You're ready to upgrade your company's outdated, clunky website. You know how important having a modern, well-designed site is for your brand image and reaching new customers online. But actually finding the right web designer like Websites That Sell to bring your vision to life is easier said than done. How do you know if a designer is up for the job? Asking for high quality web design examples of their past work is the best way to tell.
In this article, we'll look at why reviewing a web designer's sample projects and portfolio is such a critical step for making the right hiring choice. You'll learn:
- What website design examples reveal about skills and experience
- Specific things to look for when reviewing samples
- Red flags that may indicate an inexperienced designer
- Smart questions to ask about portfolio projects
- How to use design examples to convey your own preferences
- If you might want to skip the portfolio review
Read on for a simple strategy to help you identify the designer that can deliver the stunning, functional website you've been dreaming of.
What Design Examples Demonstrate
A web designer's portfolio showcases their past work and capabilities. It gives you a feel for their visual style, technical skills, and experience creating sites similar to what you need. Specific things to look for include:
Visual Design Style:
Is their aesthetic modern and polished? Or dated and cluttered? Samples indicate if they can design something that aligns with your brand image.
Layout Skills:
Do they create clean, readable layouts that arrange elements attractively? Or do pages look disorganized? Layout skills impact site usability.
Responsiveness:
Do the samples remain easily navigable on mobile devices? Responsiveness ensures a consistent experience across desktop and mobile.
Functionality:
Do features like forms, drop-down menus, image sliders, etc. operate smoothly? Functionality shows their aptitude for coding interactive elements.
Brand Messaging:
How well do the samples communicate what each brand does? Effective messaging helps engage your target audience.
Navigation:
Is it easy to find information and links that make sense? Good navigation minimizes frustration for visitors.
Performance:
Do pages load quickly without glitches on a variety of devices? Fast performance indicates clean code.
When you can evaluate technical abilities along with design skills, you gain confidence they can handle all aspects of building an effective site.
What to Look For in Examples
When reviewing portfolio samples, keep an eye out for these indicators of a skilled, experienced designer:
- Modern, mobile-friendly designs
- Clear brand messaging
- Well-organized page layouts
- Easy navigation
- Fast loading times
- Smooth functionality
- Consistent look across pages
- Responsiveness on mobile devices
- Custom illustrations and graphics
- Good use of space and visual hierarchy
Quality samples demonstrate knowledge of current web design trends, standards and best practices. This increases the likelihood they can create a site that looks and functions professionally.
Red Flags to Watch For
While evaluating examples, be wary of these red flags:
- Outdated designs that haven't kept pace with changing trends
- Poor page organization and confusing navigation
- Poorly sized or blurry images
- Slow loading times
- Lack of mobile responsiveness
- Overly busy pages with too many fonts and colors
- Copied code or generic stock templates
- Inconsistent branding across samples
- Spelling and grammar errors
Multiple issues may indicate a lack of skill, experience and attention to detail. Problematic samples suggest they may struggle to produce a high quality, effective site for your business.
Conclusion
Finding the perfect web designer involves more than just a glance at their portfolio. But making the effort to dive into their previous work provides tremendous insight. Use this evaluation process to have productive conversations and communicate your vision. With a targeted design partner in place from day one, you can feel confident you'll end up with a website that brings your brand to life.
