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I need a great looking icon for my mobile game.
I have a few questions regarding the process of hiring a graphic designer to do it:
Any feedback or advice will be appreciated.
Use Elance.com and you can dictate the terms. Generally you would offer 50% of the agreed amount up front and the rest on completion. Elance uses escrow to hold the funds so that both the buyer and professional have peace of mind about the financial transactions. It is also common practice to ask for somewhere around 3 different variations of the design. Again the terms can be entirely dictated by you and people will bid accordingly. I'd say something like 3 variations with 3 revisions total would be good.
My personal favorite is: http://99designs.com/
The basic idea is that you start a logo creation competition where you give the describe what the logo is for, any requirements you have, and how much you will pay for it. Then a bunch of freelance designers will create it for you and you use the prize money to buy the one that you think is best. Just note that buying professional grade logos can get a bit expensive (most are around $300).
Here is a good article that lists several alternatives and pros-n-cons: http://biz30.timedoctor.com/how-to-outsource-graphic-design-jobs/ Also, you should read the comments for community "what worked, what didn't" kind of feedback. I've successfully used 99 Designs for my icons and graphics in the past.
