Over the last few weeks we've met with a number of new clients and they've all had one thing in common: the last designer they worked with put them through hell.

Whether it was stories about designers producing plagiarized materials, not delivering even though they were paid an extortionate amount, or just simply ghosting on their clients, they all resulted in the same thing. A client left stranded, out of pocket, and entirely stressed and overwhelmed.

It really hurt to hear all of this and it's something we've been ruminating on for a while, but there are takeaways we can all learn from here so we wanted to share them and help you avoid working with a designer you don’t like.

Our top tips for finding a designer you’ll love working with (and avoiding those you won’t!)

We know that it’s not possible to entirely avoid designers (and people) that turn out to be bad eggs, but as brand designers we’ve got our own list of red-flags that we use for discerning if a client is a good fit for us, and we recommend doing the same for any potential designers you might hire!

1. Find your personality match

Your designer needs to be able to take all of your ideas and turn them into reality and if they're nothing like you, it'll be a bit of an uphill battle getting what you want. Take the time to interview your designers and keep looking until you find one that gets you and what you're doing. When you're both excited about your project, you'll feel that in the final product. You want someone who takes a vested interest in the work, who sees it as important, and when you have that, the rest will fall into place.

2. Pay attention to communication

When you trace back any problem to its root, it almost always has something to do with a breakdown in communication. When you're interviewing designers, pay attention to how you communicate with one another. If it feels like they're not understanding you or that you don't feel comfortable asking for what you want, then don't work with them. Plain and simple.

I've been looking for contractors to renovate my kitchen for months and there are so many of them that have spoken to me in a patronizing way that makes me feel stupid and diminished because I'm a woman and I can tell you, I won't be hiring any of them. When it's your project and money that are at stake, you deserve to know you're being heard and taken seriously!

3. Listen to your gut

Ok, maybe this isn't scientifically tested, but our guts have a way of telling us things that our minds may be ignoring, so it's pretty important to check in with them before we make a big decision. And when we talk about your gut, what we're really saying is check in with yourself. Turn off all the other outside voices and hone in on your own. Sure, so and so recommended that designer and said you'd be stupid not to go with them, but so and so isn't you and, when it really comes down to it, only you know what's truly best for you and your business.

4. If it does happen, don't beat yourself up

Things happens and it's not always in our control. We operate based on the information we have on hand and when all of that information points to yes, we can't dwell on what ifs when it doesn't work out.

Of course, we can be mad and upset (by all means, let those emotions run free people!), but we shouldn't turn that anger inwards because it's counterproductive and, frankly, that's just not being fair to ourselves. We're all human and I'm fairly certain being psychic isn't a thing, so from time to time, people are going to disappoint us and we need to remind ourselves that it's not something we had any agency in. Be good to yourself and, to quote the Handmaid's Tale, don't let the bastards get you down.

Want to chat with us about our design style and the processes we use to help create clear communication and support for our clients? Send us an email and we can see how we can help!

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