Beyond the Portfolio: 5 Red Flags to Watch for When Vetting B2B Designers

In the world of B2B design, a beautiful portfolio is the baseline—it is not the finish line. For a Product Lead or Founder, hiring based solely on "aesthetic" is a dangerous gamble. High-quality design must be backed by high-quality process. If a designer can create a stunning landing page but cannot explain the business logic behind their layout, they aren't a design partner; they are a pixel-pusher.

Since 2010, I’ve seen countless projects stall not because the design was "bad," but because the designer lacked the professional infrastructure to succeed in a B2B environment. Here are the five red flags you need to watch for during the vetting process.

Red Flag 1: The "Visual-Only" Case Study

If a designer’s portfolio consists entirely of final "shots" with no explanation of the problem they were solving, proceed with caution.

Why it matters: In B2B, every button and margin should serve a goal (conversion, retention, or clarity). A designer who can’t articulate why they made certain choices will struggle to take direction when your product requirements shift.

Red Flag 2: Lack of Asynchronous Communication Skills

Pay attention to the first 48 hours of your interaction. Is their communication scattered? Do they miss details in your initial brief?

Why it matters: Most design work is asynchronous. If a designer requires a 30-minute Zoom call to understand a simple feedback loop, they will become a bottleneck for your team. Look for designers who provide clear, written updates and well-documented Loom videos.

Red Flag 3: Ignoring Information Architecture (IA)

Some designers focus so heavily on colors and typography that they ignore the "flow" of the data.

Why it matters: B2B SaaS products are data-heavy. If a designer doesn't ask about your user’s journey or how data is structured before they start "painting" the UI, you will likely end up with a product that looks great but is impossible to navigate.

Red Flag 4: No Knowledge of the Design-to-Dev Handoff

A common friction point in product launches is the "Handoff Gap."

Why it matters: If a designer builds a complex animation or a non-standard layout without understanding how it will be coded, your developers will have to rebuild it from scratch. Ask your candidates: "How do you prepare your Figma files for a developer?" If they don't mention auto-layout or design tokens, your dev costs are about to skyrocket.

Red Flag 5: The "Yes-Man" Syndrome

The most dangerous designer is the one who agrees with every suggestion you make.

Why it matters: You are hiring a specialist for their expertise. A great design partner should challenge your assumptions if a request hurts the user experience. If they say "yes" to everything, they aren't thinking about your product's success—they're just trying to finish the invoice.

Conclusion: Hire for Process, Not Just Pixels

When you vet your next design partner on Dribbble, look past the "likes." Search for the designers who talk about business outcomes, developer collaboration, and user psychology. Those are the partners who will help you launch a product that actually moves the needle.