How to Hire a Graphic Designer in 2025: Steps, Top Tips, and Companies

Launching or rebranding your business

Whether you’re starting fresh or giving your business a new look, a graphic designer can craft a compelling visual identity. They are able to develop a cohesive brand image, including a logo, color palette, and typography, ensuring your brand communicates your values to potential customers.

Developing marketing materials

From brochures and flyers to digital ads and presentations, a graphic designer can craft digital or print marketing materials that grab attention and persuade consumers. 

Enhancing social media presence

Social media is a powerful marketing tool, offering benefits like increased exposure, traffic, and leads. An experienced designer can elevate your online presence by creating custom social media graphics, infographics, and visually engaging content that aligns with your brand and captures your audience’s attention.

Designing product packaging

Product packaging is often the first interaction a consumer has with your product. Graphic designers excel at creating aesthetically pleasing and informative packaging that stands out on shelves and communicates the essence of your product.

Crafting a unique brand identity

If you’re trying to build a distinct brand identity to differentiate your business in a crowded market, you may want to hire a graphic designer. Graphic designers can help define and design elements that embody your brand’s personality, such as logos, business cards, and other branded visual materials.

Outsource work to a graphic designer

Outsourcing graphic design involves hiring freelance designers or working with design agencies on a project basis. 

This approach offers a wide range of benefits:

• Cost effectiveness: Outsourcing can often be more cost effective, as you only pay for work as needed, avoiding the costs associated with a full-time employee, such as benefits and office space.
• Flexibility and scalability: Outsourcing allows you to easily adjust the scale of design work based on your current project demands. You can bring in additional resources as needed without the long-term commitment.
• Access to diverse expertise: Freelancers and agencies often have experience with a broad range of industries and styles, providing you with diverse creative perspectives and specialized skill sets.

The main drawbacks typically involve potential communication challenges, less immediate availability for urgent requests, and sometimes less deep knowledge of your brand compared to an in-house team member.

If you decide to go down this route, see our guide, “How to Successfully Outsource Your Graphic Design Work.”

Hire an in-house graphic designer

Bringing a graphic designer onto your team (whether in-office or remote) means having a dedicated creative resource aligned with your company’s goals and culture. This arrangement offers its own set of benefits:

• Consistent brand representation: An in-house designer can better understand your brand and its nuances over time, ensuring consistent and cohesive visuals across all projects.
• Immediate availability: Having an in-house designer means having immediate access to design services whenever needed, allowing for rapid adjustments and on-the-fly changes.
• Seamless communication and collaboration: Being part of your organization, an in-house designer can easily collaborate with other team members, improving communication, brainstorming, and feedback processes.
• Institutional knowledge: Over time, in-house designers build valuable knowledge about what has and hasn’t worked in past campaigns, helping avoid repeated mistakes.

The primary disadvantages are higher fixed costs and potential creative limitations if your business doesn’t have the budget for a diverse design team with varied specialties.

The hybrid approach: Your own offshore design team

There’s a third option that combines advantages of both approaches: building your own offshore design team. Instead of outsourcing to an agency or hiring locally, you directly employ designers who work remotely from regions with lower cost of living, such as Latin America.

This approach gives you:

• Dedicated team members who work exclusively for your company
• Significant cost savings compared to local hiring (typically 30-70%)
• Time zone alignment (if you hire Latin American talent)
• Direct management control over priorities and workflows
• Long-term relationship building without agency markup

This model works particularly well for companies with ongoing design needs who want the commitment and alignment of in-house designers but need to optimize their budget.

The right choice ultimately depends on your specific needs:

• Project-based needs with varied requirements: Outsourcing often makes more sense
• Consistent, ongoing design work with brand continuity: In-house is typically better
• Need for dedicated designers at lower cost: Offshore team building is worth exploring

Many businesses start with outsourcing and gradually transition to in-house or offshore team members as their design needs become more consistent and strategic.

