jvcreate

I was digging through the huge mound of articles that is my RSS Reader today & happened across a great article written by Mike Monteiro. In it he does an amazing job highlighting the reasons to choose design and a designer. Also covered are some other common “do”s and “don’t”s.

One of my favorite parts of the article is below:

Buy Design From Someone Who Can Solve Your Problem, Not Whose Portfolio You Like Looking At

Don’t hire an agency that does sample work before you’ve explained your problem. What could they possibly be solving? They’re trying to impress you with pretty. Look through their portfolio and make sure the work is polished, sure. But don’t buy design unless you feel comfortable the practitioners have a good problem-solving process.

Remember, a designer won’t know how to solve your problem right away. (Beware those that claim to!) But they should be able to explain their process for figuring out the right solution. Just as importantly; talk to their former clients. Not just the ones on the list they gave you (those guys got the nice gift baskets ahead of time) but do a little googling of your own and find the clients they didn’t want you talking to.

It’s like buying a melon. Any sample the grocer is handing out won’t come from the melon you’re about to buy. And don’t buy on looks. To really know a melon you’ve got to squeeze it hard at the ends. Also, a melon analogy? Not my best moment. Let’s move on.

I also love is summation of the “money talk” that always seems to be a part of grief for most designers.

I highly suggest you have a read if you happen to be looking to purchase design or are a designer yourself.

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