Hiring graphic designers

To develop quality work, graphic designers need to ask stakeholders a variety of questions from the outset. As such, graphic designer candidates should have a few informed questions ready to generate thoughtful conversation. Otherwise, it’s likely the graphic designer and stakeholders may be misaligned — resulting in wasted time and unsatisfied clients.

Graphic designers need to know how to use a variety of tools that fit the work context. For example, if a job requires animation work, proficiency with tools such as Adobe After Effects is essential. In any case, candidates should have a baseline familiarity with standard graphic design programs — and be willing to learn new programs as required.

All graphic designers hit creative walls at points in their career. Still, they shouldn’t stare endlessly at a blank screen in times when no strong ideas are being generated. The graphic designer candidate should be able to work through these difficulties stemming from creative block while staving off procrastination and persevering to bring unique ideas to the table.

Scope fluctuations are a fairly common occurrence in a business environment, so graphic designers must be able to roll with the changes. While it’s important for these professionals to have a strong vision, they must also keep their eye on the end goal — meaning they can’t be overly protective of their original ideas in the face of new and better ones.

The answer to this question allows you to assess whether a candidate is able to effectively balance and prioritize work. It’s rare that graphic designers will only focus on a single project or client. In addition, urgent last-minute tasks and unexpected feedback that needs addressing may arise. As such, graphic designers must possess the ability to multitask and make rapid pivots as their workflow demands.

It’s common for clients to dislike a graphic designer’s work seemingly without reason. A strategic design professional knows when and how to push back on critical feedback to achieve the highest quality result. In addition, design is often rooted in data and research, so it’s important that they’re able to convey intentions and reasons clearly, respectfully, and concisely.

The design world is constantly and rapidly evolving. There are always new design trends — like colors, fonts, and styles — as well as innovative software and tools to learn. That’s why it’s pivotal to have a continuous learner mindset. Candidates who will help drive your organization forward will have an avid interest in the design industry as a whole.

This question helps illuminate a candidate’s graphic design style, personality, and background. Understanding the candidate’s proclivities as a graphic designer will help you determine whether their perspective can creatively propel your organization.

The answer to this question allows you to gauge the candidate’s comfortability with teamwork. When you know how the candidate works with larger teams, you can better gauge their ability to create quality work that coheres to a unified vision. If the candidate prefers independent work or lacks teamwork experience, they may not be able to succeed in a highly collaborative environment.