How to Work With Web & Graphic Designers Without Getting Burned

How to Work With Web & Graphic Designers Without Getting Burned

A practical guide for small business owners who want better results, fewer revisions, and zero regret.

Most design projects don’t fail because the designer is bad.
They fail because expectations are vague, communication is messy, and no one ever explained how this process is actually supposed to work.

This guide exists to fix that.

How to Work With Web & Graphic Designers Without Getting Burned is a no-fluff, real-world resource for small business owners who want to stop wasting money on endless revisions, unclear contracts, and websites or designs that never quite feel right.

It doesn’t teach you how to design.
It teaches you how to hire well, communicate clearly, and protect yourself—before and after the contract is signed.

Inside the Guide, You’ll Learn:

• How to evaluate designers before you hire them—beyond pretty portfolios
• What a website or design project is actually supposed to do (and what’s optional)
• How to communicate your vision clearly without jargon, guesswork, or “make it pop” feedback
• How to give useful, actionable feedback that designers can actually work with
• How to avoid common and costly mistakes that lead to scope creep and rebuilds
• How platform choice affects control, cost, and long-term sanity
• Why “just email me for updates” and vague maintenance plans usually backfire
• How to set boundaries, expectations, and ownership so the relationship actually works

No scare tactics.
No marketing fluff.
No pretending every business needs the same solution.

Who This Is For

• Small business owners hiring a web designer for the first (or second… or third) time
• Entrepreneurs who’ve been burned by cheap or unfinished websites
• Founders who want control, clarity, and fewer dependencies
• Anyone who wants a website that works with their business—not against it

Who This Is Not For

• People looking for DIY web design tutorials
• Anyone who wants the cheapest option at all costs
• Businesses that enjoy rebuilding their website every few years

Why This Guide Is Different

This wasn’t written by a marketer guessing from the sidelines.
It was written by someone who has been designing websites since the late 1990s—and keeps getting called in after things go wrong.

After the cheap site.
After the free site.
After the promises quietly expire.

This guide won’t tell you who to hire.
It will make sure you don’t hire the wrong person.
It will make sure you know how to get your money's worth once you do hire someone.

A good website isn’t cheap.
A cheap website isn’t good value.
And the most expensive website is the one you have to build twice.

The magic isn’t in the pixels.
It’s in the thinking behind them.