Design that catches the eye: Why hiring a visual designer is key to success

A visual designer is an individual who creates the appearance and atmosphere of a website or application. The visual designer utilizes colors, typography, images, and arrangement to communicate a message and deliver a visually appealing and captivating experience for the intended viewers. Its purpose is to create and control these visual components to attain a particular appearance and sensation, aiming to effectively transmit the desired message and elicit an emotional reaction in the audience.

Design companies or advertising agencies typically hire visual designers, who may have the duty of developing and executing the general appearance of a product or marketing campaign. This can involve determining the color palette, selecting appropriate fonts, and even handling some elements of web and print design. Visual designers collaborate closely with clients, stakeholders, and other design team members to comprehend project demands and generate designs that satisfy the requirements and objectives of the intended audience. They possess expertise in design software and tools and can manage numerous projects, timelines, and expectations, all while maintaining the utmost level of quality in their work. This article outlines the importance of hiring a visual designer for your organization.

“In the long run, your human capital is your main base of competition. Your leading indicator of where you’re going to be 20 years from now is how well you’re doing in your education system.” — Bill Gates

Behind the Scenes: Demystifying the Vital Tasks of a Visual Designer

A visual designer is responsible for generating ideas, crafting illustrations, and arranging designs for digital endeavors. Since the roles and responsibilities of a visual designer can vary depending on the industry or project, job descriptions may require familiarity with a specific business sector. Moreover, some companies may prefer candidates with expertise in business-to-business, business-to-consumer, or marketing in a particular field. Nonetheless, most visual designers are typically expected to:

• Develop a visual concept for diverse interfaces, such as websites, mobile devices, apps, kiosks, games, and wearables

• Adhere to brand standards while designing layouts that reinforce the brand’s identity through visual touchpoints

• Design interaction models, wireframes, or screen mockups that prioritize user experience

• Create logos, icons, and infographics

• Partner closely with IT and business teams to address complex issues, such as interaction models and data visualization

• Generate and organize production assets

• Ensure consistency and compatibility of assets across different devices

• Acquire images, such as stock photos and video footage

• Work with a component library to produce designs efficiently

• Conceive mood boards and color studies

• Collaborate on marketing materials, presentation assets, and interactive event components

• Manage multiple projects simultaneously while efficiently managing timelines and expectations.

The Visual Designer's Toolbox: Must-Have Skills and Professional Experience

A visual designer should possess knowledge of web design challenges, such as cross-platform compatibility and browser usability. Having experience in responsive design, marketing, and e-commerce is also considered advantageous.

Design Skills: A visual designer needs to have a strong grasp of fundamental design principles such as layout, typography, and color theory, and the ability to create visually appealing and impactful designs.

Technical Skills: A strong proficiency in design software such as Adobe Creative Cloud, particularly Photoshop, Illustrator, and Adobe XD, is expected of visual designers. They also need to have familiarity with other software used for web design and development.

Problem-Solving Skills: A visual designer needs to have strong problem-solving abilities to tackle intricate design problems, devise solutions, and integrate them into the final design product.

Interactive Design Skills: Having skills in interactive design such as creating animations, motion graphics, and dynamic interactions are crucial in producing visually captivating designs for digital platforms.

Communication and Presentation Skills: To be successful, visual designers must possess excellent communication and presentation skills. They should be able to articulate their ideas and designs effectively, both verbally and in writing, to clients and other stakeholders.

Organizational Skills: Being highly organized, capable of managing multiple projects, prioritizing tasks, communicating progress, and meeting deadlines are crucial for a visual designer.

Collaborative Skills: A visual designer should be able to collaborate effectively with other designers, developers, stakeholders, and clients while also being capable of working independently when necessary. They should be receptive to feedback and direction to create the most effective designs.

Strong interpersonal skills are crucial for visual designers to communicate effectively with clients, team members, and stakeholders. This requires active listening, being open to feedback and criticism, and having empathy to understand the client's needs. Visual designers should also have negotiation and persuasion skills to advocate for their design decisions. Developing these skills helps to build positive relationships and improve the success of projects.

Also, a desirable skill set for visual designers is basic coding proficiency or a working knowledge of programming concepts that allow them to communicate effectively with software engineers.

Top Design Tools to Expect while Hiring a Visual Designer

Visual designers must be skilled and proficient in working with diverse design software tools to generate digital assets, graphic designs, and visual elements. Several vital tools are required for visual designers:

Photoshop: Photoshop is a graphics editing software mainly used for image manipulation. It is widely regarded as the industry standard for editing photos and digital art. It provides features for 2D and 3D image editing, compositing, video editing, and image analysis.

Sketch: This is a software tool for a vector-based design that is available exclusively on Mac and is particularly geared towards web, app, and interface design. It is particularly useful for designing materials such as icons, social media images, ad banners, and presentations, as well as for tasks related to user interface and experience design, including prototyping, creating user flows, and designing icons.

