The Complete Guide of Outsourcing Projects as A Logo Designer

Outsourcing is something very common these days. It’s enough a flexible program and a good communication method as Skype to may remotely work without any problem. There are still unresolved issues, especially from moral and financial perspectives, but it’s clear that outsourcing has a bright future.

How to find the proper people for a specific project, how much should he/she be paid, how to better collaborate are normal questions when outsourcing a project. The decisions of a design agency that outsources a part from the projects are made by a manager. More or less, he is „guilty” by the quality of the outsourced work. Anyway, a manager is trained to make these kinds of decisions. A freelancer that didn’t study management is in a way more difficult position in the eventuality that he/she outsources projects. Personally, I tried to outsource a part from my projects and I must recognize that my first attempts were „impressive failures”. Still outsourcing is a necessity and step by step I learnt how to select the best partners.

In the next lines I will present you my tricks to select the best collaborators for outsourcing some of your projects. These ideas are mostly for freelance logo designers, but I guess that it may be a useful reading for the ones making part from a design agency. The main idea is that outsourcing is not a matter of chief and subordinates. I purposely bolded the words „partners” and „collaborators” to emphasize the essence of outsourcing. An individual that is taking some of your projects is a partner and you should treat him accordingly. An arrogant attitude is the worst decision!

The most experienced logo designers know that outsourcing is mandatory in order to evolve; the less experienced ones are still in doubt. The reasons in favor of outsourcing are obvious.

Reason #1: A better focus on your projects

Having a good partner that is able to finalize a part from your projects is golden. In this way a lot of time is saved. A logo designer that has more time for his/her projects is able to create better logos because he/she didn’t work under pressure.

Reason #2: Career evolution

Outsourcing projects is a step into a logo designer career evolution. A logo designer that outsources a part from his projects is most likely one that gained the trust of the clients and the respect of the design community. Having too much work to do is the dream of any freelancer, but only the best ones manage to fulfill this wish.

Reason #3: Much money on long time perspective

A smart strategy of outsourcing is a sure way to obtain much money from clients. By outsourcing, you may work on the projects you like the most. It’s well known that working with pleasure is the best environment for productivity. A higher level of productivity means a higher income, therefore my statement is true.

The above reasons are enough to take into consideration outsourcing a part from your projects. The methods of selecting the partners for outsourcing are subjective and depend on each context. Still, some principles are working for the huge majority of cases. In order to help you, here are our ideas to consider when selecting whom to select for outsourcing your projects.

#1. Patience is the key

As we many times mentioned in previous posts, patience is the key for everything. Finding a good partner isn’t easy at all. People are very similar to the colors; there are so many colors, but the combination of two beautiful ones shouldn’t necessarily have a good result. In conclusion, finding a person that is able to work great and at the same time to be a good partner is a combination of patience, multiple attempts and good luck.

#2. Let people know that you are hiring

In spite of the huge number or jobs marketplaces or jobs posting websites, there are still many logo designers looking for outsourcing partners and many logo designers waiting to be hired. It’s crystal clear that there should be a better dialogue between „employer” and „employees”.

So, if you want to hire, let people know that your hire! It takes much time to use as many channels possible, but in this way more potential logo designers will be touched. Clearly, it’s an advantage to select an outsourcing partner from 100 potential ones than from 10.

#3. Create a clear job description

I don’t want to bother you, but a large pool of solutions to select from isn’t enough; the quality of the designer is extremely important, too. Creating a clear job description is vital for finding the best outsourcing solution. Let them know what to expect from your proposal, both advantages and disadvantages. Offering clear requirements gives the opportunity to the interested designers to judge themselves if they are suitable for your proposal. A proper job description saves time for you and for the interested ones.

#4. Transparence brings better qualified candidates

Honesty is another mandatory feature for finding the best collaborator. Instead of highlighting only the advantages of a job proposal, a smarter idea is to present the fair balance of the pros and cons. A part of the people that want to outsource their projects aren’t 100% fair and presents only the positive aspects of the proposal. It’s true that more logo designers are attracted, but it’s quite probable that the expectations of the selected one won’t be fulfilled. Sooner or later, the relationship will be broken because the expectations are different from the current conditions. Consequently, be honest, show the pros and cons of the partnership, emphasize your main requirements and don’t promise more than you may offer.

#5. Don’t ever hire „miracles”

No matter how honest and transparent you are, some designers won’t adopt the same approach. It sounds crazy, but it’s very true – go away from miracle freelancers. The Internet is full of self-proclaimed „amazing designers” able to create tons of cool logos for 10$. I strongly recommend not considering these fake opportunities. They aren’t able to create a decent logo and their potentials are limited.

#6. Make the most objective selection

Finally, you have a list of potential partners and it’s time to make the last decision, to select the winner! This choosing must be as objective as you can. As example, try to determine same criteria and a rating system to evaluate the potential partners. The one with the best rating must be selected. Any personal preference or your intuition must have a secondary role.

#7. Be prepared to start again from step 1

The designers evolve and it shouldn’t be a surprise that a trusty partner to give up to the collaboration with you. It’s a natural evolution, it shouldn’t disappoint you. As a result, you must be prepared for starting again the selection process. It’s not simple, but it something expectable.

Your turn

I hope that after reading this post you will have a broader understanding about outsourcing. Also, it will be great to know if our tips of selecting the best partner for outsourcing worked for you. Please use the comment form to let us know your impressions and don’t forget to share the post with your friends!