By Kyle McCabe | December 22, 2009
Don't get robbed.
I don’t know anything about rockets or surgery. If I wanted to find a good rocket surgeon, I wouldn’t have the faintest idea where to start. I’m not at all confident I could find the right person for the job; someone who won’t rip me off or do a half-baked job (hey, no disrespect to rocket surgeons, but some of you are kind of shady).
If you feel that way about finding a good web designer*, I may be able to help (yeah, some of you are shady, too).
There are key values, practices or qualifications in any profession that can help you judge its practitioners. So you might proceed in your search with greater confidence, I’ve outlined below some key things to look for in a good web designer (Surprisingly, little of it has to do with actual ‘design’ skill).
1. A good web designer listens.
It’s incredibly difficult to solve a design problem without knowing what that problem is. A designer who listens when you explain your business and web needs is going to be much better equipped to provide an effective solution.
If the designer seems to be doing all the talking, consider moving on. They might be the best designer in the world, but if they haven’t listened and understood your problems, it’s unlikely they’ll give you an effective solution.
2. A good web designer asks questions.
In my experience, clients are not always able to articulate their needs, wants, or problems the first time. Sometimes it’s the questions they’re asked that will bring issues to the surface, or reveal directions or solutions right away that may have been overlooked.
If a designer isn’t asking any questions, he’s either telepathic or he doesn’t care much about solving your problem.
3. A good web designer solves business problems.
It’s not about making things pretty. Many designers – and clients – get caught up in the aesthetic aspect of the work, or the latest design trends and tricks. If you want a product that will address your specific needs, however, you want a designer with a more ‘objective’ perspective, who focuses on *your* business problem, not someone who churns out another carbon copy of their latest design obsession.
Look at their portfolio with a critical eye. If they show work in diverse industries, the graphical elements and overall styles should be very different.
4. A good web designer helps you understand what he does and why.
Some people don’t like having to explain themselves or educate clients on design or usability fundamentals. Their language will be intentionally vague and full of buzzwords in an effort to bedazzle or confuse, or they’ll simply talk to you like you’re a third-grader.
Look for someone who cares enough to help you understand everything that’s going on. Their language will be accessible, and they won’t talk down to you.
5. A good web designer has a wide range of in-depth industry knowledge.
Unless you’re on a three-figure budget, you probably don’t want to hire the kid next door who took one HTML class and has a Geocities (RIP) site. To ensure a successful outcome, you’ll want to make sure your designer or agency is proficient in basic tools such as Photoshop or Fireworks, XHTML and CSS, and also has skills in things like search engine optimization, programming, web writing, marketing, the web-hosting process, and maybe even some print graphic design.
Ask the designer about her process. What steps will she take to solve your problem? What tools does she use? Does she adhere to web standards?
6. A good web designer thinks of the end-user.
He knows it’s his job to be the advocate for the people who will be using your website, and for the content those people will be viewing.
While your opinion on design, content, interface and usability decisions is important, it’s only important to the degree that it’s informed by business sense and knowledge of your customers and industry. If your opinion is merely based on personal preference or assumptions about your audience or web users, a good web designer will argue the point – and he’d do well to argue vigorously (but respectfully, right designers?).
If a designer isn’t concerned about how the people visiting your website will use it, but only about his own preferences – or even yours – it’s time to move on.
7. A good web designer is a professional.
Design isn’t all about skill in creating dazzling graphics. It’s also about knowing enough about business and marketing to create an effective solution to whatever problem you face. It’s about being consistent in communication, professionalism, and work. It’s about delivering as promised.
A designer who doesn’t care to dress reasonably well, speak well, or solve your problem effectively in a timely manner probably doesn’t care much about you as a client. Or eating anytime soon.
8. A good web designer is honest.
Hell, any good professional is honest. Right? RIGHT? If business is all about making money at the expense of quality work and lasting relationships, then we’re all doomed. (Notice anything about our economy lately?)
A good web pro will tell it like it is. They won’t make guarantees about your search engine rankings. They won’t claim to be a social media “guru”, or expert, or rock star, maven, ninja, wizard, or god. They won’t inflate the price of their work to unreasonable proportions but neither will they deep-discount their work just to make the sale.
If the designer you’re talking to does any of this, run away. Better yet, call me.
And more…
There are plenty more I could list, but you get the idea.
The most important thing you can do when looking for a good web designer is to ask questions. Asking more questions will help you understand the process of web development much better if you’re talking to a good web pro, or it will bring up a lot of red flags if you’re face-to-face with a poor one.
Have you ever had a bad experience with a designer? Tell us about it here, and offer your own advice for finding a good web designer.
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* This implies ‘one person working independently,’ but for the purposes of this article I mean to include all web professionals: agencies and other web organizations; anyone you might hire for your web project.
About the authorAs the SEO team lead at RSA, Kyle spends most of his time thinking of ways to get a company-sanctioned afternoon nap. He's an amateur photographer, social media junkie, recovering gamer, musician, blogger, and all-around web geek. He enjoys reading, writing, and breaking bricks. You can find him on LinkedIn, Flickr, and Twitter.
6 people are conversing about "How to Find a Good Web Designer"
From Web Design Lexington | December 23, 2009 at 6:56 am:
This is a list worth noting especially to budding web designers. The thoughts are well said and should be followed if you want to succeed in the field of web designing.
From Kyle McCabe | December 23, 2009 at 9:03 am:
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I agree, as a budding web designer years ago, it would have been nice to have seen a post like this!
In any case, I'm hoping it will help business owners make more informed choices as well.
From Sean | December 24, 2009 at 10:05 pm:
I think you should also put down that a web developer/ web programmer is not the same thing as a designer and that you should be willing to pay more if you want a custom solution created by a programmer and designed by a designer. You should never assume that one person does it all. I am a programmer, I can create stuff from scratch, but I am no designer. I can implement a design, but I can't create one from scratch like so many people want.
From Kyle McCabe | December 28, 2009 at 9:06 am:
Thanks for commenting, Sean – you make a good point.
There are very few people who are able to plan, design, and program a feature-rich website by themselves. Many freelancers contract out the work they can't complete themselves, and an agency environment obviously provides all the necessary skills through a team of people.
I approached the article from the “designer” perspective, because that's my main area of expertise. In my experience, both freelance and agency, the designer is usually the only or first “production” person the client has any contact with. But I imagine my experience is different from yours, and many others.
Understanding the difference between designers, developers/programmers, information architects, SEO specialists, etc., is necessary to understand the process of web development. Even so, whatever web professional you come into contact with as the client, a good one will help you understand these distinctions and how they affect your project.
From Michael Trythall | January 11, 2010 at 8:27 pm:
I agree with most points here. I've also found that a very good designer can tell you a lot about latest trends and styles, and probably can point to a few good user studies that have taken place in the last 6-12 months.
Informed design = good design. Same goes for designers :)
From Kyle McCabe | January 12, 2010 at 1:13 pm:
I agree about the trends/style. Any good web professional will stay on top of their industry. But even less ethical folks do this to the degree that it helps them make a quick buck.
Anyway, informed design does usually make for good design. In light of this, a good question to ask any potential designer/developer for your project is “How often do you practice?” Meaning, how often do you take time to stay up to speed on the latest trends, concepts, technology, etc.
My answer: not enough! ;)
Thanks for commenting!