How To Hire A Freelance Graphic Designer
People appeal to any such website if the layout and information are portrayed in an innovative way that entices people to click on, and that can be done only by a graphic designer.
For instance, if a website posts its content randomly, irrelevant without proper layout doesnt count more viewers. To put it in simple words, graphic designers are the one who perfectly conveys the message of a brand to their potential clients in a well orderly way.
On the other hand, a freelance graphic designer is by oneself, who carries out their clients demands with their specialized tools to create awe-inspiring designs. Starting from creating visual concepts to perfectly blending new trends with their concepts, freelance graphic designers are highly in demand.
So eventually, a need for a freelance graphic designer is a check! However, there are certain things one needs to perceive before hiring an apt freelance graphic designer.
Moreover, many freelance graphic designers are arising since the pandemic, so it is always a wise option to know how to interview a freelance graphic designer? in order to hire the best of the best!
How Do You Apply Your Communication Skills As A Graphic Designer
This question assesses your communication skills. As a graphic designer, it’s important you understand the clients’ needs and coordinate with your coworkers to achieve them.
Example: “I listen actively to clients when they communicate their needs. I also use my communication skills to relay information to my coworkers and the design lead. Understanding my clients’ goals and translating them into attractive designs is an important aspect of my job.”
Review Your Portfolio Focusing On Major Projects
While hiring managers can ask questions about your entire graphic design career, they might focus their attention on your major projects, which can provide a wide overview of your skills. Before your interview, consider reviewing your major projects, starting with any notes you took during the planning process and ending with the finished product. Reflect on why you made certain design choices and how you overcame any challenges while creating the collateral. That way, you can feel prepared for any questions the hiring manager asks about those projects and your work process.
Related:Graphic Designer Skills: Definition and Examples
Recommended Reading: Cfo Interview
Q2 How Do You React To Criticism How Do You Incorporate Client Feedback Into Your Work
Criticism is a part of almost every creative job. The interviewer would like to know how you handle harsh criticisms, and work under pressure. They also want to know how you react to adversities. So, keeping that in mind, answer this question in a positive manner.
Possible Answer
Criticism is a part of my job, and I am always open to suggestions. I try my best to offer the clients complete satisfaction, and if they feel my job is not up to the mark, then it is my duty to work harder and provide what they want.
How Would You Describe A Top Design Team
Sample answer:
I work best with teams that are highly collaborative, communicate efficiently, seek feedback from each other, and support each other to complete projects.
Since Ive worked in large teams, I know that communication is crucial, as is using the right communication tools. Ive worked in smaller teams, too, and Im quite flexible.
Also Check: Interview With Cfo
What Is Your Approach To Task Prioritization When Working On Different Projects
Sample answer:
On one occasion, I had to handle two tasks at the same time. I had to begin working on one project while implementing feedback from a client on another project. I created daily to-do lists and used blocks of time that I dedicated to each project.
Im able to shift comfortably between projects since I create a list of required tasks and order them by their priority and importance. After that, I define my daily schedule and allot time for each task. This way, both the high-priority andlow-priority tasks get completed on time.
How Do You Work Cross
The best designers are team players. They know how to concept, ask questions, incorporate feedback, and collaborate on projects. Ask for a specific example of how they worked under a tight deadline when they had to rely on other people or for how they interacted when the team had very different work styles.
Also Check: What Should Females Wear To A Job Interview
What Do You Consider To Be Your Best Graphic Design Project Why
Sample answer:
The best graphic design project Ive worked on was at Company XYZ.
The original webpage had a poor flow between elements and didnt provide a smooth user experience. I used alignment, white space, and color strategically to lead the eye to the crucial parts of the webpage. This improved conversions and reduced the bounce rate twofold.
I used Dreamweaver to manage the webpage, which helped me make corrections throughout the process and visualize the end result.
What Is Your Graphic Design Process
Since this can be a long, detailed answer, youll want to have prepared for it ahead of time so that you dont trip over your words, accidentally omit details, or ramble on with too much information. Employers ask this question because they want to know how you do what you do, how long itll take you to do it and the kinds of roadblocks you are likely to run into along the way.
Some designers are lucky to be able to just sit down and crank out an amazing design with barely any thought or planning, while other designers need to utilize a dozen different drafts and outlines to get their design finished.
