As a founder or business owner, what are the most challenging aspects of acquiring design services?

Question

Kimberly Adams · Accepted Answer

Finding a designer who gets your vision is tough, but when you do, it's game-changing. Launched my app on PH and a great designer made all the difference.

Daniel Hunt · Answer

So hard to understand the value up-front!

I'm sure we could benefit from some kind of design service but it's prohibitively hard to work out who/what we should go with...

Gus Oliveira · Answer

Being able to have someone interpret your thoughts and vision is a great challenge, so for me, what's made the biggest difference when acquiring a design service (freelancer or agency) is how open-minded they are, especially when adjustments have to be made in the beginning.

Nick Basile · Answer

I run a digital agency (https://www.markhamsq.com/) and we run into this challenge all of the time 😅 It's really hard for businesses to get a sense of the quality of a design service and how it will drive results for them. To mitigate this for them, we typically run trial sprints so they can see our work in action with a lower commitment than a full project. This also helps us get a sense of the scope of their needs, and we'll usually deliver a roadmap that they can use with us or shop around if they want.

Ashley Johnson · Answer

locating a designer whose style and expertise align with your vision and needs

Johann Vazquez · Answer

@gusoliveira_b4a Being pen minded and able to try new things through design is a must! How do you typically share your vision and thoughts to make sure that everything is aligned between the idea and the design?

Johann Vazquez · Answer

@khaba_shaba What's your opinion on an asynchronous design subscription? - No meetings, just a little communication done through feedback when a design is delivered

Johann Vazquez · Answer

@sumbal_arora Have you had any previous experience with clear communication from both ends? - more specifically, how did you manage to share your vision clearly

Johann Vazquez · Answer

@ashlyyjohnsonn Thank you, Ashley! How do you make sure your design needs are met during the hiring/outsourcing phase?

Answer

Staying on budget. Design can be expensive, so it's important to set a budget and stick to it.

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Staying on budget. Design can be expensive, so it's important to set a budget and stick to it.

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Nick Basile · Answer

@johannvazquez a lot of our clients know that they need design help, they just don't know what they need it for because they're not design experts, which is why they reach out to us.

Our trials sprints are usually focused on discovery where we take the time to understand their business and identify how they can leverage design to help them. At the end, we typically deliver a roadmap, an estimated budget, and some other deliverables that help them visualize their operations so they can understand their business better, where design can help, and how much it will cost.

Answer

Communicating my vision to the designer. It's important to be able to clearly communicate your vision to the designer so that they can create something that you love.

Nick Jacoy · Answer

@kim_adams24 Love this answer. Understanding and executing a vision is priceless. Where do you find and hire your designers?

As a founder or business owner, what are the most challenging aspects of acquiring design services?

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