One of the crucial assets in any business—whether big or small—is a graphic designer. And with remote work potentially becoming the new normal, having a remote graphic designer sounds like the best option.To help you get started, we put together the ultimate guide to finding the ideal graphic designer for your remote team.https://youtu.be/lqVgWeiIqRs
What Does a Graphic Designer Do?
Based on a study done by Adobe, businesses with a firm grasp on design get more satisfied customers and more market share than those with an amateur approach. So, where do graphic designers come in? They help you cross the line between rookie designs that get no love from consumers to professional outputs that encourage your audience to take action. With that said, what exactly can graphic designers produce?
Scope of Work
Here are the main types of designs that they can deliver for your business:
Brand Identity
Brand identity is an essential part of establishing a new business like yours. It gives your brand an image and a voice through elements such as your logo and color palettes. Graphic designers usually take over these tasks. They can create a visual representation of your brand that will improve your chances of leaving a mark in your audience's mind. Even better, they can develop a consistent branding that can push your business on top of your audience's mind—fueling your brand recognition.
Marketing Design
Adapting visuals for your marketing strategy is an advantage—from email newsletters and display banners for your digital campaigns to billboards and POS (point of sales) displays for your traditional advertising. It helps you in more ways than one, from grabbing your audience's attention to generating more social engagement. So, if you want to produce content that will resonate with your target consumers, graphic designers are the right people for this job.
Web Design
From UI (user interface) to 3D modeling, a web design consists of the visual elements curated to create a satisfying digital experience. If you have an Ecommerce business, having a good web design can help you develop a nuisance-free shopping experience.
Editorial Layout
Traditionally, editorial layout design comprises newspapers, magazines, and brochures. In the digital world, it mostly covers ebooks, newsletters, and white papers. When doing this type of work, graphic designers consider how the text would look on a page with the background and images. They then produce the final output, which enhances readability without losing its visual appeal.
Packaging Design
Most consumers base their purchasing decision on packaging design. It shows that packaging is a practical element that can impact your product's market performance. Graphic designers can develop packaging designs. With their help, you'll have the potential to create a lasting impression, grow your sales, and push your business ahead of your competition.
Duties and Responsibilities
A graphic designer's responsibilities go beyond creating designs.
Here are the items you'll typically find in a job description for a graphic designer. We'll categorize them into Communication, Planning, Production, Quality Assurance, and Scaling Up.
Communication
- Communicate with stakeholders to help transform your goals into design concepts.
- Present design concepts to stakeholders and other team members.
- Pitch an idea on how to execute the project.
Planning
- Research and gather materials in preparation for a project.
- Design a rough draft to illustrate a concept.
Production
- Create designs through digital tools and software.
- Produce visual elements that will achieve your marketing goals.
- Adhere to brand guidelines.
Quality Assurance
- Create drafts for review and make revisions based on feedback.
- Check that the final designs reflect stakeholders' specifications.
- Review designs for errors before printing or posting.
Scaling Up
- Stay up-to-date with the latest design software.
- Improve technical knowledge by attending workshops and training.
- Be well-informed about changes in consumer tastes and new trends in design.
Anatomy of an Ideal Graphic Designer
What makes a graphic designer great? When screening your job candidates, it's best to look out for both soft skills and hard skills. The right mix of qualities and technical capabilities make up an ideal graphic designer.
Soft Skills
Soft skills indicate how a person works and how they would interact with your team. The right graphic designer possesses the following qualities:
Creativity
For a graphic designer, creativity might be the most important skill. Thinking outside the box is a must-do to convey ideas through his designs. With his creativity, he can look beyond the surface and explore the big picture and the minute details. As a result, he can create visuals that express ideas and concepts effectively—and aesthetically.
Communication
One of the significant responsibilities of a graphic designer is communicating with stakeholders. To achieve it, he should be capable of active listening. Listening for the sake of replying is a big no-no. Instead, he should know how to listen to understand. Plus, since he'll be working remotely, he must have above-average communication skills to avoid any confusion when discussing project details.
Collaboration
A graphic designer would sometimes need to work with other people in your business. He might have to collaborate with a copywriter to build a compelling ad or team up with another designer to produce a quarterly marketing campaign. With that said, a good graphic designer must be a team player. He should be able to work well with others, commit to his share of work, and provide recommendations that will benefit the entire team.
