Most people choose a designer the way they choose a restaurant from photos — based on whether the finished work looks appealing. That's a reasonable first filter, but it leaves out the parts that actually determine whether the project goes well.
Match experience to your specific project, not just general skill
A designer with beautiful work in fashion branding isn't automatically the right fit for a B2B software company — the visual language, tone and client expectations are different worlds. Look for at least some experience adjacent to your industry or business type, not just overall talent.
Judge communication before you judge design
How a designer responds to your first inquiry tells you a lot: do they ask real questions about your business, or jump straight to price and timeline? A designer who asks thoughtful questions upfront is usually the one who delivers a strategic result rather than a decorative one.
Check their process, not just their output
Ask how they structure a project — discovery, concepts, revisions, delivery. A designer with a clear, repeatable process is far less likely to leave you with an open-ended, badly scoped engagement than one who can't describe how they work.
Consider working style, not just skill
Some designers want a detailed brief and minimal check-ins; others want closer collaboration throughout. Neither is wrong, but mismatched expectations here are one of the most common sources of friction in a project — ask directly how they prefer to work.
The short version
Look past the portfolio to relevant experience, how they communicate before you've paid them anything, a clearly described process, and a working style that matches how you actually want to collaborate.