Employers usually want you to be somewhere in between these two extremes. You should have a process that allows for revisions and critiques, but is also speedy enough that youll hit your deadlines without any problem. For some designers, this might mean actually sitting down and figuring out what your process isbut thats okay. The more thought you give to the kind of designer you are, the more youll have to work with during your interview, and the easier it is to showcase yourself as the best candidate for the job.
Also Check: Interview Questions For A Cfo
Should Be Able To Convey The Message Clearly
A graphic creator must be able to convey the message of the story through the layout. Graphic designing is not just about creating a visual and putting some colour into it, it’s about creating a visual that has a meaning or a story behind it.
The visual must be able to draw people towards it, it must be unique. A Graphic designer plays a significant role in attracting people towards the brand by procuring a distinctive design with an impressive story.
Get An Idea Of The Applicants Skill Set
Skills, no matter the job, come in two categories: hard skills and soft skills. Finding out as much as you can about them is a critical part of how to interview graphic designers. Hard skills include expertise in certain software programs, while soft skills include an applicants ability to collaborate. To get a basic understanding of designer candidates skill sets, read their resumes. And to find out more, ask questions like the following:
-What software do you use in your daily work
-Which software do you think is most flexible or versatile
-Whats the software you cannot live without
-Which software was hardest for you to master
-Which version of are you most experienced with
-Which software would you to use to design X product
-What programs do you want to learn
-What are the top mistakes you see in website design
-What is your understanding of our companys design philosophy
-What do you think of our designs
Go the extra step give the same design to all candidates. Ask their opinions on the design. What is done well, and what is not To explore soft skills, ask questions that delve into a candidates emotional intelligence. For example:
-What do you enjoy about working alone
-What do you enjoy about working with a team
-Which project has been your favorite
-Which project has been your least favorite
-Why did you become a graphic designer
-What do you see as the most important responsibility of a graphic designer
-How do you handle rejection
Read Also: Best System Design Interview Prep
What’s Your Greatest Strength As A Designer
Interviewers ask this question to determine whether your greatest strength is useful in the position. When answering, use an example to explain your strength, which may be character-based or skill-based.
Example: “My creativity is my greatest strength. Nature inspires me, and I like to use my greatest strength to develop novel designs. Doing this helped me build a personal brand for my designs and attract repeat business for my previous employers.”
What Do You Do To Improve Your Graphic Design Skills
Graphic design is not a profession where you learn a certain amount, then sit back and coast. You will need to learn and study new things throughout your career, not least at the beginning. Essentially, your first employer will take you on as raw talent and expect you to improve your knowledge and skillset quickly in your first year.
The interviewer needs to hear that you’ll be up for that task, hence this particular question. If the answer is ‘nothing much’, then you’re aren’t likely to be invited back for a second interview.
So think about all the tutorials and YouTube videos you’ve followed recently, the books and articles you’ve read, and the side projects and collaborations you’ve pursued in order to push yourself and develop your skillset. Write them down, and memorise them carefully because it’s easy to forget stuff in the midst of the interview and then curse yourself on the bus home later.
Read Also: Interview Attire Womens
What Tools Do Designers Use
Graphic Designers use a combination of cutting-edge computer programs and more traditional tools to create their designs. Photoshop and the Adobe Creative Suite more broadly are still the industry standard for image and video editing, manipulating 2D and 3D images, creating computer art, logos, and animations, compositing, and image analysis. Designers also use Sketch, Illustrator, InDesign, and After Effects. Be sure to search out the original job posting. It could contain information on the specific tools and programs that a company uses. Its also worth it to talk about more traditional tools that Designers could find use to create their designs for example, pen and paper or a camera.
Do You Prefer To Work In
Every designer with any amount of career experience has likely done both, and you should be able to point to your success in both environments. Its common for a designer job to include some amount of remote work, so your answers should stress your organizational ability, your experience communicating with clients via phone and email, and your ability to focus and multitask. You could also say that youve created a dedicated office space for yourself at home. If youve spent almost your entire career working remotely or in isolation, however, its worth focusing your answer on your ability to also thrive in an office or more collaborative environment.
Also Check: Questions To Ask The Cfo In An Interview
Were There Any Mistakes Youve Made As A Designer And What Did You Learn From That Experience
Look back on your prior work experience and have a clear story of the situation, the mistake you made and how you addressed it. Talk about how you were able to learn from this experience and would handle this situation in the future. Employers want to hire someone who is honest and capable of owning up to their mistakes by being accountable. Make sure to use this as an opportunity to discuss a complex situation, how you came up with the solution and the learning you gained to avoid this from happening in the future.
