Your Checklist for Hiring the Right-Fit Designer for Your Brand or Website Project
About the episode:
Today I’m sharing a 7 step checklist for hiring (the right fit) designer for your project. I believe it’s so important to find a designer you connect with, not only style wise, but values wise. I share my best tips for finding someone, why I believe you should get on multiple discovery calls with multiple designers, and why making a decision at the end of all this research is essential. Remember hiring the right support can be either a weight lifted off your shoulders or it can be a headache you wish you never signed up for, and I want you to avoid the latter! I hope you find so much value in this episode.
Takeaways:
Why it’s best to start the process of finding a designer sooner rather than later
I share 7 tips for finding the best fit designer for you and #7 might come as a surprise
In order to make the design process super smooth and enjoyable find a designer who you connect with both their style AND vibe
Why I encourage anyone searching for a designer to conduct multiple discovery calls with multiple designers
How making a decision one way or the other will free up mental space and allow you more capacity for other things in your business
Resources
Apply for the Squarespace Designer position Taking applications until January 19th, 2024
-
Hey friends, welcome back. Thank you so much for joining me today for another episode of Rebrand with Ruthanne. I'm so excited that you're here and just grateful that you're making space for this podcast and this show. I am so grateful and I am excited about our topic today. It is your checklist for hiring a designer and especially as we are in January of a new year, this is a great time when a lot of people are looking to refresh their website for the year.
They maybe have like a rebrand on their to-do list for the year. So this is something that is hopefully super timely and something that you can really take away from when hiring a designer for your brand or website updates. And, but I think this, but I think this is also helpful if you're hiring anyone for a position on your team or if you're looking for someone just for a one-off service, like launching a podcast or something.
I still think this episode will be really useful and hopefully give you some great tips and things you can do if you're looking to bring someone on and support you. But before we dive into the episode, I would love to give you a little life update. So it is January 9th as I am recording this. This episode, it will launch next week. And right now we are in the middle of a little, we are in the middle of a little snowstorm. So we got six inches of snow, which we have not had this much snow in a really long time, but it is gorgeous to see. I mean, I'm like a snow person. I'm like a winter person all the way. I love you know bundling up for the cold weather. I just I like the snow. So this to me is beautiful. My husband would probably think otherwise. He definitely likes the warmer climates, but I just think it's so pretty. My son really wanted to go make a snowman outside and while this is like perfect packing snow and stuff, the windchill is like super cold. So we probably won't be able to get out today, but hopefully tomorrow we can make that happen for him because he really has been wanting to do it. Also, I am really feeling that New Year energy and motivation.
I'm just loving it. I'm just feeling very inspired and loving what I'm working on and I'm really excited to just share with you everything that I Have in store and it is all coming out very soon. So stay tuned. I Also wanted to mention I am still looking for a Squarespace design I'm still looking for a Squarespace designer to join my team and I am accepting applications until January 19th. So the end of this week, as you are listening to this, that is my deadline. I already have so many wonderful applications. I have 11 applications, I think, so far, and I'm just thrilled because there's just so many qualified people and I just feel like the perfect person is gonna join my team and I cannot wait to bring them on and just to help me with some projects. And so, yeah, if you know of someone who's interested in designing on Squarespace, who's interested in working with heart-centered, goal-oriented women, on their websites and then potentially on their branding depending on you know how the process goes. I would be more than happy if you would apply and you can go to rartspace.com slash hire to check out the position and see if it could be a great fit.
All right, so let's dive into the episode. We are talking about your checklist for hiring a designer. And like I mentioned, you can use this for any other service you're thinking about when you are looking to hire someone and bring someone on. But right now, specifically as I'm talking about a designer, I think it's really important, and this could be like a brand or website designer or both, depending on what you're needing. I think one of the best things you can do,
is start the process sooner rather than later. Sometimes designers are booked out months in advance and the process itself can take sometimes five to 12 weeks depending on the project scope and how many moving parts you have in your project, how big your website is, and especially in, I will mention in the website process.
Having copy completed is a requirement that I have in my website design process. And so, and depending on who you're working with, you know, maybe copy is not.
And in my website design process, I, if you are not working with the cut, let's see. And in the website design process, in my process I have a professional copywriter who's on my team who you can work with, but if you're going a different route, working with someone else, or DIYing your own copy, the copy is something that needs to be completed before 30 days before your project starts. So that is in my website design process. And so definitely you have to think about it in terms of like, you know, if you want your for instance, if you wanted your site to launch in June, you know, definitely doing your research starting the process even in February or March I feel like is very reasonable because then if you get your project on the books in April and then you're able to start in May and then maybe launch in June. So you have to kind of like think backwards and see how long is this gonna take, how booked out is the designer I wanna work with, you know, do I need to have copy, do I need to get photos taken? So there's a lot of pieces to take into consideration. And so as a best practice, I think it's really good if you can start the process sooner rather than later. Okay, so we're gonna dive into seven things, seven.
we're gonna dive into a seven item checklist for hiring a designer. And number one is research. When you're looking for a designer, I think there's a lot of places to look for sure. You can go on Pinterest, you can go on Instagram and search hashtags. That is how I found my brand photographer. Both times when I worked with different brand photographers over the years, I went on Pinterest and searched a hashtag that was like, KC photographer, and, cause I'm in Kansas City, and it was like perfect because, you know, all these photographers showed up cause they were all using that hashtag. And so that was a great way for me to find a photographer local to me. And so you can definitely do that with Instagram with, if you're looking for a brand designer, website designer, Squarespace designer, you know, whoever you're looking for, maybe search with hashtags that could be helpful.
