CEOs, CTOs, product managers, and project managers at top companies, small businesses and startups work with Toptal digital graphic design freelancers to augment their design teams for app design, website design, and other design projects to find the best talent and achieve their business objectives.
Leonardo is a visual and graphic designer with over ten years of experience. As a self-taught designer, he won a full scholarship to Sao Paulo's renowned Mackenzie Presbyterian University and has since mapped out a diverse career path working for branding studios, online agencies, printing shops, and most recently, the IBM Design Studio in Dublin. Having worked with top Brazilian and Irish brands, Leonardo is no stranger to the global possibilities of visual design.
Tiernan has been working remotely as a designer for more than 15 years. She has a master's degree in graphic design and is certified in UI/UX design with a background in sales and marketing. In her previous roles, she has managed remote teams of up to 35 members. Tiernan aims to use her visual design foundation to deliver aesthetically pleasing designs and anticipate users' and stakeholders' needs while providing high-quality, seamless experiences.
Erwin is a brand expert and designer with around 20 years of experience in visual communication. Equally capable of leading teams and delivering directly, he can fulfill the most complicated jobs in advertising, publishing, and graphic and web design. Erwin's specialties are branding and identity, web design, and typography, and he has extensive web programming knowledge. He is communicative, flexible, and loves consistency and turning people's ideas and dreams into reality.
Sanja is a highly skilled UI/UX and graphic designer with over 10 years of experience. Her main focus is on creating intuitive, functional, and visually appealing designs that elevate the overall user experience, with her skills varying from digital to print design. Her passion for design has led her to contribute to a diverse range of projects and work with clients from all over the world, from innovative startups to established industry leaders.
Ellie is a designer with over 20 years of experience, having shaped iconic brands like Hugo Boss and Hims. She excels at translating brand values into captivating visual stories through her distinctive visual language, which blends minimalist design with a playful edge. Her expertise encompasses brand identities, UI design, illustration, and graphic design.
Andreina is a graphic designer with over 10 years of experience in branding, digital and motion design, and marketing. She has worked in various industries, such as healthcare and hospitality, articulating with clients across the US, UK, and Spain. Andreina has extensive relationships with leading companies such as Abbvie, Novo Nordisk, and Nestlé, providing relevant insight into brand development processes, from identity to marketing channels.
Silvana is a graphic designer with expertise in process management, from conceptualization to delivery. She creates innovative solutions that inspire and foster memorable relationships between brands and their clients. At Sony Pictures Colombia, she led a social media contest for Hotel Transylvania 3 and was an IAB award 2019 nominee for best digital strategy for the film, Venom. Silvana focuses on branding, UI, and web to deliver polished products through passionate and deliberate design.
Bill is a senior creative professional with degrees in graphic design (BA) and marketing communication (MA). With over 20 years of experience, he has worked in hands-on creative leadership roles across various disciplines, including creative direction, strategic brand development, product design (UX/UI), website design and development, graphic design, motion graphics, and marketing.
Carlos is a creative, multidisciplinary UX/UI product designer and innovation consultant with 20+ years of hands-on experience. He specializes in user-centered, omnichannel design, guiding projects from research to execution. Skilled in UX/UI, branding, and marketing across the web, SaaS, and blockchain, Carlos transforms visions into impactful user experiences using tools like Figma, Adobe CC, and AI. His expertise spans digital and print, delivering cohesive and engaging brand experiences.
Carlos, an accomplished 3D artist and graphic designer, brings a wealth of experience crafting compelling visuals for global brands and corporations. Praised for his meticulous attention to detail and top-tier brand visuals, he is recognized as a resourceful, self-motivated, and efficient leader. Carlos excels in managing demanding workloads and delivering exceptional results on time, fostering close client collaboration throughout the process.
Ciro is an experienced Brazilian designer focused on UI and UX. He has more than 15 years of experience in the visual field across a broad range of industries—from illustration to graphic design. Over the last few years, Ciro has been crafting digital experience solutions for companies and startups, placing users at the center of his design process.
Graphic designers are experts at arranging visual elements, such as text, photos, patterns, colors, and icons, to create compositions that communicate meaning and engage users. This guide to hiring graphic designers features an overview of relevant skills, job description tips, and interview questions and answers to help you identify the best candidates for your company.
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Testimonials
Michael is an incredible designer, and has been a great fit for our project. He just gets it in a way that can’t be taught. My goal was to pay Toptal to find me a high quality designer for my project, and that is exactly what happened. It was easy. Being able to see the portfolio work on Toptal’s platform is what gave me the infomation I needed to choose Michael. I have nothing but good things to say about Toptal and am looking forward to using Toptal for other projects in the future.
