Sub contracting a graphic designer

[Robert Lambie]

very hard thing to find a good balance on.
I often think in our trade it is better to bring in young and train up.
I recon getting a collage lever with good photoshop and vector design skills is the way to go. bring in and show the ropes. not costing you a huge amount from the off set.

the biggest problem with graphic designers is you often find ones that are great at using the design software but crap at actually designing and there is a difference!

subbing out design work has its advantages but can be very costly long term .

[David McCarroll]

Getting a college leaver is the right idea I think rob, grab them before they get the "not my job" mentality.

If I’m honest I’m against the subby option but don’t have enough work for a dedicated designer,

I get what you mean about graphic designers being actual designers, we had one before that was a summer job in there final year, gave them exact plans and wholla perfect piece of artwork… ask them to do a van layout and you’d a thought I was speaking German.

[Peter Wynne]

I work for a company that employees 2 graphic designers, and on the flip side pretty much all my freelance work gets subbed out to freelance designers. From my experience, employed designers rarely get chance to go off site anyway and briefs are nearly always passed on to them even if a client comes to see us, so its essentially the same work flow whether the designer is employed or freelance.
Personally I much prefer to sub stuff out and factor the cost into the clients quote (whilst marking it up). The only pain is for final small amends once the majority of a design is done, but I know enough to tweek stuff myself if needed, and by the sounds of it you probably do too.

[Chris Wilson]

I’ve gone on a slightly different route.
I’ve actually rented a desk in the unit to a graphic designer now, we’ve also struck a wee commission deal.
My thinking behind this is he can see the whole process, he’s also out looking for work and contacting new clients, something I don’t have a lot of time to do, and if am snowed under or something’s to difficult for myself to produce, I can put it on his desk and work the price into the customers quote.

So far so good. New clients coming in and good quality of work. Seems to be working both ways. As he is just starting out he’s getting some good stuff for his portfolio.

[Denise Goodfellow]

Our graphic designer is the person who a customer visiting the shop sees first, he’ll take the order and ask the reliant questions.

When my husband goes out to measure for jobs etc, he’ll ask a few questions but then get the designer to talk direct to the customer so no info gets lost between them.

[David McCarroll]

Good points everyone,

Chris, I have been thinking about this exact approach as I have 1000sqft of fitted out office space that’s not being used and I had though about renting out individual offices or the whole lot to a small graphic design company.
Just trying to get past the though of having strangers in my "house" lol!

Denise, I like the thought of a designer in house that is willing to do the whole greeting thing as this also allows them to get a view of the person but the few people we have been interested in aren’t interested in doing anything else unless it entails sitting in front of the computer.

It seems we might have just had a bad bunch and just need to wait on the right person coming along, I think I’ll try the freelance route and the first few jobs I’ll also do some work in the background so if the designer doesn’t work out I’ll not be left with a mountain of artwork.

[Denise Goodfellow]

We did advertise the role as both reception and designer.

When we were interviewing for designers, we found they were of many different levels.

Some were straight out of uni, with a degree, but had only their course work to show, which we thought as a sign/print shop bared very little on what we wanted. At uni they seem to be stuck in the idea of a designer will only be used in an ad company where they want tv ads, and such like. We saw very little of designs for signage and leaflets.

We had people send us mood boards! Or just hand draw sketches. I dare say some people were just winging it….

Some didn’t even have a laptop at home….

We did meet one guy who we really wanted but he was on £30k pa and we couldn’t afford that.

[Chris Wilson]

If you’ve got space then go for it and rent them out. Just be strict with your tenant, maybe I have had some bad luck over the years, but with other spaces we have rent out people are not afraid to take take take and push the boundaries. The new boy I have in this now I’ve sat down with him, shown him the electric bill and the likes and made it very clear that if it suddenly doubles he’s paying it on top of his rent.

One the note of sales/graphic guy I think this needs to be a seem less, well communicated position. From experience of working from bigger firms the following happens.
1 person answers the phone and takes the job. Goes out and surveys. Gives the price
Next person designs it
Third person is now in charge of ordering the correct stuff.

By the time all this has come together something has already been forgotten.
The person who has to prep the sign has to use the wrong red vinyl for the job as proper red hasn’t been ordered in.
It then gets put together.
By the time the fitters have it there not aware the customer is extremely busy that day between 9am-2pm. They turn up at half 10 and crack on.

It just all goes wrong or can anyway. I certainly saw it for 5 days a week for the 9months I worked there.

[Robert Lambie]

quote Denise Goodfellow:

We did meet one guy who we really wanted but he was on £30k pa and we couldn’t afford that.

nor could most, hence why he is unemployed. :smiles: