Use this guide to make a clearer decision before you brief, order, or review a design project.
Hiring the wrong designer costs time and print re-runs. Hiring the right one compresses your launch timeline. Use these seven questions before you commit.
1. Is the portfolio relevant to your category?
A designer who excels at restaurant menus may not understand food label compliance. Look for 3+ projects similar to yours — packaging if you need packaging, identity if you need a logo system.
2. Do they show process — or only pretty pictures?
Strong studios explain brief → concepts → revisions → files. If you cannot see how they work, you cannot predict how your project will go.
3. Fixed price or open-ended hourly?
For logos, packaging, and flyers, fixed price protects you. Hourly billing suits open-ended retainer work. Ask for a written quote with scope defined.
4. What files do you receive at the end?
Minimum for a logo: AI or EPS vector, print PDF, PNG, SVG. Red flag: "JPEG only" or extra fees for source files.
5. How many revisions are included?
"Two rounds" often means two emails, not two cycles of meaningful change. ideahits includes revisions until you approve — ask any studio to define this clearly.
6. Who owns the copyright?
Full transfer on final payment is standard for UK commission work. If the contract says "licence to use", read the restrictions.
7. Can they deliver print-safe work?
If your logo or label goes to a printer, ask about bleed, CMYK, dielines, and manufacturer specs. Designers who only work for Instagram often learn on your dime at print stage.
Red flags
- No contract or scope document
- 100% upfront payment with no milestone
- Cannot show UK client work or explain turnaround
- Prices that seem too low for "unlimited revisions + all files"
Browse our portfolio, check fixed prices, or start a brief to see if we are the right fit.
