8 min read

Your brand is the story your business tells at first glance. A great brand designer will help tell it well. Before you hire anyone, think about the qualities that will make the process smooth and the end result strong. This guide covers the essentials and the warning signs to watch out for, so you can hire with confidence.

Qualities to Look For

Portfolio: A designer’s portfolio should showcase thoughtful, varied work – not just pretty pictures. Look for evidence of strategic thinking and diverse applications (logos, websites, packaging). A solid portfolio demonstrates growth and understanding of different industries, giving you confidence that the designer can adapt to your needs.
Process: A clear design process is crucial. Ask how the designer approaches a project: do they start with research and brand strategy? According to design experts, the process often begins with an “initial consultation and research” phase to understand your business, audience and competitors. From moodboards to drafts to revisions, a good brand designer will keep you involved at each step to ensure the final identity truly fits your vision.
Communication: You should feel heard every step of the way. The best designers explain their ideas clearly and ask smart questions about your business goals. They listen carefully and incorporate your feedback into the design. Excellent brand designers have “excellent communication skills” to clearly understand and articulate your vision. In short: if a designer never asks about your business or vision, that’s a concern.
Expertise and Creativity: Look for someone who not only has design chops but also understands branding. They should be creative thinkers who solve visual problems. A great brand designer thinks “outside the box” to create something unique that makes your brand memorable. Bonus if they have experience in your industry or with similar business sizes – but even more important is their ability to adapt and learn about your market.

Red Flags to Avoid

Template-Based Work: Beware of portfolios that look polished but all the work feels cookie-cutter. An overly slick mockup with no indication of strategy is a warning sign. If everything looks perfect but there’s no case study or explanation, you might be seeing template use.

’Template designs’ are pre-made graphics or logo layouts available on design asset. They are often reused across multiple businesses with only slight tweaks. They might look nice on the surface, but they don’t reflect your unique values, voice, or audience—and they can make your brand blend in rather than stand out.

In short, avoid designers whose work lacks context or variety – it could mean generic, not custom, design.
No Reviews or Online Presence: A professional designer should have something to show off – reviews, testimonials or an online portfolio. If you can’t find any client feedback or the designer has no LinkedIn/Behance presence, consider that a red flag. It may mean they don’t have verifiable experience or are not serious about their craft.
Vague Communication: Pay attention to initial interactions. If a designer is evasive about their process, timelines, or costs, it’s a bad sign. Similarly, a designer who asks only basic questions about design (and none about your business or goals) is likely inexperienced. Good designers want to know your story; if they don’t, they might miss the mark on capturing your brand’s essence.
Underpricing: It can be tempting to go with the cheapest quote, but extremely low prices often come at a cost. If a designer’s fee seems too good to be true, they might cut corners (or be very new). Remember the saying – you get what you pay for. Budget options like Fiverr or crowdfunding templates might leave you with a forgettable brand. Investing in quality pays off in long-term brand credibility and customer trust.

Pricing You Can Expect (UK Rates)

Budgeting for your brand is tricky, but here are ballpark figures in the UK:

Freelancers: For basic branding tasks (logo, colour palette, simple style guide), expect from £100 up to around £3,000. Newer freelancers or those outside London may charge in the lower hundreds, while experienced specialists can reach the low thousands for a polished logo package.
Small Studios/Design Shops: Smaller creative studios or boutique agencies typically charge from £3,000 to £10,000 for a solid brand identity package. This might include logo, fonts, basic brand guidelines and some collateral. In practice, studios often start around £5,000 for a full identity, with the exact price depending on how many deliverables and revisions you need.
Larger Agencies: If you hire a full-service branding agency (especially in cities like London), rates climb steeply. Comprehensive branding projects can run £10,000 up to £50,000 or more. Top agencies charging premium rates (tens of thousands) usually include extensive market research, strategy workshops and more polished deliverables. (One industry resource notes agencies can go as high as £250,000 for very large projects!)

These numbers are just rough guides. Always ask potential designers for a detailed quote, and remember to clarify what’s included (number of logo concepts, revisions, file formats, etc.).

Budget-Friendly Options

If your budget is ultra-tight, there are some DIY or low-cost options – but use them with eyes wide open. For example, online tools like Canva or Adobe Express let you create simple logos from templates, often for free or a small subscription fee. Likewise, platforms like Fiverr or 99designs offer logo designs for as little as £50. These can get you started, but they come with limitations: you may end up with a common template, limited file types, and no real brand strategy behind it.

In practice, a very cheap logo might work for absolute startups or temporary projects, but for a lasting brand, investing in a professional pays dividends. Remember: your brand identity will be your business’s face for years to come, so cutting corners can cost you credibility. A £50 logo may be fine for a small business, but to build a well-recognised brand, it’s worth hiring someone with the skill to capture your story.

Pro Tip from an Expert

As branding legend Paul Rand said:

"Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that’s why it’s so complicated."

The right designer simplifies the process for you, turning your vision into a tangible identity that works.

Free Checklist: Questions to Ask

To make hiring even easier, download our free checklist: “10 Questions to Ask a Brand Designer Before Hiring”. It covers everything from portfolio specifics to timeline and pricing, so you won’t miss anything when interviewing designers.

(Yes, it’s free – grab it at the end of this post or [from our resources page].)

Your brand is too important to leave to chance. If you want hands-on help:

We work with clients across the UK. Contact us through our website or drop us an email anytime, and we’ll kick off a discovery call to discuss your branding goals. 📞 Newbury Businesses: Our Newbury-based studio (BrandLab, for example) specialises in working with local small businesses. If you’re ever near our Newbury Studio we’d love to meet you for a free consultation and chat about how to make your brand pop.

Whether you have a £500 budget or £50,000, there’s a path to great branding. Ask the right questions, steer clear of the red flags, and partner with someone who truly gets your vision. Your brand will thank you for it.

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