The freelance graphic design market is massive, with platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and 99designs connecting clients with designers around the world. But the same accessibility that makes these platforms valuable also makes them vulnerable to fraud. Fake designer profiles, stolen portfolios, and identity misrepresentation are common problems that can cost you time, money, and project quality. A face search engine like facesearching gives you a powerful way to verify a graphic designer's identity before you hire. By running a reverse face search, you can find someone by photo and confirm whether the designer's professional identity is genuine. This tutorial walks through the complete verification process, from collecting the photo to making the final hiring decision.
Step 1: Collect the Designer's Photo
Start by collecting the designer's photo from their professional presence. Most designers maintain profiles on platforms like Behance, Dribbble, LinkedIn, or freelance marketplaces where they display a profile picture. The best source is a platform where professional identity is tied to reputation, such as LinkedIn or a well-established design community. A legitimate designer invested in their career will typically have a clear, professional photo. If the designer has no photo anywhere — no profile picture on any platform, no portfolio site with a personal photo — that is unusual for a visual creative profession. Choose a front-facing image with good lighting and minimal editing. Avoid heavily stylized or filtered photos that may obscure facial features. The quality of the input photo directly affects the accuracy of the reverse face search results.
Step 2: Run a Reverse Face Search
Upload the photo to facesearching. The face search engine will analyze the facial geometry and scan over 100 platforms, including design communities, social media, professional networks, and news sites. In under a minute, you will receive a list of every public web location where that face appears, each with a confidence score. A legitimate designer should appear in design-related contexts — their portfolio on Behance or Dribbble, design community discussions, conference speaker pages, and possibly design award announcements. If the face appears only on unrelated social media, stock photo sites, or under a completely different name, those are serious red flags. The search results should tell a consistent story of a working designer with a genuine professional presence. For a deeper understanding of the technology, see our complete guide to reverse face search.
Step 3: Verify Portfolio Authenticity
Portfolio theft is rampant in the freelance design world. Scammers download impressive designs from real designers' portfolios and present them as their own work. To verify a portfolio, run a reverse image search on several key portfolio pieces using a service like Google Images or TinEye. If the same designs appear on other designers' websites, under different names, or on stock template sites, the portfolio is likely stolen. The face search results should also be consistent with the designer's claimed portfolio. If the designer claims to have created award-winning work, the face search results should show their face appearing in the context of design awards, industry publications, or conference presentations. A designer whose face search results match their claimed identity and whose portfolio is uniquely theirs is likely legitimate. For more on verifying creative professionals, see our guide on verifying a photographer's identity.
Step 4: Check Platform Reputation and Reviews
Freelance platforms typically have review systems, but these can be manipulated. Scammers can create fake client accounts to leave positive reviews, or they can pressure clients into leaving reviews before the work is complete. Cross-reference the designer's reviews across multiple platforms. Look for reviews that mention specific project details, include the reviewer's real name and company, and appear to be from established accounts with other review history. Contact at least two past clients directly through the platform's messaging system. The face search results should also show the designer's face appearing in professional contexts consistent with their claimed client base and experience level. A designer with a strong, consistent online presence across multiple platforms is more likely to be genuine than one with a presence limited to a single freelance marketplace.
Step 5: Conduct a Video Interview and Design Discussion
Before committing to a project, schedule a video call. This confirms that the person on camera matches the verified photo from the face search. But more importantly, it allows you to assess the designer's actual knowledge. A genuine designer will be able to discuss their design process, explain the rationale behind their portfolio pieces, talk about the tools they use, and ask insightful questions about your project. If the designer cannot explain basic design concepts, cannot discuss their own portfolio work in detail, or seems to lack the fluency you would expect from a professional, those are red flags. Consider giving a small paid test project before committing to a larger engagement. This is a standard practice in the design industry and legitimate designers will be comfortable with it.
Red Flags When Hiring a Graphic Designer
- The designer's photo appears on a stock image site, under a different name, or in unrelated contexts in the face search results
- The designer's portfolio images appear on other designers' websites or stock template sites when checked through reverse image search
- The designer's reviews are suspiciously generic, lack specific project details, or come from accounts with no other review history
- The designer cannot explain their design process or discuss their portfolio pieces in detail during a video call
- The designer's pricing is significantly below market rates, which may indicate a scam or outsourced work of poor quality
- The designer insists on full payment upfront without a contract, or communicates exclusively through messaging with no willingness to video call
How facesearching Supports Freelance Verification
facesearching gives you a fast, privacy-first way to verify a graphic designer's identity before you hire. By uploading a single photo, you can see every public location where that face appears — from design communities and professional networks to social media and news sites. The results help you confirm portfolio authenticity, verify professional history, and identify red flags. Photos are deleted immediately after processing, ensuring your privacy is protected. To try it now, visit the facesearching home page and upload a designer's photo — you will have actionable results in under a minute.
A designer's portfolio is their currency. One face search confirms that the person behind the portfolio is the professional they claim to be.