And so a few things to keep in mind as you're doing your research is like some questions to ask. Do you love their portfolio? Do you love the work they're putting out? Do you like their style? Do you like how they've laid out their process? Most times on services page they talk about their process. Are they in your price range or do they offer payment plans? So these are all things to keep in mind as you're doing your research and I definitely recommend when people are looking for designers to, you know, definitely don't feel bad if you are scheduling discovery calls with multiple designers. I personally think that's very smart because you wanna really connect with your designer. And so many times you really want to connect with your designer. And especially when the process can be long, it can be, you know, there's a lot of moving parts in the process. You really wanna make sure you connect with your designer. And so I think it's perfectly fine to schedule multiple discovery calls with people and see who best fits with your personality, who best gets your vision, who you jive with the best, who has your similar values, you know, whatever's important to you when you're connecting with someone. I think it's really valuable and helpful and just smart to interview several people as you're going through this. So don't be afraid to chat with multiple people if you are looking for the right person.
Number two is ask around. This is definitely something I've been doing as I'm looking for my Squarespace designer to join my team. I have asked my industry friends and peers if they know of people who could be a good fit as a designer and I have gotten some great referrals and people who have applied who they're like, oh, this person referred me and who's my friend. And it's just so nice because I'm like, oh, this is awesome because I trust them.
I love what they do and I definitely respect their opinion and thoughts with who they hire and stuff. So it's been great asking around and looking for specifically recommendations. And so you can definitely do that too as you are looking for a designer to help you in the brand and website process. Definitely feel free to do a shout out, a call out on Instagram or wherever you hang out on social media and see like.
Do you know of anyone who does this? Like I'm interested in getting my website refreshed, you know, whatever it may be, and see, you know, who shows up. Because I think referrals is such a good way, is such a good, reliable way to get, you know, a really good connection with someone.
Number three, look for a specialty. And this is kind of more when I'm thinking of like website design, this could definitely be branding too, but if you are looking for, like say that you sell a product on online, say you sell a product online and you really want a Shopify website, looking for someone who specializes in Shopify design would be my recommendation, or if you want
you know, a WordPress designer, make sure they can design in WordPress. So looking for a specialty is important. And even if someone is, someone is like focused on like a niche down version in the branding space, kind of like myself, like I've niched down to rebranding, you know, that is something to take into consideration. Like is this person, does this person work with established business owners or is this person work with people who are newer? These are all things to keep in mind depending on how specific you want to get with who you're looking for. So that could be something to just keep in your back pocket.
Number four, read testimonials. As you are looking for the right fit designer, definitely go on their website and check out their testimonials. My portfolio page and it has a link like in every single project you can click on the link to see their finished website and it goes straight to their website and you can kind of see the design and how it's laid out. I definitely recommend doing that if you're looking for a website designer, if you're looking for a branding specialist, whoever you're looking for, read those testimonials, check out the work that they've done and see if it really resonates with you.
A bigger investment back in, towards the start of my business, I was looking for a coach. I remember before I hired my coach, I just remember reading the testimonials over and over again, like, okay, I think this is the right fit. And just, you know, the people who, you know, talked about working with Anna, who's my coach, Anna Rapp, you know, the people who talked about her, like, you know, the success that they received.
the success that they got in their business after working together. It was just one of those things that helped put me over the edge to make the purchase. And so reading testimonials could definitely be helpful as you're looking for the right fit designer, hearing about it in the client's experiences in the client's own words could be super helpful.
Number five in your checklist for hiring a designer, do you connect with their style and values? I mentioned this in the beginning, but I think it's so important to connect with a designer's style. In the past, I've had clients who wanted me to design in a style that is just not my style, and it was really difficult for me. And I think the best thing you can do is...
From a designer perspective, like from a service perspective, you wanna showcase the things that you want more of, but from a customer perspective, you really wanna be able to see what they have to offer and see like, okay, this is a style that I really love, I align with their values, I think we could be a great fit. And so making sure that you connect with their style, their vibe and their values, I think is extremely important.
It just makes the process so much more enjoyable and you feel like so many times like my clients have turned into friends and I have been friends with them for years so I think it's just I think it's a great way to kind of build that trust and build that trust and connection from the beginning And you never know like how that person can remain in your life years later um kind of like how I am with my clients i'm just really good friends with so many of my clients. So that's something I recommend is as you're looking for a designer, seeing if you align with their style, their values I think is something that's really helpful. Just makes the process go so much smoother on both sides.
