Where to find talented graphics designers? How much should I expect to pay?

I am looking to create a clothing line, and know exactly the style I want, how the graphics should look, etc...the problem is while I have plenty of vision, I do not have the ability to translate what my mind sees to my hands!!

I am looking for a design team to create the graphic images for me, based on descriptions I provide - I am also looking to be highly involved with the process.

What kinds of firms should I be looking at? What sort of costs should I expect to budget for each design pattern?

Thanks!

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asked Dec 3 '09 at 03:59

Ryan
40 points

Is this a little graphic on the clothing, such as the Ralph Loren horse? Or something more substantial? How abstract is it, perhaps a tie-die motif or just a large dragon on the back? Will this design need to scale well to fit on different types of clothing? Basically, for budget there is too much unknown, IMO. – James Black 14 years ago
Well it depends on the patterns - I would be looking for more than one...all are fairly simple though, most are repeating images (similar to Ralph Loren horse, just of a unique design), though patterns might be needed to 'fill in' dead space between the images. This would fill the entire shirt. No need to scale on other items of clothing. – Ryan 14 years ago

3 Answers

The answer is very simple: CROWDSPRING.COM

This is how it works:

You post your project (with as much info as possible, don´t be lazy :-)) with the price and deadline of your choice.
Freelancers will study your offer and give you their prototypes. The average project receives 80 prototypes.
Choose one.

Good luck!

answered Dec 3 '09 at 06:19

A. Garcia
1,601 points

Have you had positive experiences with freelancers before from there? I've tried to have webwork done on other sites and was very disappointed... What would be considered to be a starting bid for a professional designer (with experience in fashion design)? I do not want to go 'cheap' - these designs will make or break this venture. – Ryan 14 years ago
Several people I know had great experiences with Crowdspring. As for the starting bid, I suggest you have a look at similar projects and see how many replies they got at specific prices. Plus, you don´t have to accept any specific prototype, and you can always work with the designer you choose to optimize and refine his initial prototype. Good luck!! – A. Garcia 14 years ago
CrowdSpring and 99 Designs are sure bets. Freelance in general is a hit-or-miss proposal, but the people who design on these sites are pros and the satisfaction ratings are high. Plus, you're only paying for designs you like! – Justyn 14 years ago
Thanks everyone - I will check out crowdspring as well. – Ryan 14 years ago

Here's an article with tips on finding, interviewing, hiring, and working with graphics designers.

answered Dec 3 '09 at 11:20

Jason
16,231 points

Great article! For a programmer and business man, such as myself, the article is perfect. – Clint 14 years ago
Excellent Article! Great resources for doing research and deciding what you want. The Adobe color palette site was pretty cool to play with too! – Kerry 14 years ago

Ryan- I am not clear on whether you are looking for design for clothing or brand identity for your clothing line. The Ralph Lauren horse is his brand ID and of course in certain places he uses it on his clothing just by itself. If you are looking for designs for t-shirts its something different, if you are looking for fabric design (pattern design) again its something else. As far as design needing to scale I recommend you don't worry about that right now. If you work with a professional designer, they all know how to produce the designs and they will deliver in a format that it would scale but depending on what you are looking for every process requires a different type of file.

answered Dec 3 '09 at 05:59

Arman Arami
399 points

Thank you Arman - I am not looking for branding, more about pattern design (Think Vineyard Vines, that might be the best example I can give). A professional designer is what I am looking for - I have had bad experiences with freelance sites before and I would rather pay for quality than get burned again! I am also thinking of contacting an institute (such as the Fashion Institute of Technology), or an art professor from the university I graduated from for student recommendations... – Ryan 14 years ago
Ryan- I would hire a professional designer, an expert in this field. I definitely agree with you on contacting FIT or Academy of Art University in San Francisco, they also have a fashion design school and there are some extremely talented students that would be very excited about this opportunity. Good luck. – Arman Arami 14 years ago