Edward Daniel
Co-Founder
I've worked very closely with Martina for over a year and have to say she is one of the best people I have ever worked with. Instead of simply following instructions blindly, she thinks through the task at hand, becoming a thought partner to help with whatever the project may be. Besides being super talented at design, she possesses specific qualities that make her exceptional to work with given the fast paced nature of being a startup. I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a talented, professional designer who doesn't need much direction to hit the ground running.
Sahil Khanna
Sr. Manager, Marketing
Darko did a great job figuring out the user architecture for our concept, which led him to produce terrific wireframes. His knowledge of usability and design was a perfect match for the outside voice we needed to help jumpstart our project. We would certainly recommend him and work with him again in the future.
Rich Danker
Founder
Carlos has the unique talent of blending both quantitative and qualitative research to keenly identify UX challenges and opportunities. He thinks methodically, emphatically, and holistically to produce data-driven strategies and well-executed designs. Over the past 8 years of working with fully or partially distributed teams, Carlos manages working remotely far better than anyone I've encountered because of his strong communication and presentation skills. He is the first on my list the next time I need a UX designer.
Michelle Krogmeier
Project Manager
Rafael is an amazing designer. His aesthetic sense is spot on, and he seems to be able to anticipate our needs before we even know what they are. He's taken the time to understand both our company and our clientele, and his solutions are consistently in-line with our values, interests, and our customers' needs. He delivers on time (if not earlier), works quickly, is well organized, and very effective. He's a pleasure to work with, and we're very happy to have found him through Toptal.
Ethan Brooks
CTO
How to Hire Graphic Designers Through Toptal
1
Talk to One of Our Industry Experts
A Toptal director of design will work with you to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics.
2
Work With Hand-Selected Talent
Within days, we'll introduce you to the right Graphic Designer for your project. Average time to match is under 24 hours.
3
The Right Fit, Guaranteed
Work with your new Graphic Designer for a trial period (pay only if satisfied), ensuring they're the right fit before starting the engagement.
Find Experts With Related Skills
Access a vast pool of skilled designers in our talent network and hire the top 3% within just 48 hours.
The cost associated with hiring a Graphic Designer depends on various factors, including preferred talent location, complexity and size of the project you’re hiring for, seniority, engagement commitment (hourly, part-time, or full-time), and more. In the US, for example, Glassdoor’s reported average total annual pay for Graphic Designers is $74,000 as of August 2024. With Toptal, you can speak with an expert talent matcher who will help you understand the cost of talent with the right skills and seniority level for your needs. To get started, schedule a call with us — it’s free, and there’s no obligation to hire with Toptal.
How quickly can you hire with Toptal?
Typically, you can hire a Graphic Designer with Toptal in about 48 hours. For larger teams of talent or Managed Delivery, timelines may vary. Our talent matchers are highly skilled in the same fields they’re matching in—they’re not recruiters or HR reps. They’ll work with you to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics, and match you with ideal candidates from our vetted global talent network.
Once you select your Graphic Designer, you’ll have a no-risk trial period to ensure they’re the perfect fit. Our matching process has a 98% trial-to-hire rate, so you can rest assured that you’re getting the best fit every time.
How do I hire a Graphic Designer?
To hire the right Graphic Designer, it’s important to evaluate a candidate’s experience, technical skills, and communication skills. You’ll also want to consider the fit with your particular industry, company, and project. Toptal’s rigorous screening process ensures that every member of our network has excellent experience and skills, and our team will match you with the perfect Graphic Designers for your project.
What exactly does a Graphic Designer do?
A Graphic Designer combines art and digital technology to communicate messages, ideas, and information visually. Their primary role is to use various design elements, such as typography, imagery, color, and layout, to create visually appealing and effective communication materials—such as logos, brochures, and websites—across different mediums.
What qualities should I look for in a Graphic Designer?
Look for candidates who demonstrate clear knowledge of graphic design principles, color theory, typography, digital design software, and branding expertise. Other attributes to consider are creativity, problem-solving, collaboration and communication, and attention to detail.
How are Toptal Graphic Designers different?
At Toptal, we thoroughly screen our Graphic Designers to ensure we only match you with the highest caliber of talent. Of the more than 200,000 people who apply to join the Toptal network each year, fewer than 3% make the cut.
In addition to screening for industry-leading expertise, we also assess candidates’ language and interpersonal skills to ensure that you have a smooth working relationship.
