inspiration, you can also find designers<\/a> on Dribbble based on things like location, skills, availability, and more. What’s nice is that if someone catches your eye, you can easily browse their profile and get a sense of their work right off the bat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dribbble<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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<\/span>Creativepool<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Creativepool<\/a> is a creative community with hundreds of thousands of members and thousands of agencies. At the heart of the platform is a jobs board where they hand-curate and only accept well-paying jobs specifically for designers and creatives. You can find both permanent jobs and freelance gigs from across creative disciplines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Screenshot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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<\/span>Zerply<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Zerply<\/a> is a free platform for creative professionals that focuses on talent and experience while presenting this information in a beautiful way. You can use their handy search tools to drill down and find the people that meet your criteria, while getting a nice snapshot of their experience and skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Zerply\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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<\/span>Know What You Want<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It can be difficult to hire a designer for your project if you yourself don’t fully understand the project you’re hiring for. Before you even begin to search for a designer, you should understand things like the scope, purpose, style, budget, and timeframe. You should set clear expectations up front and at the same time remain flexible, especially when it comes to budget and timing. If a designer is good, they are probably going to cost a little bit more and be in high demand, so you may have to adjust accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further reading:<\/p>\n\n\n\n