Why is it important to hire a designer?
“If you do it right, it will last forever.”
– Massimo Vignelli
If you're just hoping into the Design Transparency Series, check out the intro post here! My goal with this blog post series is to equip, empower and add a little more transparency to the mystery of working with a designer by answering popular questions that you have about the design process and hiring and working with a designer.
I believe this question goes back to how much value and belief do you have in your business? Sure, many famous brands got their logos for next to nothing and now they are huge successes, Nike, Google and Coca Cola being some of them. But that isn’t always the case.
If you have value and a belief that your business has what it takes to succeed in such a crazy world out there, then it is so smart to INVEST in your business and give it the best chance to succeed. And that’s exactly what hiring a designer is. An investment.
You aren’t just throwing money into your business not to get anything back out of it. You are investing upfront, so that your business has the foundation to build on and grow. And don't get me wrong, that investment doesn't have to be crazy! I'm not implying that you blow your budget, but that you find a designer that you will give you the most value for your investment.
"You are investing upfront, so that your business has the foundation to build on and Grow"
No one starts an idea without doing the proper planning to build the foundation. Think of a designer as one of the important pieces of the planning.
Your logo can make or break your business. Either it fits in with the brand you are creating as a business, or there is a disconnect. Either it talks to exactly your target market, or it attracts the wrong market. Either it says exactly what you do, or it confuses people. Either it grows with your business for years, or you easily outgrow it in a year and have to pay for a rebrand.
Finding the right designer who does the proper research, asks the right questions and puts your future goals as highest priority is priceless. You will get a logo that will fit seamlessly with your branding and do even more than you had expected.
SIDENOTE: Rebrands are not what designers enjoy doing. They are so costly to your business, because you are starting back at square one after spending months and/or years trying to build a brand and grow a following. I have found that many businesses have come to me for a rebrand, because it is their last hope before doing something drastic with their business. No designer likes to see a business come to that because their logo wasn't done right in the first place. I never want one of my clients to go through a rebrand with a logo I created for them, and that is something that drives me to look past what's popular and trendy with logos right now, to find something that will withstand the trends.
"Having a brand will be priceless for you to stay on track, when you could easily get distracted by what everyone else is doing."
Most people think of designers as only creating the aesthetics for your business. Pretty logos, cool business cards, fun patterns. But some designers actually help you get really clear about your business and the questions you should be asking to plan for success. Many designers have a brand questionnaire and have conversations throughout the process about getting clear on your mission, on your why, on who your target audience is, on your key words that will keep you on track as you build your dream. All these pieces help to create the brand for your business. And having a brand is so important to being able to differentiate yourself from your competitors, being recognizable by customers who will end up being loyal fans, and be priceless for you to stay on track, when you could easily get distracted by what everyone else is doing.
In a few posts, I'll be sharing some tips and tricks to how to find the right designer for you, so keep your eyes peeled!