When you hire with Toptal, you’ll always work with world-class, custom-matched Graphic Designers ready to help you achieve your goals.
Can you hire Graphic Designers on an hourly basis or for project-based tasks?
You can hire Graphic Designers on an hourly, part-time, or full-time basis. Toptal can also manage the entire project from end-to-end with our Managed Delivery offering. Whether you hire an expert for a full- or part-time position, you’ll have the control and flexibility to scale your team up or down as your needs evolve. Our Graphic Designers can fully integrate into your existing team for a seamless working experience.
What is the no-risk trial period for Toptal Graphic Designers?
We make sure that each engagement between you and your Graphic Designer begins with a trial period of up to two weeks. This means that you have time to confirm the engagement will be successful. If you’re completely satisfied with the results, we’ll bill you for the time and continue the engagement for as long as you’d like. If you’re not completely satisfied, you won’t be billed. From there, we can either part ways, or we can provide you with another expert who may be a better fit and with whom we will begin a second, no-risk trial.
Rima is a product designer with more than eight years of experience. With expertise in graphic design and branding, she has facilitated the redesign of websites, platforms, and integrated design systems for companies like Gigabyte and Ultra Labs.
To compete in a highly competitive digital landscape, companies in every industry need graphic designers who can produce high-quality visuals—such as marketing materials, website graphics, infographics, and social media images—that resonate with users.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of graphic designers will grow by 3% over the next decade, with an annual increase of about 22,800 openings each year. And although print-based publications are on the decline, the rise in online content and media is likely to fuel growing demand for digital graphic designers.
With business and technology continuing to evolve, it’s more important than ever for hiring managers to know how to find, hire, and retain the best graphic designers. In this guide, we clarify what design services a graphic designer provides and detail the skill sets and attributes to look for in the hiring process.
What Attributes Distinguish Quality Graphic Designers From Others?
The ideal graphic design candidate will create cohesive and visually appealing artwork that communicates a brand’s look, voice, and messaging to help a company achieve its business goals.
Professional graphic designers create initial design concepts and work through rounds of feedback and revisions to produce high-quality design work. They have an array of tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Sketch, After Effects, and Figma—as well as emerging AI capabilities—at their disposal for creating visual assets, including logo design, print materials, and packaging designs.
To stand out, a graphic designer should have some or all of the following skills:
Mastery of Graphic Design Principles
The right graphic designers will have an innate sense of artistry and extensive knowledge of fundamental design principles, including contrast, balance, shape, white space, layout, proportion, hierarchy, repetition, and movement. Furthermore, they should be able to thoughtfully implement design concepts such as the golden ratio, which informs a designer’s choices regarding font size and image-to-typography ratio, and the rule of thirds, a guideline for the composition of visual art, white space, and symmetry.
The best candidates will also exhibit design thinking and visual thinking skills, as evidenced by their ability to synthesize feedback and ideas, and communicate a concept to the client.
Digital and Print Design Experience
Digital design—including projects related to web design, digital marketing, landing pages, and product design—calls for UI and UX knowledge and experience with software commonly used in the design industry, such as collaborative prototyping tools like InVision Studio and Figma. Designing for print requires overlapping skills, including expertise in layout software such as InDesign and an understanding of paper quality and printing processes.
The ideal candidate will be well-versed in the best digital and print media practices to produce high-quality designs. They will also keep track of significant industry trends and styles, such as minimalism, retro, and futuristic.
Typography Expertise
Typography guides a design’s overall visual impact, readability, and communication. High-caliber graphic designers understand how to correctly combine font styles, sizes, and layouts to create a typographic hierarchy that aids user comprehension. Top candidates will also have in-depth knowledge of kerning and tracking, alignment and grids, and accessibility standards for web typography.
Command of Color Theory
Color plays a key role in visual communication. Understanding how colors influence mood and psychology allows designers to create artwork that conveys a message clearly and elicits the intended emotional response from the audience.
In brand design, graphic designers must ensure that color palettes reflect the company’s vision. For example, more than 30% of the best-performing technology companies use blue in their brand palette because it is often associated with security, trust, and sophistication.
Understanding of Branding and Visual Identity Design
Branding establishes a consistent visual identity across all touch points and is a fundamental aspect of the graphic designer’s work, from logo design to marketing materials. Professional freelance graphic designers ensure that design elements like colors, fonts, and photos align with their client’s brand aesthetics and values.
Brand design knowledge also allows graphic designers to make design decisions that positively impact brand perception, ensuring that each element in a composition contributes to the overall brand strategy and resonates with the target audience.
