Tips for Choosing and Working with a Designer

Restored 316 themes were created for our customers to be able to create a beautiful website without a custom design. However, we do understand that sometimes you may want a more custom look for your brand. In that case we offer customization services and would love to see if we are a good fit for you and your brand.

Our hope at Restored 316 is to provide quality services and above-quality designs but even more so we want to make sure that the process is smooth and that we are the design team for you. We put together a list of tips on how to find a designer whether it’s with us or with another designer.

Take some time to research the designer you’re interested in

Take some time to do some research on the designer you want to work with. One of the best ways to start finding designers is to check reliable sources. Studiopress is a GREAT resource for finding top-notch website designers. Dribbble is another great place to specifically look for brand designers. Visit some of the these designers sites and browse their portfolio.  You want to find a portfolio that resonates with you and your style. You can also visit some of the sites that you like the most and figure out who designed it – you can usually find this in the footer section at the very bottom of the site or in the sidebar.

Figure out who you are

Custom web and logo design can get expensive and no one wants to pay out of pocket for something that they end up not loving. It’s very important to embrace the design process and get to know what you like and do not like. Create a secret pin board completely dedicated to your new design. Pin fonts, photos, color schemes, and websites that inspire you. When you pin something take advantage of the comment section and tell yourself (and your designer) what it is about that pin that stood out to you. This will help your designer narrow down on the things that you truly love.

Ask yourself a few questions and ponder over them for a few weeks before you contact a designer:

• What do you want your site/brand to say about you?
• Are you going for something modern? Classic? Feminine? Minimal?
• If you’re using your site to run a business, what does your competition look like?
• What colors and represent YOU or your product market?
• Is this style something that is going to be timeless or one that you’re going to have to re-market in the future when styles change?

The better you know yourself and what you like, the easier and faster the process will be when it comes to working with your designer. For more branding tips, I wrote this article on Best Friends for Frosting about really diving further into what you want your brand to be.

Not every designer is suited to design YOUR site

Most designers are pretty flexible and can adapt to produce quality styling for any genre of design. However…if you’re looking for something modern and sleek and minimalist, you may not be suited for a designer who specializes in watercolor patterns and flowing pink flowers. It never hurts to ask the designer if they think that your project would be something they could take on, but don’t be offended if they pass or refer you to someone else. It’s a code of respect for a designer to admit that they don’t think that they can do their BEST work on your site and recommend you to someone that they not only trust but believe can rock your design! Looking through a designer’s portfolio is a great way to see if their style fits with your vision.

Be Ready to Invest

Investing in a new brand or a new web design is supposed to be a fun and exciting process! Designers live for this and nothing makes us happier than stretching our creative wings and having the chance to work with a fantastic client. Quality web design, graphics, photographs, and logos, are all valuable services and often involve a reasonable investment. Custom branding and web design can range from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars. If you think the price is “too good to be true” or “way overpriced” you may want to get several quotes and compare the services each designer is offering.

This is not always a get what you pay for type situation. Often times people are quoted outrageous amounts for a site design that could be done for a far more reasonable price. Sometimes you may find a designer who is charging a really low rate and you feel like their work may not be quality. Often times new designers start off will lower rates to build their portfolio, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the low price equals low quality. When in doubt always circle back around to those testimonies and references you got for the designer. If their reputation is excellent you will more than likely get a design that is well worth the price.

Here are Restored 316 we pride ourselves on our reputation of integrity and high quality designs. If you are interested in having us design something for you or establish a brand for your new business? Be sure to check out our Services! We’d love to help you create something fabulous!

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