Essential skills

The following graphic design skills are fundamental for any designer, and you should look for them regardless of your specific needs:

• Design software proficiency: Ensure the designer is proficient in industry-standard graphic design software like Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. This is fundamental for creating high-quality designs.
• Typography: A strong understanding of typography is crucial. The designer should be skilled in selecting the right fonts and arranging text elements to ensure readability and aesthetic appeal.
• Color theory: Mastery of color theory allows a designer to use colors effectively to evoke emotions, highlight elements, and complement your brand.

Compatibility traits

These abilities can vary from designer to designer. Look for those that match best with your vision and design goals:

• Creativity and vision: A great graphic designer should be able to think outside the box and bring innovative ideas to the table, merging their creativity with your vision.
• Attention to detail: Precision and careful attention to detail ensures that all design aspects are polished and professional.
• Design compatibility: The designer’s aesthetic style should align with your brand’s identity and project goals. This compatibility is critical for consistent and authentic visuals.

1. Define your project scope and goals

Start by clearly defining what you need from your graphic designer. Are you looking for a complete brand overhaul, or do you need specific assets like a logo or materials for your marketing campaign? 

Understanding whether you need ongoing design support or project-based work will guide every other decision.

2. Decide on your engagement model

Before you start searching for talent, determine how you want to work with a designer:

• Freelance/project-based
• In-house hiring
• Agency partnership

This decision affects where you’ll search, how you’ll structure compensation, and what type of working relationship you’re building.

3. Choose your talent market

Once you know your engagement model, decide where to source talent:

US-based hiring: Offers easier communication, cultural alignment, and no time zone challenges, but comes with higher costs.

International hiring: Opens access to skilled designers at 30–70% lower costs. Requires more consideration of logistics but can significantly expand your options.

The choice often comes down to budget constraints and your comfort level with remote collaboration. Many companies find that international hiring, especially nearshore hiring in Latin America, gives them access to talent they couldn’t otherwise afford.

We have a list of top countries to hire graphic designers you can explore if this might be the right route for you. 

4. Set a clear budget

Budgeting is a critical part of hiring a graphic designer.

Depending on your project’s complexity, scope, and chosen market, graphic designer costs can vary significantly. 

A US-based full-time senior designer might expect $69,000–$127,000 annually, while a similarly skilled designer in Latin America might be looking for a salary of $36,000–$48,000. 

Establish a budget that reflects both your financial constraints and the value you’re seeking. 

5. Determine your design style preferences

Knowing your design style preferences will make the selection process easier and more targeted. Collect samples of the types of designs you admire or styles that resonate with your brand. This becomes your visual brief for evaluating candidate portfolios. 

6. Choose your sourcing method

Based on your earlier decisions, select the right approach:

For freelancers: Platforms like Upwork, Dribbble, or Toptal work well for project-based needs.

For in-house hires: Job boards, LinkedIn, or recruitment agencies can help you find dedicated team members.

For international hiring: Specialized recruitment partners who understand global markets can save you significant time and help navigate compliance issues.

7. Research potential designers or agencies

With your scope, budget, and style defined, it’s time to research potential designers or agencies. Look for professionals with graphic design experience in your industry who have demonstrated success in similar projects. 

If you are going to hire an in-house designer, you’ll want to create the right job description. We’ve got full guidance for that in our guide to writing job descriptions for graphic designers, which includes a template for you to use. 

8. Review portfolios and past work

A designer’s portfolio is a window into their skill levels, versatility, and range. Carefully review their past projects to gauge their creativity, attention to detail, and ability to work within different brand styles. Look for evidence that they can adapt their style to different client needs rather than just showcasing one aesthetic. 

If you are going to run interviews for short-list candidates, we have a list of interview questions for graphic designers for you to use. 

Also, a tip from our recruiters is to consider a small test project. Not including an assessment in the process and relying only on a portfolio can be a major mistake. Your best insight into a designer’s capabilities comes from seeing how they tackle a real project for your company.

9. Make your selection and finalize terms

Once you’ve identified your preferred candidate or agency, finalize the working relationship. This includes negotiating rates, establishing communication protocols, setting expectations for revisions and feedback, and handling any necessary contracts or onboarding paperwork.

10. Prepare a creative brief

Now that you’ve made your hire, create a comprehensive project brief for your initial work together. 