Figma: Figma is a cloud-based design tool that enables real-time collaboration among visual designers and stakeholders. It offers an intuitive interface for creating prototypes and wireframes for various digital platforms, with pre-built design components and responsive design options.

AdobeXD: AdobeXD is a software tool by Adobe that is specifically designed for user experience and interaction designers to create wireframes, prototypes, and screen designs for digital products, including websites and mobile applications.

Illustrator: Visual designers can utilize Illustrator to create various designs including vector illustrations, logos, graphics, and fonts. Although Illustrator shares similar tools and features with Photoshop, it is primarily focused on vector design, enabling designers to resize and rescale their designs without compromising image clarity.

Affinity Designer: Affinity Designer is a suitable option for beginner designers or personal projects because of its easy-to-use interface. It is a viable competitor to Adobe Illustrator, offering a comparable range of design tools along with additional user-friendly features. It is ideal for those looking for an affordable alternative without compromising on functionality.

Webflow: Visual designers can use Webflow to quickly create websites without needing to code. The tool allows designers to design and develop simultaneously with ease, and they can export and modify the site's HTML/CSS tags as required.

GIMP: GIMP is an open-source design software that has developed significantly and is now known for its photo editing capabilities. It is a lightweight option compared to Adobe Photoshop and provides similar features for free. GIMP has a customizable workspace and easy navigation for users.

Paletton: A good color scheme is essential for bringing a design to life, and Palleton is a tool that helps designers create color combinations that work well together. Designers can use the color wheel to choose colors and select from pre-made color combinations such as Monochromatic, Adjacent Colors, Triad, Tetrad, and Freestyle.

Invision: This is a widely-used tool for design and prototyping that enables visual designers to produce animated and interactive mockups. It lets designers create interactive prototypes for desktop software, mobile apps, and websites, which can be utilized for collecting user feedback and conducting testing.

Letting a Visual Designer Take the Wheel: Benefits for your Organization

Here are some possible advantages that your business can gain from hiring a Visual Designer:

Clearing Your Plate: How Hiring a Designer Can Free Up Your Time By enlisting the services of a skilled visual designer, you can trust that they possess the knowledge to promote your business effectively. This can free up time for you to concentrate on employee growth, implementing internal policies and procedures, and other essential activities that support the prosperity of your business.

Hiring a Visual Designer Can Be a Budget-Friendly Choice Employing a professional visual designer to establish your brand identity can result in cost savings by avoiding less effective branding and marketing strategies. With the help of a skilled designer, you can create a brand identity that boosts sales and revenue.

Outshine Your Competitors by hiring a Visual Designer A skilled visual designer can aid you in creating a consistent color scheme, logo, and other brand elements that will set you apart from competitors in your industry who already have an established brand identity.

Leveraging visual design to expand your customer base Working with a visual designer to enhance your brand image can attract potential customers and increase sales by establishing a recognizable and desirable brand.

Why hiring a visual designer is key to success

37% of companies would like to automate the process of creating consistently visually appealing content(G2).

If you have a project in mind, such as a website, product, or ad campaign, it's crucial to have an ideal design that conveys your message accurately. A visual designer can assist you in transforming your concept into stunning and impactful visuals that communicate your message effectively. A professional visual designer can aid you in the following ways:

Elevate your business image through visual design

Creating a professional image for your organization involves paying attention to even the tiniest details, such as selecting the right fonts and color combinations, as well as considering bigger concepts such as branding and website layout. Employing the services of a visual designer can help your business project to a professional appearance.

Design Your Destiny: To Create a Brand Image That Resonates

To achieve success, a business must have a well-defined brand image. To accomplish this, a visual designer collaborates with the organization's leadership and marketing team to develop a cohesive representation that encompasses everything from logo design to website visuals. If you have visual graphics, 85% of people are attracted to your brands. G2

**From Ordinary to Extraordinary: Creating Strong Impression ** A website that is cleverly designed can leave a lasting impression on your audience. The use of appropriate art can effectively communicate your business's identity and what makes it appealing to potential customers. Engaging the services of a Visual Designer can help you to make a positive first impression.

Revolutionize Your Business: Keeping Up with the Latest Trends Visual designers are constantly up-to-date with the latest trends, ensuring that your brand is as well. They also consider how current technology can enhance business solutions for both customers and providers.

Wrapping Up

A visual designer plays a crucial role in creating attractive and effective designs for digital products and services that enhance the brand's identity and message. They use their expertise in visual design and knowledge of various design tools and techniques to create layouts, logos, icons, infographics, and other visual elements that help communicate the intended message in a visually appealing way. Their contribution is essential to producing captivating designs that capture the attention of users.

Thanks to their unique abilities and familiarity with design tools and techniques, visual designers can craft compelling and enthralling designs that successfully communicate the intended message and reinforce the brand's image. Their involvement is critical in ensuring that the company's digital products and services differentiate themselves in a competitive marketplace. We provide organizations with a comprehensive plan and necessary assessments to find and evaluate a visual designer, from start to finish. Get in touch with our team of experts (https://hirequotient.com/) to book a call today and hire your dream visual designer.