And number six out of seven, schedule a free discovery call. This is something that I feel like sometimes people feel like a discovery call is actually making the purchase. And while a discovery call is like a sales call, like that is when you decide normally to move forward with someone, it's also an exploratory call and it's there for you to ask questions, for you to see if you connect with them. And I just feel like it shouldn't be so.
I feel like sometimes it's good to look at a discovery call more of like just an introductory call to see if you guys could be a good fit. Like it doesn't mean you're making a commitment on the phone or anything like that, but I think having discovery calls with people really helps you see what could be a good fit for you. And you kind of know what questions to ask, which is something I wanted to mention is make sure you write down ahead of time any questions you have about their process, about their packages, about doing a custom project, whatever the case may be. And I mentioned this earlier, but I think it's really helpful to schedule free calls with multiple people. If you like three different designers, schedule a free call with them and see who you fit with the best. I remember I've actually been on a lot of discovery calls where there are almost apologetic like, oh, I'm so sorry. I just want you to know like I am talking to another designer and I just think that's smart. And I always encourage them like, yes, you should be talking to multiple designers to see who best fits with you and who is a really good fit for your project. And not everyone's gonna align with you and that is totally fine. Like it's best, whoever is the right fit will work with you and whoever is not, you know, they will choose to work with someone else or not move forward.
I just feel like whoever is meant to work with you will and whoever's not, you know, move on and that's totally fine. So definitely schedule a free call whenever you can with a designer who you feel like could be a good fit and schedule it sooner rather than later.
And number seven, the final thing in the checklist for hiring a designer is make a decision. I feel like so many times we can do this in our business when it comes to a really big task like starting a podcast or rebranding your business.
Sometimes things like this can just stay on our to-do list for a really long time. And even when we're processing through the decision, sometimes we get to the end of like processing and we don't actually make a decision. We're like, oh yeah, I think this would be really good for my business, but you know, I'm not sure. I think it's really helpful for your mind to just make a decision one way or the other, just so you can kind of put that at rest as your mind. I just feel like our minds are spinning so many times with so many things that we're thinking about all at once.
And the more brain power you're using up because you're contemplating a decision, you're thinking about the pros and cons, it's just taking up a lot of brain space and sometimes it can be stressful. So I think it's really good to make a decision at the end of all this. Either make a decision, yes, I'm going with this designer and I wanna work together in a few months, you know, and choose your start date, put a deposit down, or you say,
No, you know, right now is not a good time for me and I'm not going to move forward. And I just feel like it really will help your mind take a breather and
I think it really helps your mental state just so you don't feel overwhelmed. So you kind of have that decision. You can kind of put that decision away. You can either say, yes, I'm moving forward or no, I'm not. And you can kind of move forward with other tasks in your business. But it's so important to get to that conclusion and make the decision so you can, so you can move forward one way or the other. So let me recap those one more time. So your checklist for hiring a designer.
is number one, research, number two, ask around, number three, look for a specialty, if that applies, number four, read testimonials, number five, do you connect with their style and values, number six, schedule a free discovery call or calls, and number seven, make a decision.
One of my clients recently said after we wrapped up working together, she said, and I quote, hiring you has been the smartest move because it has given me a newfound love and excitement for what's to come. And I just wanted to kind of end with that because I think it's so important that we think about these big picture things, these big things that we want to have happen. Maybe it's writing a book, rebranding our business, starting a podcast. These are not simple tasks. These definitely take time. These take commitment. These take investment. And so these things are big things in your life or business, but these things can really help catapult you to the next level. And it just gives you a whole new love and excitement for your business, knowing that you are headed in the direction that you want to go, knowing that your business will be set up for success for so many years to come and especially in this year to come. Like, you know, in we're just starting a new year in 2024, you know, going through a rebrand or redoing your website or updating your branding, it just gives you so much more excitement for your business, for marketing, for reaching out to people, getting on sales calls. And so that really has a domino effect to how you show up in your business. And so I just wanted to encourage you with that. Like it is, you know, these tasks are big things, big to-dos that we have on our to-do list, but they really make such an impact and they're just huge mountain movers in our business.
You know these to-dos make such a huge impact in our You know mental state in our bottom line and it's just one of those things that if you know, just Put it on your to-do list And you know take the steps to make it happen. It really is worth it tenfold I really hope this episode was helpful for you if you found this helpful or if you want to encourage someone in their own entrepreneurial journey. I would encourage you to send this to them. I would be so grateful if you could share about the podcast to anyone who you think would be to anyone who you think would love to listen. And I just wanted to thank you so much for being here. I hope if you wanted to continue the conversation, I would love for you to chat with me over on Instagram. I am in the DMs over at r underscore art space.
Thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate you spending time with me and your earbuds. I really appreciate it. And I hope you just have a beautiful rest of your day and I will chat with you next week.
