A design firm can add considerable value to your projects...but only if you've chosen the right one. The wrong choice can result in a potential setback to your project, or worse, its ultimate failure. There is no foolproof method in matching a design firm to your needs, but there are a few, very important things to look for when making your choice.

Does the design firm demonstrate their problem-solving capabilities? Or do they limit their talk to aesthetics?
This distinction is important. The firm that explains their past work in terms of their clients' problems and how those problems were solved knows how find the answers to your issues. If a firm describes their work in aesthetic terms, then your problem will be approached from a visual standpoint. It may look quite beautiful in the end, but it will probably not communicate what is important to the right audience.

Is the process they propose clear? Are you comfortable with it? Or is their approach to the problem vague and unsure?
Another key to choosing the right design firm is to evaluate their methodology in order to maximize the success of your project. Whatever approach is chosen, it should be clear and logical, tailored to your project's objectives, and include a number of stopping points along the way that require evaluation and agreement by decision makers.

Do they really listen to you?
This last criteria is harder to evaluate but is just as important. If a design firm appears to have all the answers, before the job has even started, perhaps they don't grasp the true depth of the problem or see its full potential. But a good sign is if they ask “value-added” questions...ones that get you thinking in ways you hadn't previously, thereby indicating the possibility of receiving more from them than you expected at the onset of the project. There's a big difference between knowing all the answers and seeing the possibilities.