Hiring a Virtual Assistant for Design Work
Cool. So you need a logo, website, animation, illustration, 3D graphic, brand guide, color scheme, or font designed.
TLDR: Hiring a VA for design work can produce incredible results, quickly, if you’re able to communicate and iterate efficiently.
Hiring a virtual assistant isn’t for everyone and it’s not for every project or task. We’ve said it on this blog before. The same is true for design work. Not every design project should be done by a virtual assistant. But many can and should be. Here’s how…
When a VA Should Be Used for Design
It’s best to not overthink this one. If in doubt, hire a VA. A virtual assistant, especially when hired through an agency, is a low-cost, low-risk wager. So if you find yourself on the fence, error on the side of a virtual assistant.
Another good rule of thumb is to determine the deliverables required. Does the design project require an extensive list of files, file types, or other variables? If yes, maybe a VA-agency isn’t the best fit.
Where a VA and a VA-agency work best is in an environment where speed, cost, and multiple iterations are necessary. Using virtual assistant’s allows a project to be nimble and flexible. Iterations and revisions can be completed overnight, all while delivering high quality content.
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Communication
Communicating with a VA and a VA-agency is a massive topic that will be covered in future articles. But when discussing design work, it’s essential to mention communication. As is the case with most, if not all, design work, communication moves the needle. If requirements, suggestions, and preferences are not clearly depicted in the project outline, the designers will likely not be able to hit your mark.
Design projects must be guided by a North Star. Without one, deliverables will be all over the place. Communicate clearly and specifically what should and should not be included in project. Describing what you don’t want is equally as important as describing what you need.
Iterate
This is where VA’s tend to shine. Version 1 is typically not the ideal deliverable. Version 1 can often be the hardest version to come by. But what’s great about a first draft, is that you now have something to revise. There is now a visual on the table to discuss, negate, pick apart, and improve. Get to Version 1 quickly. Because iterating from Version 1 is fast and efficient.
So if you’ve got a design project on the table, determine the parameters and viability to be done by a VA.
Is this a project that needs to be done quickly? Is there clear direction or is it too open-ended? Is it likely that you’ll need to work through multiple iterations? Is there a North Star?