Hiring a brand and website designer is a big step for any photographer looking to create a professional, cohesive brand that attracts clients. But before diving into the design process, it’s crucial to ask the right questions to ensure that both you and your designer are on the same page.

Most designers offer a free consult to learn more about how they work and the service they provide, so come prepared for it!

Here are some essential questions to ask your brand designer before starting a project. These will help you get a better understanding of their process, timelines, deliverables, and how they approach branding to create the best possible outcome for your business.

1. How deeply do you go into client personas?

One of the most important aspects of branding is understanding who your target audience is.

A skilled brand designer should help you build a brand that resonates with your ideal clients, but it’s important to ask how much time they’ll spend researching and developing your client persona.

You want to make sure your brand designer has a deep understanding of your audience and can create visuals, messaging, and strategies that align with the people you want to attract.

2. What is the timeline for my project?

Before you start working with a brand designer, it’s essential to understand how long the process will take. Ask your designer about their typical turnaround time, when the project will start, and any milestones or deadlines along the way.

Having a clear timeline helps both you and your designer stay on track, and it ensures that you know when you can expect to see progress.

3. When will my start date be?

Brand and site designers often have multiple projects in the pipeline, so it’s important to clarify when your project will begin. You don’t want to assume they’ll start right away, only to find out that they have a waiting list. Confirm your start date so you can plan accordingly and align your expectations.

4. How will I receive my finalized brand files and website?

Once the design process is complete, you’ll need access to your brand assets and website, right?

Ask your designer how you’ll receive your finalized files—will they be sent via email, uploaded to a shared drive, or delivered through another platform?

Also, make sure you’ll be receiving files in all necessary formats (such as JPEG, PNG, and vector files) for both digital and print use. Having easy access to these files ensures that you can use them seamlessly across all platforms.

5. Will I receive all the assets we create?

It’s important to know upfront what deliverables you’ll receive. Usually this will be spelled out in their package listing, but not always.

Ask your designer whether you’ll get access to all the assets created during the branding process. This could include logos, icons, color palettes, fonts, social media templates, and any other branded elements.

Some designers may charge extra for certain assets, so clarifying this upfront ensures there are no surprises later on.

6. How do you approach brand and website launches?

A launch is an exciting moment for your business, and some designers will help you build hype around it.

Ask if your designer offers services to help with your brand’s launch—whether it’s creating a “coming soon” page for your website, a countdown to your launch date, or a social media campaign to generate excitement.

Knowing how your designer handles the brand launch can help you maximize visibility and create buzz around your new look.

7. What is your process for revisions?

Revisions are a natural part of the design process, but it’s important to understand how your designer handles them. Ask how many rounds of revisions are included in the project, and whether there will be extra charges for additional revisions.

This will help you set realistic expectations and budget for any changes that might come up during the design process.

8. Can you explain your design process?

Understanding your brand designer’s process can give you insight into how they work and what to expect at each stage. Some designers will start with in-depth research and strategy sessions, while others may dive straight into creating visuals.

Ask your designer to walk you through their process so you know how they’ll bring your vision to life and how involved you’ll be throughout the project.

9. How do you ensure consistency across all platforms?

A strong brand is consistent across all platforms, from your website to social media, print materials, and beyond. Ask your designer how they ensure that your brand’s visual identity will remain cohesive no matter where it’s seen.

Consistency is key to building brand recognition, so make sure your designer has a plan for applying your brand elements to different platforms.

10. What does the final brand presentation include?

When your branding and website project is complete, you should receive a comprehensive presentation of your new brand.

Ask your designer what’s included in the final presentation—will they provide a brand style guide?

Will you get mockups of how your brand looks on business cards, websites, or social media?

A thorough presentation ensures you have everything you need to implement your new brand successfully.

11. How will you help me stand out from competitors?

Your brand needs to set you apart from other photographers in the industry.

Ask your designer how they approach competitive analysis and how they plan to make your brand unique. A good designer should have strategies for ensuring your brand reflects your distinct value and stands out in a crowded market.

12. How will you involve me in the design process?

Finally, it’s important to ask how much involvement you’ll have in the design process. Some designers work very collaboratively with their clients, while others prefer to work independently and present options at specific milestones.

Knowing how you’ll be involved helps you feel confident that the design will align with your vision, while also giving the designer enough creative freedom to do their best work.

Our Experience Hiring a Brand and Website Designer

We have hired brand and website designers for multiple projects over the years including our brand and website builds for our photography business, as well as the Shoot and Thrive brand and website (you are on right now!).

In our experience, choosing a designer to work with was one of the easiest and most difficult decisions of our business lives.

If you do any research, you’ll get flooded with so many options. Like photographers, many people can design brands and websites – it’s got a low barrier to entry since it costs very little to get started, and a lot of people are pretty creative too!

But here’s the thing – you need to find a company that works in a style that resonates with you (first and foremost). Going through websites and exploring portfolios to help yourself identify what you like (and don’t).

From there, start setting up calls to get to know more about the services on offer. This is where this list of questions to ask a brand and website designer come in!

Once you are confident and make your choice, now it’s just up to the designers to work with you to create something amazing!

In our journey, while it sometimes is nerve wracking especially when your spending a lot of money and it takes quite a bit of time to get really good results, the end product speaks volumes.

A really well designed brand and website will perform vastly better than other businesses you are competing with, and it’s why we feel it’s one of the best ways to reinvest into your business if you want more consistency in results and longevity.

Final Thoughts: Asking the Right Questions to Get the Best Results

Hiring a brand designer is an investment in the future of your business, so it’s crucial to choose someone who understands your vision and can deliver results. By asking these questions upfront, you’ll have a clearer idea of their process, timeline, and how they’ll help you create a strong, consistent brand that resonates with your target audience.

Remember, the more clarity you have at the start, the smoother the design process will be—and the better your brand will turn out!