Time Management
Juggling multiple projects at once is a common occurrence for a graphic designer. With each task having its due date, he would often encounter tight deadlines. A great graphic designer knows how to prioritize. He should allocate the right amount of time for each task without sacrificing the quality of his work.
Taking Constructive Criticism
This skill should come as second nature to a graphic designer. He must anticipate feedback—whether good or bad—whenever he shares his work with everyone on the team. If he can take constructive criticism without getting defensive, that's a sign of an ideal graphic designer. It indicates that he sees feedback as a way for him to improve his work.
Continuous Learning
Technology is always evolving, and that includes graphic design. The right graphic designer has the initiative to keep growing. For him, every design trend is a new opportunity to learn. Bonus points if he shares ideas with a creative community. That way, he can also learn from other graphic designers, which he can use to produce better designs.
Hard Skills
Hard skills are the specific abilities required to perform a job. Here are the essential technical capabilities you should look out for:
Tech & Hardware Proficiency
Technology is an integral part of a graphic designer's job. So, he must be comfortable with a wide range of technology, from design software to CMS (content management system) platforms. Plus, it's good to find a graphic designer experienced in tools such as a drawing tablet or a studio camera. These provide added value that you can benefit from once they're part of your team.
Software Proficiency
Even before its smooth transition from Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe Creative Cloud has been every graphic designer's best friend. It can answer most of your design needs. The ideal graphic designer must be proficient in this bundle of applications, especially in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. However, Adobe isn't the only player in the market. In case you're using other applications, a good graphic designer must also display breadth and depth in his working knowledge on other design software such as Sketch and Google Web Designer.
Basic Design Principles
Knowledge of fundamental design principles is a must-have for any graphic designer. Contrast, repetition, proximity, hierarchy, space, balance, alignment, and color are the basic principles that he should know by heart. Developing a keen eye for these visual elements propels a graphic designer into producing better and more visually appealing works.
Typography
Typography is crucial in developing designs, especially for those that contain text. A graphic designer skilled in typography should be familiar with fonts that go well together. He must understand the difference between sans and serif styles and know how to avoid typographical errors. Other hard skills would depend on your needs. These specializations might include:
- Art Direction
- Brand Design
- Photography
- Packaging
- Print Design
- Social Media Marketing
Pro Tip: Check their portfolio! It showcases a candidate's previous works and indicates the technical skills they possess.
Remote Graphic Designer Rates
The digital age makes it easy to work with a graphic designer from anywhere in the world. With that said, we'll explore your options to find a remote graphic designer. We'll also share their estimated rates to help you see which solution would be the most cost-effective.
In-House Graphic Designer
An in-house graphic designer works as part of your company—you consider him as your employee. This setup is ideal if you often need design outputs. But if you only want a short-time commitment, an in-house graphic designer may not be necessary. Aside from his salary, you'll have to shoulder software subscription fees as well as overhead costs, such as taxes and utilities. Average Cost: $3,800 per month
Design Agencies
Design agencies are full of subject-matter experts. If you choose to partner with them, you'll have several expert designers working with you, depending on your project. On the downside, it's a costly solution. Plus, you'll only be one among their many clients. You might consider that as a disadvantage if you want a graphic designer to focus solely on your business. Average Cost: $7,500 per month
Freelance Graphic Designer
In various freelance websites, you'll find thousands of graphic designers. Some have sufficient experience to meet your expectations. But working with one means you only get what you pay for. You can't add new projects to what you originally agreed upon unless you provide another payment. On top of that, a freelance graphic designer is virtually a stranger. You run the risk of them disappearing without prior notice or facing disruptions like lack of punctuality or inability to meet deadlines. Average Cost: $20 to $150 per hour
Offshore Graphic Designer
Finding a graphic designer overseas is easier with the help of an outsourcing partner. Offshoring is the cheapest option, but you'll still get access to a rich talent pool similar to freelance sites and design agencies. You only have to pay for a fixed monthly rate, unlike with an in-house graphic designer. Your outsourcing partner will cover the rest—from labor costs and service fees to recruitment and HR. However, offshore staffing companies typically require a six-month to one-year minimum commitment. It's not the best option if you only need a remote graphic designer for one short-term project. Average Cost: $1,600 to $1,900 per month
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Interview Questions for Your Candidates
One of the roadblocks in remote interviews is that you can't have a personal interaction with your job candidates. However, with the right questions, you can easily find the person fit for the role. So, here are some questions you can use when interviewing candidates for a remote graphic designer. For questions specific to remote work, you can also check out our other blog post: Must-Read: Five-Step Process for Screening Remote Employees
"What are the skills that a good graphic designer must have?"
