Many people start by looking for “beautiful work”. That is natural, but it is not enough on its own. To make a good choice, you also need to see whether the designer’s style, way of thinking, experience, communication, and pricing fit what you actually want to create.

How to choose the right graphic designer for your project

A graphic designer’s work does more than create visuals. It affects how your project is understood, what first impression your book, brand, or publication makes, and how well-planned the whole material feels.

A different kind of professional may be needed for a picture book, a book cover, a logo, or a full publication or web-based visual identity. This is why the first question is not “who draws beautifully?”, but who understands the task you actually need help with.

A good graphic designer does not use the same impressive solution for everything. They choose a visual direction that fits the goal of the project.

First, clarify what you need a graphic designer for

Before you start browsing portfolios, it is worth getting a few basic details clear. Without these, you may easily choose someone who is skilled, but not the right fit for your project.

• What kind of material do you need? A book cover, interior illustration, logo, poster, publication, web graphic, or a fuller visual package?
• Where will it be used? Printed publication, online appearance, social media, marketing material, product, or personal project?
• What mood should it carry? Storybook-like, clean, elegant, nature-based, playful, serious, professional, or distinctive?
• What are the practical limits? Deadline, budget, format, quantity, and intended use.

The more clearly you see these points, the easier it becomes to decide whether a designer is genuinely suitable or simply appealing at first glance.

Look at the style, but not only the style

A designer’s visual style matters, but it should not be the only factor. In a portfolio, it is worth looking not only at whether you like the images, but also at whether the work is consistent, whether it fits the task, and whether there is clear visual thinking behind it.

For example, in a picture book, a sweet or striking image is not enough. Character consistency, the rhythm of the page spreads, and age-appropriate visual language also matter. A book cover has a different task: it needs to communicate genre, mood, and the book’s basic promise within a few seconds.

What kind of graphic style fits your project?

You do not need to know every graphic style in professional detail, but it helps if you can roughly describe the direction you are looking for. This also makes it easier for the designer to understand what kind of quote they are preparing.

• Clean, modern graphics: suitable for brand materials, professional publications, web appearance, or book covers where typography and visual order carry the design.
• Illustrative, hand-drawn, or painterly visual style: useful for picture books, children’s books, character-based posters, special gift publications, or story-driven projects.
• Vintage or retro mood: works best when the project has a historical, nostalgic, or cultural connection, not when it is used only as fashionable decoration.
• Realistic or detailed approach: important for portraits, historical subjects, product imagery, or publications where accuracy and detail carry real weight.

A good designer can also help turn an initial idea into a workable visual direction. This does not mean they invent the whole project for you. It means that, based on the information you provide, they can build a professional visual solution that fits the task.

Do not look for only the most beautiful image in the portfolio

A portfolio says a lot, but not always in the way people first expect. One very strong image does not prove that the designer can carry a whole book, series, or more complex graphic material consistently from beginning to end.

It is worth paying attention to the following:

• Is there work similar to what you need? If you need a book cover, look for covers. If you need a picture book, look at characters and scenes.
• Is the quality consistent? It is fine if there are several styles, but care and visual thinking should still be visible.
• Is there a story or function behind the images? Good graphic work is not only attractive; it has a clear role.
• Does the visual world fit you? Not every good designer is the right designer for every project. That is not a flaw, but a useful filter.

You can find a selection of previous Galantusz Grafika projects in our portfolio.

Experience is not measured only in years

Experience matters, but it does not only mean how many years someone has worked as a graphic designer. It is just as important what types of projects they have worked on, how well they understand the specific use case, and whether they know what to watch for in the final material.

For a book cover, for example, a beautiful image is not enough. The readability of the title, the spine, the back cover, print preparation, genre signal, and how the cover appears in small online previews all matter. In a picture book, a charming character is not enough either: the whole visual rhythm of the book needs to be considered.

Communication: this is where the collaboration becomes easier or harder

When choosing a graphic designer, communication is just as important as style. For a good collaboration, both sides need to understand what is being created, within what framework, by what deadline, and with what decision points.

Pay attention to whether the designer asks questions about the project. It is not a problem if they do not accept everything immediately. In fact, it can be a good sign if they want to clarify the format, number of pages, place of use, existing brand materials, or target audience.

Good communication does not mean that the designer says yes to every idea straight away. It means they can explain what works, what may be risky, what they need for an accurate quote, and what steps the work may involve.

Deadline and price: do not leave them to the end

Costs and deadlines should be clarified at the beginning of the project. The price of graphic work may depend on the type of task, the number of images, the intended use, the level of detail, the revision rounds, and whether print or web preparation is also needed.

The cheapest quote is not always the best choice. This does not mean the most expensive designer is automatically the right one either. It means that the price should be considered together with the actual content of the work. In the case of a book cover, illustration series, or publication design, poorly prepared work can later lead to more revisions, redesign, and uncertainty.

What should you send when requesting a quote?

You do not need to write a complete professional brief, but a few basic details help a great deal. They make it easier to see what kind of work and scope the project involves.

• A short description of the project: what is being made, what it is about, and what it will be used for.
• The type of graphic material needed: cover, illustration, logo, publication, web graphic, or another visual element.
• Quantity and size: number of images, number of pages, format, or platform.
• Visual direction: if you have a preferred mood, reference, or direction to avoid, it is worth mentioning.
• Deadline: when the material is needed, and whether there is a print or publication date.
• Intended use: printed book, online platform, campaign, social media, product, or internal material.

These details are not needed for a full professional review. They are needed so the scope of the work and the basis of the quote can be seen more realistically.

A good graphic designer does not only execute, but interprets

A graphic designer can do their best work when they do not simply carry out a requested look, but also understand the purpose of the project. This does not mean they take control away from you. It means they can use their professional viewpoint to create a visual solution that fits the task.

This is why it is worth choosing a designer whose thinking feels trustworthy, not only their images. Someone who understands that a book cover is not a poster, a picture book is not an image gallery, a logo is not a decorative drawing, and a publication is not just a sequence of pages placed after one another.

Author: János Ujréti
creative director - Galantusz Grafika, 2026