We live in the digital age and the internet is full of pre-made, cookie-cutter designs. But, no law firm wants a standard, nicely done website. People want a first-rate attorney, and an awesome website is the first step in assuring them that they are in the right place. A key component in creating an awesome website is hiring an excellent graphic designer.
Finding a great graphic designer
There are a few places where we routinely find great graphic designers. One of those places is Fiverr.com. We have several graphic designers that we use on Fiverr but one of the best places that we get our graphic designers is from Upwork.
Upwork
You go to Upwork.com, create an account, and begin your search for a graphic designer. There are a lot of freelance graphic designers on the site and you can browse their portfolios and other materials, depending on the project you need to be completed and whether it is a short-term project or a long-term project.
The steps I take
As I said, I usually use Fiverr, and these are the steps I take.
- I look to Fiverr and browse for someone who does good work. I am sure to check out their samples to get a good idea of their style. It is not a problem finding someone that can do good work.
- I give them very good examples of the kind of work I am looking for.
- Go to Google and search for the things you are looking for. If I am looking for a website banner, I find a website banner that is very similar to the banner I want. I match the elements or provide the elements from a different photo. The thing is, I make it clear.
- Go to different lawyers’ sites and point out the things you like and point out the things you do not like.
The two reasons people fail to like Fiverr and Upwork
There are people who do not like Fiverr and Upwork. If you study the reviews it always comes down to one of two reasons.
1. They hire someone they cannot communicate with.
Talk to them before you hire them. Ask them questions they cannot Google. Ask them about their family. Ask them what they do for fun and how long they have been doing this kind of work. Make sure you can communicate with them.
How many times has someone sent you a text or an email that sounded a bit rude? It may have put you off a little. But when you talked to them on the phone or in person, you realized they had a crazy sense of humor and spoken in the right tone that text was very funny! Communication is everything.
2. They are not clear with their instructions.
This is a problem in every industry. It is especially true when you are dealing with a graphic designer. If you tell a graphic designer, “I want a website banner and it needs to be blue.” there is a good chance, you are not going to be happy with the results. Give them something to work with. There are dozens of colors of blue. What color is the font to be? What font do you want? The questions go on and on. If you do not give enough information, you are asking the graphic designer to read your mind and that is not going to give you the results you expect.
The final question.
The last question you will need to ask is does your company offer services? If they answer, “Yes, my company does offer these services, but we only do it for clients that are full clients for us. If you just need a website banner or just need graphic design for a project, we are not the company for you.” There’s your answer.
The good thing is, if you were working through Fiverr or Upwork, you probably have a couple of more graphic designers already chosen. That is the beauty of working through such a large selection.
