Litigation, financial losses and failed projects are what can await you if you approach the issue of ordering graphic design carelessly. It is worth remembering that logos, brochures, website design and corporate identity are not decoration, but a tool for promoting and selling a product. That is why you should not trust such a task to the first freelancer you come across. If you still choose a freelancer, then you should protect yourself from mistakes. Which ones exactly, said Vitaly Ustinkin, director of the Kaliningrad graphic design studio “Kant”.
Work without a contract
“A customer from Chelyabinsk contacted us; he ordered a logo and one brochure from a freelancer for 3,500 rubles, but in the end he paid another 250 thousand. The freelancer posted the design immediately after delivery on his social networks, and six months later he sued and won. This happened because they worked without a contract that would indicate the alienation of property copyrights. The customer could not prove that he ordered the work from a freelance designer, because he deleted all correspondence in instant messengers and stated that the customer stole the design.”– said Vitaly Ustinkin.
Work under an author’s order agreement with the alienation of property copyrights from the designer and the transfer of property rights to you. Otherwise, you can not only end up in court, but also, if you lose, lose money on rebranding and recognition of the company. There are the same risks when working with agencies, so find out whether their designers are employed or not.
Blurred communication
“In some cases, during the execution of an order, it may become clear that the volume and complexity are higher than planned. We, as a studio, can find a way out of this situation, but a freelancer can simply play for time and in the end refuse to work. What entails a waste of time and money”the expert warns.
The stages of work must be clearly defined, and in advance. Often communication with freelancers takes place in instant messengers, you name a deadline, talk about your wishes and wait for the coveted letter with a design. This could be detrimental to the final result. Try to agree on iterations with the freelancer so that at different stages he shows an intermediate result.
A picture for the sake of a picture
In no case will we belittle the professionalism of freelancers: there are good guys on the Internet for whom people line up. These specialists understand how to play with colors, know how graphic elements affect people, what message they convey, and so on. Design, corporate identity, colors – all this indicates brand recognition, works on a subconscious level and sells. Therefore, it is worth finding out in advance whether the freelancer understands such subtleties before collaborating.
“In this case, I would recommend working with specialized graphic design studios. Because companies know that visuals are a selling tool. It may be cheaper to order a logo from a freelancer for a thousand or two. But the studios employ professionals who know that, for example, the color green is stability, development, and blue inspires trust. To convey the reliability and rigor of the company, clearer and more structured forms can be used, while softer and smoother forms are used to convey tenderness and sophistication.”explains Vitaly Ustinkin.
For example, a customer from Novosibirsk was opening a store of outlet and second-hand items from Europe and wanted to use black, white, and gold colors, but they were not suitable for her target audience, the businessman recalls.
“There is a rule: “The client is always right,” we adhere to it too, but every client is first and foremost our partner and friend. And we are trying to help build the brand positioning correctly and attract as many new customers as possible.”“, the businessman shared.
Taking into account the above mistakes, the Kant graphic design studio has worked out a philosophy for creating content. It includes six key steps:
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1. filling out the brief;
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2. conclusion of an agreement for the provision of services;
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3. creating initial sketches for selecting the design code for the future project;
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4. approval of the final design code of the project (making the necessary changes);
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5. creation of the final version of the project;
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6. delivery of the final project and transfer of copyright.
“Professional design is the key to business success. Therefore, we invite you to a free audit, where we will evaluate what you already have, tell you what to change, or, conversely, praise the design. And if you have ideas on how to brand your business, but don’t know how to implement them, we will help and make the design not only beautiful, but also selling. And most importantly, we will retain your proprietary intellectual right to the project.”“, concluded Vitaly Ustinkin, director of the Kaliningrad graphic design studio “Kant”.
Contact phone number: +7 (911) 493-33-03
The company’s philosophy can be found on the official website: kant-design.ru/.
Physical address: Frunze, 6v, room 905.