- Action Item: See what they think of their profession.
Listen to how they articulate their answer. Look out for any mention of the skills we listed above, both qualities and technical capabilities. Take note of the soft skills they list—it can indicate that these are the qualities they possess.
"Why are you pursuing graphic design as a profession?"
- Action Item: Listen to their tone of voice.
This question is a way to get to know your potential employee beyond their resume. They might see this as an opportunity to narrate their road to becoming a graphic designer. When they do so, enthusiasm for their profession must be evident in their answer.
"Walk me through your creative process."
- Action Item: Determine how thoughtful and thorough they are.
A creative process is an essential tool for a graphic designer. Every candidate must have a detailed answer prepared for this question. It's your chance to get a peek inside their head and see how they generate ideas and create final deliverables.
"How do you overcome a creative block?"
- Action Item: Learn how they prepare for potential disruptions.
Every graphic designer experiences roadblocks. However, great graphic designers have a process in place should they face one. Instead of waiting for inspiration to come around, they already have proactive strategies to deal with a creative block.
"How do you deal with tough deadlines?"
- Action Item: Find out how they handle their workflow.
Graphic designers often work on multiple projects at once. So, a great designer must know how to prioritize work and perform well under time constraints. Some people have difficulty meeting due dates, while some prefer to work under pressure. Either way, see how confident they are in their ability to meet deadlines.
"How do you handle criticism?"
- Action Item: Gauge their comfort in receiving feedback.
Great designers aren't too sensitive about their work. They appreciate constructive criticism and use that feedback to improve their output. If they show hesitance to get feedback, it might be a sign of an inflated ego or lack of self-awareness. You can follow-up this question with, "Tell me about a time you received hard criticism about your work." That way, you'll see how they deal with criticism in a real-world setup.
"How do you react when you disagree about feedback on a certain project?"
- Action Item: Learn how they approach disagreements.
Great designers defend their work professionally and respectfully. If they disagree with the feedback, the key is to support their claim with data. Otherwise, they should be willing to yield to the point and adjust their work based on the feedback. The great finds are designers who believe enough in their work but also know when to concede should they need to make changes.
"How do you measure your designs' success?"
- Action Item: See how they value their work beyond the production process.
Audience feedback, click-through rate, and conversion rate are some of the metrics graphic designers can use to measure their designs' success. Even if they're not actively reviewing these metrics, a great graphic designer stays updated with these measurements. They use these data to improve their work.
"How do you recover from a big mistake on a graphic design project?"
- Action Item: Find out how they learn from their mistakes.
Professionalism is when a designer can admit to their mistakes. Plus, they know how to be proactive in fixing their oversights. Listen carefully in case they tell a story relevant to the question. It shows that they had experienced it before and learned how to deal with these instances. Even better, they mention their actions to learn from that mistake and their process in place to avoid repeating it.
"Where do you work better: alone or in a group?"
- Action Item: Determine their level of comfort for both setups.
A graphic designer's day-to-day usually consists of individual work. However, they would sometimes need to work with non-design team members and stakeholders. They must be comfortable either way. Their answer will provide further insights where he'll more likely thrive. Plus, it's helpful in case you assign him to a solo or team-based project.
"Among the contents of your portfolio, which pieces are you most proud of and why?"
- Action Item: Find out what they achieved with their designs.
Every designer should be ready to showcase their best work. For each piece, you can ask them to explain the problem it meant to solve plus how they accomplished it. It's also a good way to gauge their presentation skills. Think of it as a preview of how they present their ideas to stakeholders.
"How do you stay on top of the latest design trends?"
- Action Item: See how committed they are to graphic design.
For graphic designers, it's essential to stay on top of every trend in their field. It allows them to keep their designs fresh. Their answer to this question will show if they're passionate enough to follow updates about their specialization. Plus, it indicates their commitment to continuous learning, especially if they're part of a graphic design community.
Hire Your Remote Graphic Designer
The ideal graphic designer might be hard to find in various talent pools—you might encounter a skilled freelancer with no tolerance for feedback or a top-notch design agency with skyrocketing costs. However, finding the right person is crucial to your business, especially if you're only starting. It's worth investing your time to find the perfect fit for your team. Should you need a partner in looking for the best remote graphic designer, we can help. We'll support your search for a professional who can handle any type of graphic design, from digital to print. Find Remote Graphic Designers through KDCI
