Twelve Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Designer
A checklist you can paste into an enquiry. Every one is answerable in a sentence, and the answers tell you more than any portfolio.
A portfolio tells you what someone can make. These tell you what it will be like to work with them, and what you will actually own at the end. Every one should get a straight answer in a sentence or two — hesitation on any of them is itself the answer.
Before the work
- What will you need from me to start? A good answer lists competitors, audience and where the mark has to appear. A vague one means they will design from taste alone.
- How many genuinely different concepts — not variations? The word "different" matters. Four recolours of one idea is one concept.
- Are concepts drawn or AI-generated? This has ownership consequences, not just aesthetic ones.
- Who actually does the work? Especially worth asking an agency.
About the deliverables
- Exactly which files will I receive? Vector source (AI, EPS, SVG) should be on the list without prompting.
- Which colour variants? Full colour, one colour, all black, all white. You will need every one inside a year.
- Do I get an icon-only version for square spaces? App icons and favicons cannot use a wordmark.
- Will you supply colour values in CMYK and Pantone, not just HEX? Screen values alone will not survive a printer.
About ownership and terms
- Do I receive a signed copyright assignment? Paying does not transfer ownership by itself in the US or UK. See who owns your logo.
- Am I licensing any fonts, or are you? Commercial typefaces are usually your cost, and worth knowing before launch.
- What happens if I do not like anything you show me? Listen for whether revisions include changing direction entirely, or only nudging the one you were given.
- What is your written agreement? If the answer is "we do not use one by default", that tells you what happens when there is a dispute.
We answer all twelve without being asked — the deliverables are listed per package on the homepage, and the process is on the process page.
Working on this yourself?
We design logos, brand guidelines, packaging and social kits in one studio — first draft in 24–36 hours, unlimited revisions and full copyright transferred in writing.