From brochures to cards, templates to logos and basically any other material that requires visuals, you need pros to help you out. If you have little to no knowledge of the visual arts, then that could be why your marketing materials aren’t doing a lot to improve consumer engagement with your brand and business. Start thinking about hiring an artist to be a part of your team. If you want an excellent design, you’ll need a talented artist. Here are some tips on how to get the best artist for your project.
Know What You Need
Before you start looking over resumes from drawing artists, decide what kind of artist you need. There are different types. What kind of experience or expertise must they have? What kind of experience is relevant in your industry? Knowing what you want from the artists will help you cull through your options much faster. Since you’re confident about the talents and skills you need in your candidates, you’ll easily reject applications or tailor your process to ensure you get only talents who meet your hiring standards.
Use Online Platforms
There are marketplaces like Guru.com that allow you to find talent easily on the market. With plenty of options on the platform, one of the first things you’ll notice is that you’ll encounter both agencies and freelancers. Decide which one suits your needs better. For instance, more prominent companies tend to hire agencies because they have bigger teams, offer more services, and are usually in a better position to provide for their needs. On the other hand, small to medium-sized businesses often work well with freelancers who charge much more cost-effectively, cann the client’s project, and can be much more flexible in termsregardinges and changes. However, some freelancers might also charge as much as agencies, which usually applies to those with years of experience in the field.
Check the Portfolio
Be sure to check the artist's portfolio. Whether you’re checking out agencies or freelancers, they should have samples of their work online. Did you like any of them? If you didn’t, that’s a red flag. It means you and the artist might not be compatible regarding taste and style.
Set Expectations
Another hiring must-have is to set expectations early on. That way, when you start interviewing or talking to potential candidates that you found off the job marketplace, you can discuss what each side expects. For instance, do you have a tight timeframe in mind? What turnaround times do you expect? And as for the artist, how much will the project be? This is also an excellent time to talk about updates. What communication channels are acceptable to you and the artist? How often does the artist need to update you about the progress of the project? If the firm isn’t responsive to your calls or emails, that’s a red flag. If they aren’t all that attentive when you haven’t even hired them yet, then that likely isn’t change when you finally hire them, so take your business elsewhere.
Talk About the Payment
What payment arrangement works with the artist? Do you need to pay a portion of the fee upfront? Some will ask you to pay by the hour, by the project, or insist on recurring payments. Think over each of the options carefully and discuss it with the artist until you both come to an agreement. You and the artist can proceed with the rest of the hiring process with an appropriate plan. Make sure that the rate you agree on will cover revisions. How many is reasonable? You can’t expect unlimited revisions. That won’t be fair to the artist. You need to be aware of these details before you book one.
Consider Compatibility
This might sound less important compared to all the other hiring requirements. However, aside from finding artists with the right experience and expertise, make sure you pick talents you can work with for the long term. Think about the future of your organization. Do you and the artist understand each other very well? Are you on the same page? Does it take several tries or emails to get your message to the artist? For the artist to understand your instructions? These are just some of the questions you’ll need to ask before you arrive at a hiring decision.
Ask Around
You have contacts in the business. It’s a good idea to reach out to them and ask them if they know anyone who fits the bill. Who knows? You might get lucky and find someone who’s already on your shortlist or someone you found on a freelance marketplace. That, coupled with a recommendation from someone you know, can help you find the right artist for the job much sooner rather than later.
