when to hire a brand designer
february 1, 2022
Category: branding
when should I hire a brand designer?
Calling all business owners who are starting a NEW biz — this one’s for you.
It’s the ultimate question, right? At what point should I bring on a brand designer? You might find yourself thinking, is my business ready? Am I even ready? Well let me just say, I think the timing of when you hire a designer can be crucial to the success of your launch and depending on what type of business you run, this timing can vary. Let’s dive a little deeper…
Product-based businesses
So you run a product-based business? FAB! I recommend having your manufacturer settled on and prototypes in the works. If you hire a designer well before this step, it can be tricky not only for things like product photography but also for your designer to have clarity on your brand. I design best when I can visualize the product and the experience the audience will encounter with it (as do most other designers!).
Just remember, if you wait to hire a designer until after the products are ready, you might feel rushed to get a brand and website created ASAP so you can begin selling. However, good branding and web design take time (KEYWORD GOOD).
If you rush the process, you’ll end up redoing it sooner rather than later which will cost you more money in the long run.
Basically, what I’m saying is to be realistic when it comes to setting up a timeline for launching your product-based business. Hire a designer after you’ve got some of the nitty-gritty figured out but well before you truly want to launch, and remember good branding and web design take time so don’t forget to trust the process and your designer.
service-based businesses
If you’re a service-based business, I don’t think you have to wait to begin day one of your business until your branding and website are ready. Good design for a service-based business can happen before you’ve truly launched but I recommend getting the word out there about your business ahead of launch.
With that being said, you DO need to have the services you’re going to offer and your audience nailed down before you reach out to a designer. If you don’t have these figured out, it makes it incredibly difficult for your designer to create a brand that properly represents you and that will resonate with your ideal audience.
At the beginning of Brighten Made, I was offering all types of design services but after a year in, I realized that my specialty and focus was branding.
Had I invested in a designer and branding, I might’ve had to redo my messaging, website and overall branding to accurately reflect the type of work I wanted to attract.
Through the whole process, just remember — your designer isn’t your business partner and isn’t here to help you make core business decisions. We’re here to uplevel your branding!
personal brands
Last but not least, personal brands. While this isn’t always the case, I’ve found that more often than not personal brands are able to get by with DIY branding to start. With product-based businesses that are so heavily focused on packaging, it can be hard to convince buyers to trust you and your product if it looks like it was done by a premade template in Canva.
Personal brands have a bit more leeway here and can get by with some DIY branding as they grow their following and identify how they want to be represented.
With that being said, there is still SO much value in hiring a designer for your personal brand. DIY branding might be enough to get you started but you’ll want something a bit more custom and timeless for the long term.
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Above all, I think you need to have a crystal clear picture of who you are, who you serve and where your business is headed if you want to invest in branding (regardless of what type of business or brand you have). Without a clear vision, your branding might not work for your business in the long haul.
