Five ways to find the perfect design agency partner
Quality design is difficult to find. When it comes to settling on an agency partner for website design and development, it can often feel impossible knowing where to start or what questions to ask.
So, here are five key tips to help you find the right design agency for your business.
1. Target your research
Take the time to not only look at the market, but your own branding needs and specific requirements. While a good professional will be able to make recommendations, knowing what you specifically require can help ensure successful completion of the project. This should also extend to obtaining ballpark figures on the timescales for logo design, website building, or conducting development projects to help ensure your internal budgeting is correct.
2. Interview extensively
While a brief Google search may help you settle on a few key agencies, it\'s important that you meet with a number of potential candidates about the chosen job. This can help you get a sense of the market and find the right agency partner for your needs; do you want a more established agency or a relationship with a younger, company with fresh ideas and ways of doing things? This may be time consuming, but will work to deepen your knowledge of the sector and build a meaningful relationship with the agency you choose.
3. Ask their opinions
A large element of design is the use of acquired skills to lead design choices. While it is important to know what you need, deciding on how it is done is often best left to experienced professionals. When first meeting an agency, ask what their approach would be and attempt to gauge how it would map with yours. They should also be able to provide comprehensive samples of previous work from existing clients to let you see exactly how your final site or logo design could appear.
4. Consider communication
Design is ultimately subjective but being able to communicate what you need and avoid repeat revisions can be beneficial to the client and design agency alike. Understanding how to provide a succinct, but not overwhelming brief, can be extremely useful. Taking the time to agree key points of contact and \'check in\' times for project validation can often make the difference between delivering a quality design that is under budget or being locked-in to repeat revisions to secure sign off and agreement.
5. Seek added value
Consider the additional skills that the agency possesses. Are they technically proficient and able to use CSS or HTML to add value to your site? Do they have a background in copywriting and are able to sharpen or optimise your web text? Are they able to offer SEO or social media services in addition to their design work? Once you find a professional business who has all the skills you need, keeping in touch with them can provide helpful support in the years ahead.
Find out how Holly Small Design can help take your business to the next level.