Most people don’t know how to begin the process of working with a designer, or don’t understand the value it brings to their business. In our society of quick fixes and instant gratification, you may be lured into a quick design fix. There are lots of places online where you can get a quick logo, business card or brochure design…for a tiny bit of money.
Yesterday, I found a site where you can buy a $50 logo! Wow, that’s cheap. After looking at the cheap logo site, I could see that the designers there used clip art (the same graphics & illustrations you see everywhere else) and didn’t spend much time using interesting typography (letters & numbers used together in a visually pleasing way). The designs were slapped together quickly and carelessly.
If you want a cheap & quick logo, working with a professional graphic designer is not your best choice.
The difference you’ll find in working with a professional designer is that we spend a lot of time getting to know about you & your business. We want to represent your business effectively, and in a unique way.
A professional graphic designer will be very interested in learning all about how you’re different, and how to best represent that in today’s competitive marketplace.
I was on a phone interview yesterday with a potential client who’s searching for a designer to help him with a logo design. He had designed a logo of his own about a year ago, and was realizing that it just didn’t have that edge you get when it’s done professionally
I asked him all sorts of questions to learn where he was coming from, what he did, where he wanted to take his business in the future. I could tell he was a little confused about all my questions. The more I know about the specifics of a business now, and what the future goals are, the better I’m able to represent it.
There are vast amounts of psychology involved in the colors and images we professional graphic designers use.
Investing in professional graphic design is an investment in the future of your business. Whether you’re needing a logo, a business card, a brochure or any type of print or web materials for your company it is a representation of you and your business. What is the image you are trying to portray? Professional? Fun? Casual? Who’s your market and what things appeal to them?
If you are a business coach and have a picture of a dog on your marketing materials (because you like dogs) people will have a hard time making a psychological connection to the visual representation of your business. They’ll think, “What do dogs have to do with business coaching? Will a dog make me more successful? What kind of dog should I have to be successful?” In other words, you’ll lose them at that critical moment when you could be peaking their interest in what it is you do and what you may be able to help them with.
If you’re interested in representing your business in a professional way, investing in the services of a professional graphic designer is well worth it. I’m always happy to talk to people about what their design needs are, and how they might achieve their goals.
I never charge for discussing your project, and helping you figure out the best course of action.