3 Lessons I Learned While Hiring a Graphic Designer

We recently hired a graphic designer at Kleros. In this article, I’ll share how, why and what I learned on the way. Let’s go.

Kleros is a decentralized arbitration protocol relying on crypto-economics to incentivize jurors to rule ‘coherently’ (i.e correctly) using the Schelling point. We aim to solve low-hanging fruit use cases (not murders and other heinous crimes) but commerce and blockchain-based disputes that require cheap, efficient, and fair resolution. We’ve also built a number of dapps benefiting the greater ecosystem including a token curated registry, escrow, and oracle (in collaboration with realit.io). [To find out more, join our Telegram or check out our site. ]

We already have a very skilled UX/UI designer who was responsible for the graphic design throughout articles, web, and other visual material. It became apparent that we needed to split the load somewhat, freeing up UI/UX-based design to our lead designer. So we took to CryptoJobsList aiming to find someone who could offset the extra workload and generally support or lead.

With any new applicant, we have a three-stage interview process after screening initial applicants. When you speak to any candidate via video call, you get a much greater insight into whether they are right for the job. The highest quality designer may not be the right fit for your team. Generally,if you get on with someone over a 45-min call and their portfolio has already done the talking, it’s a strong sign.

One of the main things I’d underline when recruiting designers is the ease with which templates can be used to create portfolios. The difference between someone who creates their own ‘from scratch’ designs as opposed to those who take premade internet templates and then modifies them is noticeable.

Don’t be fooled by a slick portfolio until you’ve seen the raw creations directly from the suite of choice. (Illustrator / Photoshop / Sketch etc)

Lesson 1:

Although a keen understanding of how blockchain works (in our case Ethereum specifically) is useful, a non-crypto based designer with a strong portfolio shouldn’t be disregarded. Many of the key aspects of great design don’t require a Satoshi level understanding of crypto.

Lesson 2:

Add a strong screening question (or task) to your advert. Regardless of where you advertise, you’ll get a lot of low-quality submissions which can suck resources. If applicants haven’t attached the relevant info or files, you can quickly skip through them.

Lesson 3:

Don’t rush.

We’ve found CryptoJobsList highly efficient in sourcing the right candidate for the role. Generally, users of the site have a strong crypto knowledge (and often previous experience) which can expedite any onboarding to the team.

It’s easy to list and the price point is very fair.

10/10 would hire again.

[BONUS] Advice for candidates looking for a Graphic Designer role in crypto:

Don’t be put off by the whole ‘Blockchain’ element. If you’re a skilled designer who can produce high-quality content, you’ll learn the rest of it as you go.

Freelancing for low hourly rates whilst the platform takes 25% of your earnings can be tiring. If you’re looking for a change, apply to some of the crypto positions, you literally have nothing to lose.