Choosing the Right Graphic Design Partner.

Graphic design is one of the most powerful but often the least understood path to gaining competitive advantages. Carefully choosing the right graphic design firm should be a top priority for any company.

Many graphic design companies proudly show their work on their websites and brochures. Many of these companies also talk about the awards that they have received for their designs. While this pride is understandable, often their priorities can be focused more on their own benefits and achievements instead of their clients’ benefits and achievements.

You want to work with a graphic design firm that is dedicated to creating competitive advantages for your company and helping you win in the marketplace. There are only a few of the best graphic design firms that brag about how their clients have won with their graphic designs.

Here are some tips on finding the right and best graphic design firms.

1. Competition focused: when you talk to them, they certainly want to know about your business but they also want to know about your competitors. They want to look at competitors graphic designs along with yours to determine the degree of challenge and opportunity.

2. Record of winning: the best graphic design firms talk about how their clients have won, not about how they have won awards from their peers for their graphic designs. Ask this key question, "show me the designs that have won for your clients by taking business away from their competitors." If they look at you with a blank look, this may be an indication that this is not one of the best graphic design firms.

Performing quality due diligence can make the big difference between choosing a graphic design firm that cost a lot of money but does not result in marketplace wins or choosing the company that becomes a long term partner in helping you consistently win in the marketplace.