Proficiency in Design Software
A graphic designer’s tool belt comprises a multitude of programs and software. Skilled candidates should be able to demonstrate expertise in the latest versions of design programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign; Sketch; and Figma. The right candidate will also be able to transition seamlessly from one platform to another for workflow efficiency, as different platforms are specialized for specific tasks and design purposes. For instance, a graphic designer might use an application such as InDesign for a campaign with print assets, Photoshop for photos and graphic assets, and Illustrator or Figma for web graphics, such as UI icons.
Aside from design software, it may be helpful to find a candidate who is familiar with other related tools, such as web builders like Wordpress or social media platforms, depending on the needs of your project and the designer’s role.
How Can You Identify the Ideal Graphic Designer for You?
Hiring the right graphic designer for your brand is key to producing an engaging look. As you begin to collect résumés, consider whether your team and project would benefit from the skills of a senior or junior designer. Each will bring a different perspective and skill set to the team.
Senior designers with many years of experience have a more highly developed design style and consistent work ethic. They may be more strategic in their graphic design decisions and can work independently. They may also be able to coach or mentor more junior team members. Keep in mind that hiring more seasoned professionals will cost more, as they bring significant graphic design experience, knowledge, and expertise to the table. On the other hand, a junior graphic designer will be less experienced but more affordable. Junior graphic designers may also bring a fresh perspective on emerging design trends that can benefit your project. When choosing the right graphic designer, consider the needs and goals of your project, your budget, and your workplace culture.
Whoever you choose, the designer you hire must be the right fit for your company and brand. Look for a candidate who will interact successfully with your team and stakeholders. Here are some additional attributes to keep in mind:
An Exceptional Portfolio
A designer’s portfolio is their calling card and an important element to consider in the hiring process. Look for a design portfolio that clearly shows a broad range of work, skill sets, and tools applicable to the position you are looking to fill. Additionally, the best graphic designers have portfolios that tell a cohesive story and demonstrate how they addressed design problems throughout each project.
Visual Communication Skills
Graphic designers should have a strong sense of how users will experience their work and understand the intended emotion and messaging the brand wishes to convey. The right candidate has strong communication skills and can create aesthetically pleasing and persuasive visuals that lead users to take action—whether that means sharing content on social media, clicking a link, or making a purchase. In this way, the right graphics can impact a company’s bottom line.
Problem-solving Abilities
Graphic designers rely on problem-solving skills to navigate challenges in the creative process and create meaningful visuals that address client needs. These skills help designers tackle complex briefs, reconcile client preferences and feedback, and find innovative design solutions. For example, a qualified graphic designer can help resolve issues like which colors are most suitable for a company’s visual identity or how to organize graphic elements on a page to better guide the user and increase conversions.
How to Write a Graphic Designer Job Description for Your Project
The graphic designer you hire must be able to perform well and integrate into the team, so be sure your job posting reflects the work required and the corporate culture and communication style candidates can expect. Be transparent about the specific challenges the team is facing and the qualities you are looking for to complement your team. Furthermore, outline the project’s scope, including timeline, deliverables, and the review and approval process. Being clear about expectations from the outset will make the process of finding the right graphic designer for your project smoother and faster.
Attention to Design Details
In design, details matter. A graphic designer must see the bigger picture and understand how every detail contributes to the end product. For example, brands often have strict style guidelines that must be followed. Attention to detail is essential to ensure that brand elements such as logos, color palettes, and fonts are used correctly and consistently across all materials.
Project Management and Collaboration
Qualified graphic designers can manage workflows, collaborate, and collect and address feedback throughout the project to ensure the client is satisfied with the final product. In addition, the ideal candidate advocates for design decisions that align with the project’s goals. This may mean articulating their perspective and strategy when there is stakeholder disagreement, including demonstrating the feasibility of their idea, showing how they plan to execute it, what resources they would need, and how they would overcome potential risks.
Knowledge of UX/UI Principles
While UI and UX designers have different roles and responsibilities than graphic designers, it’s best for graphic designers to have an understanding of UI and UX principles. This knowledge can help them contribute to a seamless user experience that improves engagement, customer retention, and conversion rates.
Incorporating UX principles into graphic design can also improve accessibility. For example, graphic designers with UX knowledge understand that color contrast is paramount to ensuring that individuals with visual impairments can access and engage with web and app content. Finding candidates who focus on the user can help ensure that the content achieves its purpose and supports business goals.
What Are the Most Important Graphic Designer Interview Questions?