This should include your project scope, goals, target audience, preferred styles, brand guidelines (if you have them), and any specific requirements or technical constraints. A strong brief sets both you and your designer up for success. 

11. Establish a timeline and deadlines

With your designer on board and your first project defined, establish the working rhythm that will guide your collaboration.

Discuss timelines, revision processes, communication preferences, and how you’ll handle feedback. Setting these expectations early prevents misunderstandings and keeps projects moving smoothly.

This structured approach helps ensure you’re not just finding a talented designer, but finding the right designer for your specific situation and goals.

1. Prioritizing price over quality and compatibility

When design is treated as a low-cost commodity, you get low-impact results.

Remember that design directly influences how customers perceive your brand—it’s not just decoration but a critical business investment.

Choosing the cheapest designer may save money upfront but often leads to:

• Uninspired work requiring excessive revisions
• Designs that fail to engage your target audience
• Missed opportunities to differentiate your brand
• The need to start over with a new designer (doubling your costs)

While offshore hiring can lower costs, focus on value, not just price. Invest in quality, and you’ll get design that performs and builds lasting brand equity.

2. Hiring based solely on artistic style without considering business needs

Beautiful design that doesn’t support business objectives is ultimately unsuccessful design. Many companies get distracted by flashy portfolios without evaluating whether a designer understands marketing principles, conversion optimization, or industry-specific requirements.

Look for designers who can articulate how their work achieved business goals for previous clients. The best designers balance aesthetic considerations with practical effectiveness.

3. Neglecting to assess soft skills and working style

Technical design skills alone won’t ensure a successful working relationship. A designer with exceptional artistic talent but poor communication, missed deadlines, or inability to incorporate feedback will ultimately create more problems than solutions.

During interviews, evaluate:

• How promptly and clearly they communicate
• Their process for managing revisions and feedback
• How they handle disagreements about design direction
• Their ability to explain design decisions in business terms

These “relationship factors” often determine success more than raw design capability.

4. Providing vague or insufficient creative briefs

Even the most talented designers can’t read minds. Vague direction like “make it pop” or “we want something modern” sets everyone up for frustration and endless revisions.

The best designer-client relationships start with clear briefs that include:

• Specific business goals for the design
• Target audience characteristics and preferences
• Brand guidelines and required elements
• Examples of designs you admire (and those you don’t)
• Technical specifications and constraints

Investing time in a detailed brief pays dividends throughout the project.

5. Underestimating the impact of cultural context on design

Design elements carry different meanings across cultures. Colors, symbols, and even layout preferences vary significantly between regions and can affect how your audience perceives your brand.

When hiring internationally, look for designers who:

• Demonstrate cross-cultural awareness
• Have experience designing for your target market
• Ask thoughtful questions about cultural context
• Can adapt their style to different audience expectations

This is especially important if you’re hiring designers to create materials for global or multicultural audiences.

1. Near

Near is a staffing and recruiting agency that helps US startups and mid-size enterprises hire high-performing remote talent in Latin America across finance, sales, software engineering, design, AI, data, marketing, operations, and virtual assistance.

When it comes to sourcing exceptional LatAm talent, we’ve got the process down to a science.

You’ll interview only pre-vetted LatAm graphic designers who are culturally aligned, fluent in English, and work your hours—so no wading through unqualified applicants or dealing with late-night calls.

Near provides comprehensive recruitment services, including sourcing, onboarding, payroll management, and compliance handling, enabling teams to scale efficiently with confidence in their new hires.

Key features:

• Rapid placement process: Candidate profiles delivered within 3 days, with most positions filled within 21 days.

• Top-tier candidates: We’re focused on sourcing highly experienced designers in LatAm at the top of their game. Our candidates have worked for US companies and are ready to contribute from day one.
• Flexible, no-risk pricing: Interview candidates at no cost. Once you hire, choose a one-time fee (recruitment model) or a monthly fee per hire (staffing model). We offer a replacement guarantee and help most clients save 30–70% compared to US salaries while still offering competitive pay.

2. DesignCrowd

DesignCrowd is a global graphic design platform that uses a crowdsourcing model to connect businesses with freelance designers. Clients post project specifications, receiving multiple design submissions from designers. The preferred concept is selected, and the chosen designer receives payment.

