Your current designer is missing deadlines and won’t return your calls. The designer you love is moving to Costa Rica to open a yoga retreat. Or maybe you’ve been flexing your creative muscle in Microsoft Office for years but know it’s time to call in someone with more experience to step things up. Whatever the reason, there’s no question that the hunt for a new design partner can be a daunting task.

While price is certainly a major factor for a non-profit organization, working style and personality should also rank high on your wish list. You may find someone who will work for peanuts but provides a frustrating experience which could end up costing more (including your sanity).

Here are a few things to think about before you begin your search:

Consider Your Needs First

1. What are your organization’s needs in terms of a design partner? Are you looking fill a short term gap or do you want to establish a long-term working relationship, having that go-to designer in your back pocket?

2. What types of projects do you need them to handle? Printed materials, website maintenance and beyond? If you have a wide variety of projects types (and a decent budget), you may want to seek out a small agency or virtual marketing team to help assist with multiple needs. Solo designers may also have multiple skill sets or alternately, they often have a deep network of resources they can partner with or recommend to you.

3. Do you need someone who’s available for onsite meetings or are you comfortable working with someone remotely? While in-person visits are great, video meetings or good old fashioned phone calls can bridge the gap for those working outside of your area. If you live in a less populated region and have a specific type of project, you may need to accept the fact you’ll be looking elsewhere to find the right expertise.

4. Do you need someone who you can contact during regular business hours?
If you’re working with a solo designer be sure to find out if they’re full-time or part-time. Sometimes agency designers moonlight as freelancers. There’s nothing wrong with this as long as you’re ok with a lag in communication. They’ll likely work evenings and weekends on your project so you can’t expect same day changes. If accessibility to the designer is important, make sure you find someone who operates as a full-time designer.

5. What’s your working personality and what type of person do you work best with? Are you a procrastinator, a little disorganized or just spread too thin? Don’t look for a kindred spirit. Find someone who is a great organizer and doesn’t need to be micromanaged. They’ll likely be keeping you on track.

Where To Find Them

Designers can be found in all habitats. Your dream designer may be halfway across the country or could be living three doors down from you, operating from a home office (and here you thought they were unemployed since they never leave the house.)

1. Word of Mouth
As it is for most products and services, word of mouth is always a great place to start. Ask colleagues for referrals. Did you see something published by another organization that you really loved? Contact them and ask who they worked with. The referrers will give you the inside scoop of why a particular person is great to work with, or equally important – who to avoid calling.

2. Directories
If it’s important to work with someone local, check out your Chamber of Commerce directory for a list of design businesses or head to the Yellow Pages. You could also search LinkedIn for local or national design groups.

3. Google
If the type of work you need done is very specific (ie: ebook design) search online for designers that specialize in it. Designers often cater to a certain niche so you could also search by your industry (ie: non-profit designer).

Finding the One

1. Meet & Greet
I know you would never do this but promising or agreeing to something before an initial meeting is a big no-no. Even if they are a referral that came with a glowing review. Whether it be in person or on the phone, take the time to discuss the potential work with a new designer. This is essentially the interview phase for both parties. Aside from assessing their skills and experience, this is an opportunity to gauge their personality and communication style. Be sure the meeting ends with a clear plan of action (ie: they’re to send you an estimate in X number of days.)

2. Go with your Gut
The meeting ends. What was your overall vibe? Were they pleasant to deal with, did they listen to you (or continually cut you off)? When they said they’d provide you with an estimate in two days, did they actually do it? You want someone who is interested in your business and takes the time to impress you out of the gate. If communication is lacking at the start, that’s a red flag – proceed with caution. If you’re on the fence, you could give them a small project to start with; think of it as a test drive. See how they preform before handing over any substantial, long-term work.

3. Professionalism
Do they answer their phones with a company greeting? Do they have an updated website, their own email address (not gmail.com) and are documents they send you branded with their own logo? I know firsthand it’s hard to find time to work on your own business so while these aren’t always indicators of whether a designer is a keeper, those that show a branded presence and high level of professionalism will likely apply the same focus to your business.

Despite their often elusive nature, there are many designers out there so don’t settle for a subpar relationship. Find that special someone who adds value to your projects, makes you look good and your life easier. And if you like them well enough that you could imagine grabbing a beer with them, don’t let them go. That’s the stuff dreams are made of.