Graphic design: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What graphic design is

A graphic designer creates visual materials such as promotional graphics, social posts, posters and layouts, turning your message into a look that stays consistent across them. People hire a designer when they need materials that look professional and fit their brand, or when they have run out of time to make them.

Signs you need it

  • Your social posts and flyers look different from one another, and customers do not connect them to your business
  • You have a launch, sale or event coming up and need several graphics finished on a deadline
  • Your current materials were made in a free template that others also use, and they look generic
  • Your text and images are hard to read on a phone or on a printed page
  • You need resized versions of one design for several platforms or print sizes

What the pro does

  • Review your message, your audience, your existing materials and the places the graphics will appear
  • Create a short design brief with the size, format, colors, fonts and the message hierarchy
  • Sketch or mock up two or three directions and choose one with you
  • Build the final layout with your text, images and logo in the sizes each platform needs
  • Check the design for readability on screens and in print, and fix any spacing or contrast problems
  • Deliver the source files and the exported versions, with a note on which file to use for which purpose

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • How many designs you need and how many sizes each design must be made in
  • Whether the designer creates the images and copy, or only lays out what you provide
  • How many rounds of revisions are included, and how many changes you expect
  • Whether the work includes print preparation, such as bleed and color settings
  • How quickly you need the designs and whether the schedule is rush
  • Whether the designer must match an existing brand guide or create one for the work

What a written quote should spell out

  • The number of designs, the sizes and the file formats you will receive
  • How many revision rounds are included and how extra rounds are handled
  • Who supplies the images, fonts and copy, and who owns the licenses for them
  • The usage rights for the final designs, including where they can be used
  • The delivery date for each design and when the source files will be sent

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Can you show me graphics you made for businesses like mine?
  • Who owns the design files once I pay, and can I edit them myself?
  • Which fonts and stock images will you use, and do you have the license for them?
  • How many revisions are included, and what happens after that?
  • Will you deliver the files in the sizes my platforms and printer need?
  • How do you plan the layout so the text stays readable on a phone?

Red flags

  • Will not show a portfolio of finished work or only shows mockups
  • Uses images or fonts without a license and cannot say where they came from
  • Refuses to deliver the source files after you have paid
  • Promises that a design will bring you more customers or sales

What you can do yourself

You can make simple graphics yourself in a free design tool using your brand colors, a single font and a clear grid, and keep the text short. Hire a graphic designer when you need a consistent set of materials across several channels, when the design will be printed in quantity or when the look needs to represent your business well to new customers.

Licenses and permits

No license is usually required for graphic design. Ask instead for a portfolio of finished work, references from past clients and a written statement of the usage rights for the files; check with your state or local business licensing office if the designer operates as a registered business.

Graphic design questions

Do I get the source file, or only the final image?

Ask before you pay. Source files let you edit the design later, and a designer who will not provide them makes future changes harder and more expensive.

Can I use the design on my products or packaging?

That depends on the usage rights in your agreement. Confirm the uses in writing, especially for products you sell and for trademarks.

How do I give useful feedback?

Point to the specific part you want changed and explain the problem, such as the text is too small on a phone. Feedback on the problem works better than a new design idea each round.

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