Featuring more than 1.2 million freelance graphic designers and over 500,000 completed projects, DesignCrowd provides businesses with extensive creative options and rapid delivery timelines (3, 5, or 10-day options).

Key features:

• Focus: Contest-driven graphic design marketplace where multiple designers create custom concepts based on client specifications 
• Engagement models: Design competitions, direct one-on-one collaborations 

• Pricing: Clients determine their project budgets; DesignCrowd charges a 15% service fee
  
  3. Design Pickle

Arizona-based Design Pickle offers subscription-based creative services. Through a flat monthly subscription, clients can submit unlimited design requests and revisions. The platform’s creative team specializes in graphic design, custom illustration, presentation development, motion graphics, and video editing.

Their design professionals work from multiple countries, including the Philippines, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Vietnam, India, and Indonesia.

Key features:

• Focus: Unlimited design support through dedicated designers via monthly subscription model 
• Services: Creative project management platform, on-demand design team 
• Pricing: Monthly subscription plans begin at $1349 for 2 hours of daily design support

4. Dribbble

In 2009, Dribbble started as a portfolio showcase and networking platform for designers, later evolving into a resource for hiring.

Through its visually-focused interface, Dribble enables designers to display their work in gallery format, making their skills and specializations immediately apparent. Design expertise spans product design, web development, illustration, brand identity, animation, typography, and mobile interface design.

Key features:

• Focus: Portfolio showcase platform for discovering talent and recruiting creatives through job postings or direct designer outreach
• Services: Designer portfolio hosting, job board functionality, creative networking community, and visual inspiration resource
• Pricing: Free basic access for hiring freelancers (2-5% platform fee based on project scale); $150/month for full-time, part-time, or contract hiring; $300/month for premium features including highlighted job postings and enhanced browsing experience

5. Toptal

With Toptal, businesses get access to vetted freelance professionals. Known for its selective screening process, it helps companies hire experienced graphic designers, consultants, and specialists for brand identity, visual storytelling, marketing materials, and digital illustration tasks, to name a few.

Clients can explore available professionals and filter options by specialty, availability, and geographic time zone.

Key features:

• Focus: An exclusive freelance platform connecting clients with global design professionals.
• Talent verification: Promises to accept only the top 3% of applicants after multi-stage screening for communication, skills, and performance.
• Engagement models: Flexible options for full-time, part-time, or hourly design support based on your needs.

For additional options, see our article on the top companies for outsourcing graphic design.

Should I hire a specialist or a generalist graphic designer?

Some graphic designers specialize in specific areas rather than being generalists. When hiring, consider whether you need someone with expertise in a particular discipline, such as brand identity design, UI/UX design, motion graphics, packaging design, web graphic design, print design, social media graphics, apparel graphics, or game graphic design.

By identifying which type of design service aligns with your project needs, you can target your search more effectively and find a designer with the exact expertise your business requires.

Do graphic designers create websites or do I need a web designer?

While many graphic designers have web design capabilities, there are important distinctions between general graphic designers and specialized web designers. 

Graphic designers excel at creating visual assets like logos, brand elements, and marketing materials, but may not have expertise in web-specific considerations like responsive layouts, user experience principles, or website functionality.

If you’re building a website, you’ll want to hire the right designer with specific web experience. Depending on your project needs, you might require a UI/UX designer for complex interfaces, a web designers for standard websites, or even a front-end developer who can implement designs with code. The right choice depends on your website’s complexity, your available resources, and whether you need someone who can handle both visual design and technical implementation.

Should I hire a freelance graphic designer or work with a design agency?

Freelance designers typically offer more affordable rates and direct communication, making them ideal for specific projects or when you need a particular specialist. Design agencies provide access to diverse expertise, established processes, and the ability to handle complex campaigns with multiple design disciplines.

Choose freelancers when you have a clear project scope and limited budget. Choose agencies when you need comprehensive design services or have complex projects with tight deadlines. Many businesses use a hybrid approach—freelancers for ongoing needs and agencies for major initiatives.