Hiring a graphic designer in County Durham: what to expect
Hiring a graphic designer in County Durham: what to expect
What to send, what design costs, how long it takes and which files you should get at the end. A plain guide from a County Durham graphic designer.
If you've never hired a designer before, it's hard to know what you're signing up for. Here's how it works with me, from the first message to the files landing in your inbox. Most of it applies to any decent designer, wherever they are.
Before you get in touch
You don't need a brief. A few lines is plenty:
- what the business does, and where
- what you need: a logo, a leaflet, a website, or all three
- when you need it by
- anything you already have: an old logo, colours you like, a competitor you want to look nothing like
Photos of your van, your shop front or your current leaflet help more than a long description.
The first conversation
It's usually a phone call. I'll ask who your customers are, where they'll see your brand, and what isn't working now. That's where we find out what you actually need: a logo, a full identity, or something smaller, like proper files of what you've already got.
The quote
You get one fixed figure in writing before anything starts. It says what's included, how many rounds of changes there are, and when you'll see things. It only changes if the job does.
For a rough idea: a single piece of design, like a logo, business cards or a flyer, is £100 to £250. Monthly design support is £250 to £500 a month. A full brand from scratch is quoted on the job.
First ideas
Most first drafts are with you in 5 to 10 working days, depending on the job. You'll see a few directions rather than one guess, each shown the way it would really be used: on a sign, a card, a phone screen. It's much easier to judge a logo on the side of a van than on a white page.
Changes
Pick a direction, tell me what's working and what isn't, and I'll refine it. The number of rounds is agreed in the quote, so nobody ends up going round in circles.
The most useful feedback is about your customers rather than taste. "Most of our customers are older, can the phone number be bigger?" gets you further than "can it pop more?" Both are fine to say, though.
What you get at the end
- Vector files that scale to any size without going fuzzy, plus everyday image files for social media and email
- Versions for different backgrounds: colour, black and white
- Colour codes for print and for screen
- A short guide for whoever uses the logo next: your printer, your sign writer, whoever does your social media
- Full rights to use the design, in writing
Local, or not
I'm based in County Durham and work with businesses across Durham, Newcastle, Sunderland and the wider North East. Being local helps when a job involves print, signage or seeing a shop front in person. But most of the work happens by phone and email, so some of it is for businesses much further away, including a caravan storage firm on the Costa Brava.
Worth asking any designer
- Will I get vector files, and do I own the design outright?
- Is the price fixed, and what's included?
- How many rounds of changes do I get?
- Who actually does the work?
If the answers are vague, ask again.
Prices are on the pricing page and past work is on the work page. When you're ready, tell me what you're building.