It’s vital that you know the best interview questions to ask graphic designer candidates. By asking the right questions, you’ll be able to assess a candidate’s problem-solving abilities, design philosophy, and communication skills. Interview questions are also a good way to gauge a candidate’s compatibility with your company’s culture and mission. These questions should help you form a good picture of each candidate’s experience:
Can you describe your design process, from concept to final product?
It’s important that you understand the design process when you are hiring a graphic designer. Knowledge of the process empowers you to be more engaged and informed about the role—leading to smoother collaborations, better design outcomes, and, ultimately, more successful projects because you will be able to communicate your vision, business objectives, and expectations to the designer. You can also provide detailed briefs and feedback and establish realistic timelines and expectations.
Explore the candidate’s creative process and work style to determine team compatibility and culture fit. For instance, they may like to sketch and brainstorm in a group setting or need independent work time to develop and refine concepts before presenting them to the team. Additionally, they may be open to extensive feedback and iterations, or they may feel that exploring too many design options can get a project off track. Look for a graphic designer who can articulate the rationale for each step in their design process.
Tell me about your design experience in this industry.
Designing for different industries often involves understanding specific design conventions, trends, and audience preferences. If you work in healthcare or e-commerce, for example, you may wish to hire a graphic designer with experience creating graphics in those areas. Or you may seek candidates with experience working with large corporations, small businesses, or startups.
Designers with industry experience may better understand clients’ unique needs and challenges within that industry, without the need for extensive research into the business, products, or services. This can lead to more effective communication and collaboration when working on projects. They are also likely to be familiar with the competition and will be able to create designs that stand out in a competitive landscape, ensuring that their clients’ branding and messaging are distinct from others in the industry.
Candidates’ responses to this question can give you a clearer picture of the relevant work in their portfolio that showcases their ability to create designs tailored to the industry’s requirements that resonate with the target audience.
Tell me about a challenging design project you worked on and how you overcame it.
Working with a graphic designer is a collaborative effort that requires some give and take. Asking how a designer has responded to challenges can be an excellent way to see how they problem-solve in difficult situations. Ideally, they will share a scenario that shows how they used their communication skills, curiosity, and innovation to turn a negative into a positive. If an applicant speaks poorly of past clients, consider that a red flag. Instead, look for someone who can learn from mistakes and thrive under pressure.
How do you ensure your designs are visually appealing and communicate the intended message effectively?
A graphic designer should not only be creative, they should also be able to explain why their designs are effective. Articulating what makes a visual design cohesive, eye-catching, and engaging is imperative. There is a delicate balance between a designer’s job to “sell” the team on their ideas and producing what the client wants. For instance, when creating a banner ad, the design team might choose to make a product photo much larger than the promotional text so that people will be drawn to the impressive image before reading the copy (as opposed to the other way around).
Can you describe a time when you had to work within brand guidelines and adapt your designs accordingly?
As much as a graphic designer must bring innovative ideas to the table that excite, inspire, and surprise the client, they must also work within the brand’s guidelines. When hiring, you’ll need to be sure the designer understands the brand and is willing to work within the parameters provided for the graphic design project, such as correctly using the client’s Pantone color palette and wordmarks.
Why Do Companies Hire Graphic Designers?
Companies hire graphic designers for several reasons: They may need to create a visual identity for a new print or digital product to increase customer engagement and generate sales. They may want to overhaul an established brand’s look across multiple platforms and reposition it more effectively in light of market changes. The company may have identified specific problems with how customers interact with their brand’s products, such as a website or customer portal.
A full-time or freelance graphic designer can be beneficial in various scenarios where you need professional design expertise to create visual materials that effectively reach the target audience, communicate your message, enhance your brand, or improve user experiences.
For instance, graphic designers create compelling visuals for website designs (or redesigns) and landing pages, and they may develop templates that can be customized for different purposes. They also work on artwork for logos, business cards, brochures, social media graphics, infographics, and packaging design.
High-quality graphic design allows a company to communicate its values and mission to meet its business goals, such as attracting new audiences, boosting customer engagement, increasing brand awareness, or improving sales.
Seeking a professional designer who can fulfill these needs is a process that goes beyond evaluating a résumé or portfolio. Artistry, technical ability, and flexibility are essential elements. However, familiarity with a designer’s workflow, creative process, and communication style is vital to finding the ideal candidate.
Working with a graphic designer is a highly interactive experience. It will be a learning process for you and the designer you choose. Along the way, you may discover that you need to look more closely at and explore your brand identity. A qualified designer with a good communication style, flexibility, creativity, and curiosity can help you refresh your brand’s identity if needed or create a new look that will take your brand to the next level.