Could any experts here offer advice on how to find and select the right interior designer?

I'm looking for an interior designer and feel like there has to be a better way to find one than just googling design firms.

I found my designer through Houzz by browsing projects I liked in my area. Several designers kept appearing repeatedly. I reached out to five or six of them and eventually interviewed two before selecting one. I'm really happy with the design she created for our project. Now, we're in the process of finding a contractor, but the first bid we received was double our intended budget.