Tip: If the mistake was an error the team made collectively, explain that story in detail and how it was handled. Highlight that you are the type of person who tries their best to learn from every mistake and using the experience to improve process and efficiency. The key is to show that youre someone who can be accountable and use each error as a learning experience.
How Do You Stay Up
Graphic Designers must follow current software and design trends to excel. This question lets you check the sources designers mention and can give you an idea of the level of skill they possess. What to look for in an answer:
- Knowledge of current software
- Passionate about the industry
Example:
“I like to keep up-to-date with new technology and software through the hundreds of publications covering the design industry. Two of my leading sources for design news are Graphic Arts Magazine and Azure.”
Don’t Miss: Best Interview Attire For A Woman
Why Are You Interested In Working For Our Company
This may be one of the most important graphic design interview questions you can be asked as it shows your interest in the company and position youre applying for. The hiring manager wants to see how your skills will help their bottom line and how much research youve done about their company.
Tip: Make sure you are clear on how you will be an asset to the team. Hiring managers use this question to understand if youre a good fit and gain a better understanding of your motivations for the job and career goals. Make sure to emphasize the parts of the role that you feel most excited about and how the responsibilities align with your experience and interests. Show how informed you are about the company by commenting on their work, culture and ethicscreating a dialogue by asking additional questions you may have and gaining further insight about the team and clients they work with.
What To Do In A Graphic Design Interview
- Do your best to fill any gaps in your knowledge. You might not be aware that there are any gaps – after all, if you just finished a graphic design degree, surely you know everything you need to know to get started? Right? Wrong. You never stop learning. Years after starting my graphic design career, rarely a day goes by when I don’t learn or teach myself something new. Diversification is key in graphic design.
- Hopefully this site will have given you a good knowledge of what you need to know from a technical point of view before landing your first job. The information here is not advanced for today’s graphic designer – it’s essential basic training. If you know and understand everything here you should be able go into an interview confident, knowing that you are armed with everything you are likely to need to know to do a print-oriented graphic design job.
- Alternatively you could practice recreating well-designed magazine spreads and show them at interview. This will demonstrate that you understand how all the elements of a project go together. Don’t try to pass designs like this off as your own – tell the interviewer what you have done and why. You’ll also show that you have an eye for good design .
Don’t Miss: Mailscoop Io
Talk About The Experience A Graphic Designer Brings To The Table
When you are unsure how to interview graphic designers, one thing is for sure: the best way to gauge experience is to compare apples with apples. In other words, first understand what you want your graphic designers to design, and get an idea of their experience with similar companies and designs. The fact is that, in many cases, a graphic designer specializes in a type of client or product such as book jackets. Resumes and cover letters are good starting points to get an impression of a candidates experience, and you should ask interview questions that probe even further. Possible questions include:
-Have you designed X products before
-What types of clients have you designed for
-How large or how small are the previous clients youve done work for
-What website design experience do you have
-What programs do you use to aid in your design
-What is your design process like
-How do you stay on top of the latest graphic design technology
How Did You Design Your Portfolio
First, double-check that they actually did it themselves! Did they use Squarespace or Dribble? Or did they code it themselves? Then explore why its arranged like it is. If they say, The newest stuff is up front or Its just all my work laid out, that’s a bad sign. Youre looking to learn how they think and organize their work. Especially if you want a designer whos skilled in UX/UI, its particularly important they are aware of the usability and functionality of their portfolio.
Also, look for variety in the work. You need a flexible designer with a broad range of abilities, so they can adapt quickly and create work that appeals to you and your clients/customers.
Read Also: Questions To Ask Cfo During Interview
Can You Tell Me How Your Training Is Relevant To A Graphic Designer Position With Our Company
This question can help you understand the ways a candidate may be a good fit within your company. What to look for in an answer:
- Relevant training
- Understands about your company
Example:
“My studies at university taught me about creative software and strategic design elements that are in line with your company’s brand. My previous position with Sands and Associates was similar to the Graphic Designer position within your company in that I was responsible for clients’ logo, brochure, website, and banner ad designs. During my time working under the senior Graphic Designer, I learned how to convey a brand’s image through visual elements.”
