Ask HN: How to hire a graphics contractor?

[mrchess]

I want to hire my first contractor for graphics design to design a UI for me and was wondering how you do it. Is it pretty much look at their portfolio, pay them, and hope for the best?

What if their work is sub-par? What if I don't like what they innovate? Do you usually have a mock-up with the layout before you ask them to do it?

I'd be grateful if anyone with experience in hiring graphics designers for contract work could chip in on things like what the procedure is, and what I should be prepared with before I confront the designer!

[ashraful]

I am a freelance web designer. Usually clients hire me because someone referred them to me, or they found my portfolio (madebyargon.com) somehow.

The client generally gives me a detailed specification of their app or website, which details the number of screens/pages I need to design. I quote a price range that they agree to by paying an upfront retainer.

Within the first 2-3days, I send them a design draft (of the homepage/main screen). If they do not like the draft at all, then I would refund their money (but this has never happened). Usually the client is either happy with the design or asks for some changes. A few back and forth with feedback and we can land on the perfect design.

The initial design draft shows the client my quality of work. If they find it to be sub-par then they get a refund. They lose nothing but time (the 2-3days I take to design the draft).

Some clients have a specific layout in mind, and they send over wire-frames to follow. Some clients leave it entirely up to me.

I usually ask clients for examples of existing website designs they like, so I understand the design sense/feel they would like to go for.

Hope this answers your question.

BTW, if you are looking for a freelance web designer, I am available. My portfolio is at http://www.madebyargon.com

[ezl → ashraful]

I will vouch for ashraful -- I've worked with him once before and am mid-project with him now and have enjoyed the process and results.

[jeffmould]

You can always go through a site like 99designs.com or another freelance site. The benefit here is that you can get an idea of the design prior to paying and also evaluate multiple designs.

If you choose to go with a freelance designer you select on your own, there are a few things you should do prior to engaging. First, look through their portfolios, you are looking to see (a) what their previous work looks like in general; and (b) if they have done similar work. This is important in that someone that can do great "graphics" work, may not be that skilled in layout for a site. You will also want to make sure their work is "original" and they are not just copying templates or other people's work.

Narrow it down to 3 or 4 designers from your search. From there attempt to contact previous clients to get references if possible.

Finally, before you engage anyone, try to have an idea of the look/feel you are trying to achieve. Do you already have a logo? Do you have a color scheme in mind? Compile a list of sites you like/don't like and why the site falls into a particular column. These questions will help the designer from shooting in the dark at the design and ultimately save you time, money, and revisions.

As for payment, never pay full upfront. Maybe half upfront, and half upon completion. Or if you can do thirds that is even better. A third upfront, a third upon receipt of a couple mockups, and the final third upon delivery.

Make sure you have outlined how the final product will be delivered. Will they deliver via a PSD and you are responsible for getting it converted into HTML? Will they deliver working/valid HTML? If they are delivering HTML and image files, make sure they are using valid CSS. You don't want to spend another day or two converting pages of tables into valid CSS.

These are just some basic thoughts, but should get you going in the right direction.

[notahacker → jeffmould]

99designs might be good if you want a choice of cheap logos but it's the very last place I'd go for UI design, which is all about understanding who the users are, what they're looking to get from the site/app and what you're looking for them to do with the site/app. Chances are that people that care about that sort of thing aren't entering competitions for less than their usual project rates...

On the other hand, I totally agree that it's important to start off with some basic assumptions about what you'd like to see and what you definitely don't want to see. Once you've reached this stage you're in a position to start talking to freelancers and sending them briefs, and judging them as much by whether their responses show an understanding of (and interest in) what you're looking to achieve as well as the prettiness of their portfolio.

If you're building something non-trivial, UI design is an ongoing process as you adapt to feedback and statistics on how users use your site/app, so chances are you're going to send some more work their way at some stage in future.