Web Graphic Designer & Illustrator

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Honestly, you should be interested in producing work that offers a tangible return on investment. Good work that is likely to offer you a high ROI may look a bit expensive up front. You have to consider how things will play out over time though. Something cheap right now might do in a pinch, but it isn't likely to really afford you much utility or profit in the long term.

In short: You get what you pay for.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. The most difficult thing is probably finding someone you can trust, who can reliably produce work that helps you achieve your goals. Contracts can be really helpful in this area. If the contracts are clear, specific, and if the person you're working with can explain them and why they are the way they are, you're probably dealing with a legitimate business. Beware of anyone who tells you that the contract is "just a formality" or that "you don't need to read it, just sign." These people are probably trying to hide abusive terms in the contract. If it seems too good to be true, or if the person you're dealing with gives you any kind of a negative feeling, don't hesitate to look somewhere else.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. There are several questions to ask, depending on the kind of service you're looking for.

PRINT
For print design work, the client should make sure to see completed samples of jobs that the designer has worked on. The designer should be able to give a clear explanation of which parts of what project they were involved in. You should also try to get a sense of the extent of their knowledge about print processes. If they sound like they're spinning BS, move on.

WEB DESIGN
Ask the designer about things like standards compliance, validating code, and what sort of content management system they prefer to use. (if any) If any of these questions draw a blank look, or if the designer starts talking about how something "really isn't necessary", move on. Standards compliance is a big issue, because it affects accessibility and whether or not your site gets properly indexed by Google. The same thing goes for validated code. If your website doesn't pass muster according to the W3C (the governing body of the internet, more or less), then it's not built correctly.

Content management systems are a bit different. They are the current paradigm for website development, because they make the management of large sites easier, and they make the creation of new pages and content for existing sites much easier. You can have a site built using old-fashioned HTML only, but it's not going to be as flexible as something built in a CMS. You should also keep in mind that someone who doesn't build sites using a CMS is probably hopelessly behind the times.