A graphic designer can be someone that you need to hire for various projects in your business, but how do you know when it’s appropriate?

When are situations where it’s beneficial to work with a graphic designer? We highlight what businesses should know below. 

What Graphic Designers Do

A graphic designer creates visual concepts. These can be digital visual concepts, as the name indicates, but also physical elements. The goal of the visual concepts a graphic designer creates is to get the attention of consumers as well as inform and inspire them. 

A graphic designer will typically work in one of three settings—in-house, as a freelancer, or for an agency. 

The duties of a graphic designer include meeting with art directors or clients to define the scope of a project and using photo editing, digital illustration, and layout software in the creation of designs.

Graphic designers choose typefaces, images, and colors to convey messages and branding, and they present their concepts to their clients. A graphic designer will often have to make updates or changes to designs based on feedback and input from a number of potential stakeholders, and they’ll make sure there aren’t any errors or issues before the final designs are published. 

Graphic designers combine art and technology, and along with creating designs digitally using software, sometimes they create them by hand. 

So, when are specific scenarios where you should hire a graphic designer?

Consistency In Your Brand Image

If you’re rebranding, building a new business, or you just feel like you need your brand to be more cohesive, it could be smart to hire a graphic designer. Your tone of voice and what you want to convey are important, and your brand image is what’s formed over time. Your brand image is what customers interact with and how they experience what your business is about. 

You have to create a powerful, compelling brand image to set yourself apart in the marketplace, and you want to make sure it’s cohesive and streamlined. 

Graphic design elements are part of this brand image. 

A lot of businesses will initially hire a designer, and then they’ll think they can just keep recreating their work to keep consistency in their brand image, but this rarely works. 

Designers understand very subtle, nuanced elements of design. 

You’re Growing

Maybe your business is already up and running, and you’re in a period of growth where you’re working to scale up. If you haven’t already worked with a graphic designer, being in a period of growth can be when you need to. 

This is because you might not be in a place where DIY design is going to cut it anymore. 

A professional designer is going to make a big difference, whereas otherwise, not working with a professional could actually limit your potential growth. 

People are incredibly influenced by what they see. Your brand visuals are a major part of the perception of your brand, and ultimately these visuals can make or break your business. 

When you hire a talented graphic designer, you’re going to get a more professional result and outcome. 

You’re In a Competitive Industry

Almost every industry at this point in time is highly competitive, with some being more so than others. When you’re in a competitive industry or niche, or one that feels saturated, graphic design can be the differentiator you need. 

Online you have a matter of just seconds to make an impression, and it’s your visuals and how you convey your brand that are going to allow you to take advantage of those seconds and put them to good use. 

There’s a strong chance that you offer products or services that are similar to other businesses, and your graphic design is one piece of the puzzle that can make you distinct. 

A graphic designer can go in-depth to research your industry, see what’s already out there, get to know your targeted audience, and then develop designs that will have an impact and cut through the noise, optimizing your audience reach. 

You’re Dealing with a Problem

A graphic designer can be a problem solver because they deep-dive into all the elements of your business to figure out what’s going to best work to reach your customers. 

You might have a specific issue with your overall marketing or how you’re communicating with your customers, and you could find that you’re stuck on a solution. Working with a graphic designer can be a great way to get past a hurdle, get a different perspective, and start to work toward effective solutions. 

Building Trust

Graphic design is always going to be a critical part of the decision-making process for customers, whether you realize it or not. Graphic designers can play a role in building a sense of trust with your audience, which can push them over the edge and help them make a decision. 

For example, they can help customers understand why you price your products the way they do. 

If you have professional and convincing graphic design and branding, it’s going to help persuade people that you are, in fact, trustworthy. 

Save Time and Money

You probably already realize that if you need to save time, outsourcing graphic design work is a good way to take things off your plate if you’re running a small business. Otherwise, you might end up dumping enormous amounts of time into graphic design and still not seeing the results you want. 

The part that you might not realize is that you’re probably going to save money too. 

Yes, you’re paying a graphic designer, but by the time you work through the design process, you’re probably going to have spent a lot more money than you would have otherwise. 

Graphic design is an art and a skill that can take businesses to where they want to be, and yet it’s also something that’s underestimated. Just because there are more technology-driven tools available to do your own graphic design doesn’t mean that you can achieve the outcomes that a professional would, and it’s important to keep this in mind.