DIY Branding - Hurtful or Helpful?

DIY Branding – Hurtful or Helpful?

With all of the DIY tutorials available on the web, it can be tempting to try and save money by pursuing the creative process yourself. Those who design branding based on personal preference rather than what will attract the target audience, suit the personality of the brand or translate well in multiple applications could hurt their company more than it helps.

As graphic designers, we strive to make an aesthetically pleasing product, but more importantly we are problem solvers. We research the industry of clients for a thorough understanding of their target audience; this enables us to create a brand that engages and interacts with that audience. Having a brand created for you by a professional designer has many benefits:

It’s custom.

No templates, no pre-formulated shapes or limited font choices. A one-of-a-kind; a brand as unique and strong as your ideas will attract the kind of clients you want.

It’s from an industry expert.

Professional graphic designers have education and experience in the industry. There is a carefully planned strategy behind everything created: Color schemes, font choices and all visuals are elements combined to solve a problem. A pro will educate their clients about these choices and how they are the solution. Telling you it is something they thought was pretty is not acceptable reasoning.

It’s from an outsider’s perspective.

Being IN a brand can hinder your perspective of that brand. We see the potential of your brand and big ideas. We do our homework, so we know how your brand looks through the eyes of your audience. Let us capitalize on your strengths and build a solid reputation.

You will attract the right clients.

You want to build a good reputation and attract qualified clients. Our solution is to work with you to accomplish your goals with solid branding, consistent materials and advertising.

Many businesses are hesitant to invest in branding because it’s not an instant solution or quick fix. However, a professionally designed brand backed by years of education, research and experience is a solid foundation to success.

Asking for spec work is not good for business.

Asking for spec work is not good for business.

Let us define spec work. Speculative work is work done in advance to having a contract with a client in anticipation of being paid. There are many risks associated with spec work for both the designer and the client. The client takes a risk of getting lower quality work because the designer invests less time, energy and thought into the project. The most important part of a project is the research, consideration of options, and the development of design mockups. Designers risk being taken advantage of by clients looking for freebies. While it isn’t always the case, free work often diminishes the value of the designer’s abilities.

The position of AIGA, the nation’s largest and oldest professional association for design, strongly discourages the practice of requesting that design work be produced and submitted on a speculative basis in order to be considered for acceptance on a project. Designers should be fairly compensated for their work.

There are very few professions where clients ask for work in advance. Imagine asking a dentist for a free cleaning and telling them you will only pay if you like it. A more effective approach to seeing which designer you would like to work with would be to ask for examples of their work from past projects. From this, you would be able to determine if their style would be a good solution for you.

AIGA, 2013. AIGA Position on Spec Work. Retrieved April 10, 2013 from http://www.aiga.org/position-spec-work/