Good design is not cheap. Cheap design is no good.
There is a mindset that creeps into conversations every now and then; getting cheap design will save money. Can you do it cheaper? Can you do it quicker, cut the corners and therefore make it less expensive. In the short term, just looking at the numbers, it feels like a sensible, commercially aware option. Especially given the plethora of cheap designers on platforms such as Fiverr and People Per Hour all vying for your work. However, fixing the problems that can come around later will cost far more than investing in the project would have in the first place.
One very important rule of brand design here at The Great Field is consistency. Presenting a consistent identity to your audience builds a sense of trust. A company that presents itself inconsistently can end up appearing unprofessional, confusing and even untrustworthy.
Consistency starts with coordinating your visual assets across customer touch-points, i.e. anywhere your company is present; your website, social media accounts, print materials, packaging etc. In order that we know your brand works, first we have to identify the customer touch-points and then visualise your branding on them. This takes time and resources. However, if your are serious abut your business, it makes total commercial sense to invest in your project from the start. For instance, what happens if your branding looks awesome across your fleet of vehicles, but doesn’t translate very well across social media? Are you going to change your branding to suit? What does that say to your existing customer base? Are they expected to feel secure? Will they start to see you as a risk? Will they feel confused? And how will new customers feel about you? Consistency is almost like an insurance policy for your brand. Why would you take the risk?
So if you’re thinking of rebranding or you are starting-up, have a sensible budget in mind, talk to some agencies, find the one that fits because they understand you, not just for the sake of money, because in the long-run, cheap design ends up being way more expensive than good design.
