What to Do Before You Hire a Designer
Hint: it’s not picking colors.
So you’re thinking about hiring a designer. You’ve saved a thousand Pinterest images, you know you want something elevated, and you’ve already picked out your dream color palette (neutrals, obviously). But here’s the truth:
Great design doesn’t start with aesthetics. It starts with alignment. You have got to know who are as a brand. Not in the look, but in the product, in the experience and in who you are serving. At Ella Creative Studio, we design with intention. We don’t just make things look beautiful… we make them work. Which means the best outcomes happen when you’re clear on what your brand is here to do, say, and solve before we ever open a design file.
If you’re preparing to work with a designer (or rebrand with us), here’s what you actually need to know first:
1. Know Your Audience, Like… Deeply
You’re not building a brand for “everyone.” You’re building it for a specific kind of person, with a specific need, lifestyle, or desire. Before hiring a designer, get clear on:
Who you’re speaking to
What they value
What makes them ready to buy
What’s missing in their world that your brand solves
Design that resonates is rooted in real human insight. It’s not just about what looks good, it’s about what feels right to the people you want to reach.
2. Clarify Your Core Offers
You don’t need a full suite of 10 services or products. You need a few key offers that are easy to understand and easy to buy. Clarity sells. Period.
Ask yourself:
What’s the transformation I’m offering?
Is it clear how someone gets started?
Do my offers support the lifestyle or goals of my ideal client?
Design can amplify your offers, but it can’t fix unclear ones. Before you invest in visuals, tighten your offer structure.
3. Define Your Brand Values + Voice
Your brand isn’t just how it looks. It’s how it feels. Before hiring a designer, identify:
Your brand’s tone (Is it warm? Bold? Sophisticated?)
Your values (What do you stand for that matters to your audience?)
The kind of energy you want your brand to carry
These foundations inform everything from typography and color to copy and content strategy.
4. Set Clear Goals
Are you designing a brand to:
→ Launch a new business?
→ Elevate an existing one?
→ Raise your prices?
→ Reach a more premium audience?
The more we know about what success looks like to you, the more strategic we can be in creating assets that support real results ~ not just a pretty feed.
The TL;DR: A pretty logo alone is not a brand.
A brand is built from clarity. If you come to the table with a strong understanding of who you serve, what you offer, and how you want to show up, you’re not just hiring a designer. You’re building a brand with purpose. And if you’re not 100% there yet? That’s okay. We guide clients through that clarity process every day.
Ready to build a brand that’s not just beautiful, but actually smart?
Let’s create something with substance.
