To hire or not to hire a graphic designer. This is the million dollar question. There are so many free predesigned templates out there – why hire a professional? Many companies are wondering if « Do It Yourself » graphic design is the best solution for their business.
Like everything else, it depends. Creative design it requires in-depth knowledge of the business, but budget can be a real obstacle.
You might be thinking: is it better to « do it yourself » or spend money on a designer? The answer is not that simple, as we will see later.
Is « Do It Yourself » Graphics a Good Idea?
If you have design skills and time to spare, there’s no harm in doing it yourself. But most people don’t know the tricks of the trade and have a hard time putting their ideas into practice.
If this is the case for you, then it’s best to admit defeat and hire a professional: someone who already knows how to translate ideas into images. You will save time and time is money.
Even if you have design skills and can do it yourself, the time you spend designing could be spent on other important aspects of your business.
When is « do it yourself » a good idea?
If you don’t have the money to invest in design, DIY might be a good way to start.
If you know what you want but don’t have the necessary design skills, there are many free and paid tools online that can help you create an eye-catching design.
The downside to this approach is that many other people are probably using the same templates as you… so try adding your own twist on them.
You can also choose to take a basic design course, use professional programs like Adobe Illustrator, or even try simple design tools like Canva, for example.
Are you looking for a design for your website? Other tools can help you with a nice pre-made model and you won’t have to worry about the technical part – yet.
Why is hiring a professional a good idea?
There are no secrets here. Hiring a professional is always the best and fastest way to achieve your goals, and graphic design is no different.
Whether you’re a new or old company, hiring a designer to accurately represent your company is a great place to start.
Design is not just about making things. It requires knowledge of color, art history and theory, fonts, and other topics that can impact the story you want to tell through your campaign.
Your branding should be consistent. Think McDonald’s yellow branding or Nike’s signature swoosh. This is what can get you hired as a graphic designer.
A good designer has all the tools and knowledge needed to visually represent what you’re thinking and help your brand achieve its goals.
Design is about discovery and experimentation, which can get complicated, especially if you’re just starting out. As your business evolves, be sure to define the essence of your business. Do a lot of research before hiring someone.
Ask to see a portfolio. Learn about the designer’s previous work and how it has stood the test of time.
Your brand won’t stay exactly the same forever, but you want it to last as long as possible.
How much will it cost?
Now we come to the most important part. Do you have the budget to hire a professional graphic designer? This way it can be a huge investment.
Watch your budget and make sure you can invest in a reputable professional. Redoing a project is even worse than doing it yourself without any skills. You want to get it right the first time.
If money is tight, at least have a professional design your logo. You can invest more in graphic design later. But your logo should provide clarity about your company’s mission and essence.
We’ve seen whether companies should rely on « Do It Yourself » graphics. There are many things to consider before answering this question, but if you have the budget to do so, we always recommend hiring a graphic designer to take care of the image of your brand.
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