Choosing the right design agency to create your brand
At a point in your career, it becomes necessary to hire a design agency to develop branding for your persona. Although hiring a design agency can be much more costly than hiring an individual designer, the benefit is that the work produced is likely to be of a higher quality, and will likely be created more quickly. Your branding is a fundamental part of who you are as an artist, and has a lasting impact on public opinion, making or breaking your reputation. In order to really reach your full potential as an artist, it is vital that your branding gives outsiders a good impression, and is a positive representation of who you are. Choosing a design agency may seem like a daunting process due to the sheer volume of agencies out there, but there are a few qualities you should look out for when making your decision.
Hiring a design agency to build your brand is a great option if you are looking to move your career to the next stage. Most agencies are willing to do everything from designing your logo right down to designing a website, app, or even promotional images. The only thing to keep in mind is that larger agencies won’t want to take on your project if you are only looking to hire somebody to design a poster for you. With larger agencies, they are usually only willing to complete small tasks as part of a large project. Rebranding is much more than designing your logo, and a great deal of work and development is put into creating a brand. Although costly, having a professional brand is well worth the cost, as it gives a much better representation of your persona, and helps in building a positive reputation around your image. Having high-quality branding assures listeners that you really mean business. So, now that you’ve decided you’d like to hire a design agency, how do you go about choosing the right one? We’ve condensed the process into four easy qualities you should look out for when choosing a design agency.
Looking at past work
One of the key aspects of choosing a design agency is looking at their past work. Any respected agency should have plenty of past work to show you in order to prove their ability. By looking at past examples, you can ascertain the level of quality the agency will be able to offer in terms of their design. Make sure to choose an agency with an aesthetic portfolio of past work, this way you can ensure that you are making the right choice.
Industry experience
While taking a look at previous work, it is also worthwhile to check if the agency has experience in the music industry. Although having past experience of working with artists before is not essential, it can be an indicator that the agency will know exactly what they are doing in terms of your projects. They will have already gained an insight into the industry and will already know the kind of work they are going to be doing. If they have worked with an artist before, it is also worth contacting this artist’s team to see if they were happy with the way the work was carried out, and the end result. If you hear anything other than positive feedback from them, you should avoid the agency in question at all costs.
Size of the agency
Depending on your personal preference, you should make sure that you know the size of the design agency. Preference varies from person to person; some prefer to work with a smaller agency, while others always lean towards the more vast ones. With a smaller agency, there is definitely a more personal feel, and you can get to know everybody who is working on your project, although some are put off by smaller agencies as they feel that the quality of work will not be the on the same level as a larger company. With larger agencies, you may end up feeling lost among the many projects they will likely be working on at the same time, but you may prefer the efficiency of a many-staffed business.
Positive relationship
Lastly, you should ensure that those working for the agency are people you can get along with. The last thing you need when working together on your branding is to have friction between you and your agency. It is vital to have a great working relationship with the designers, and any difficulty in building a friendly relationship initially could signal bigger problems set to emerge down the line. Having a good relationship with your design agency is vital when providing feedback on which branding ideas you like the best. If the relationship between you and your designers is an uncomfortable one, giving feedback, particularly negative feedback, will be that much more difficult.
Deciding to hire a design agency to create your brand is a huge and exciting step in your career. Don’t be put off by the weight of the decision. As long as you make sure all of the above qualities are present, you can’t go wrong. After you select an agency and meet with them, you should find that it is very clear whether or not the relationship is going to work. Don’t be afraid to step back from an agency if you meet with them and don’t feel that they are right for you, this is a much better option than sticking with an agency that you aren’t comfortable with. Ultimately, you are the customer, so don’t be afraid to be honest and act on your instinct.