Navigating 'Insta-designers'

With so many designers out there, how can we tell who to hire? Here are a few tips to help you understand this complicated visual world.

1. Understanding 'inspiration' images on a feed vs. the designer's actual work

This is number 1 on our list for a reason. Many feeds are created purely based on things the designer likes, and not their actual portfolio of work. You can usually tell inspiration images as they will be more elaborate in design and less about practicality. Not many client's actually want this design, so too much 'high-design' on a feed is reason to be suspicious it may not be all the designer's actual work. Another way to tell will be in the caption of the image. If it doesn't clearly state that it is their design, most likely it is not.

Tip - look for designers that clearly state that the images and work are their own

2. Validating a designer

Instagram is a visual platform, as is the design industry. A qualified designer will put up images, feeds and story posts of their work in progress, and then the final result. This helps validate that they have designed and constructed the work themselves. A designer with experience will put up photos of their work, overall images and details. Be wary of designers that have too many 'visualisations' and 'renders' and little to no photography. This tells you they have not constructed a lot, and therefore may be new to the game.

Tip - look for Instagram business pages/designers that have links to their website, and check out their qualifications

3. Picking a designer that matches your 'style'

Algorithms help to guide us to see more of something we like. When we hover or stall on an image/video, the algorithm will pick up on that and start suggesting more of that sort of thing. Designers and businesses purchase ads, which come up as suggestions in your feed. The designer you are searching for may not come up in your feed this way and you will need to search for them. Start by looking for designers based in your local area/city, then review their style against your desired look. Ensure the designer of the style you like knows how to create that look and can document the design properly for the builder to construct from.

Tip - start with Pinterest to find and save images of your style before looking for a designer to match. Use web searches as well as social media to narrow down and find your designer