Is it always better to work with a specialist?
A funny thing happened to me last week.
I had a call from a potential client who was enquiring about having a folded leaflet designed and printed.
He mentioned that he had used an online company and wasn’t happy with the result. That got me thinking, “Is it better to work with a specialist?”
In my opinion, the problem with these online ‘design and print your own’ services is that you literally get out exactly what you put in, and if you’re not familiar with what you are doing, the result won’t be what you are expecting, leaving you feeling disappointed.
So what was it that I did differently?
Firstly, I had a face-to-face meeting, something that you can’t have with an online service. We sat down, and I listened to exactly what my new client wanted to achieve. After listening to him, it became clear that, in trying to save money, my client wasn’t happy with the finished leaflets and didn’t feel confident using them to promote his new venture.
Secondly, I offered suggestions on using white space, breaking up the text with images, using solid blocks of colour, and adding a ‘call to action’.
Thirdly, I submitted a quote for the work, which allowed my client to make changes to the layout at no extra cost – guaranteeing he would be happy with the final result.
Needless to say, the quote was accepted, and I began putting a layout together based on the suggestions I had made earlier, and I sent a hard-copy proof for comments. My client made a few minor changes to the text and one image, and then it went straight to print. The difference here was that he could see what he would be getting before it was too late.
How do you like your graphic design?
You can have it fast, cheap, free or great. Or can you?
So is it better to work with a specialist?
I agree. I always recommend using a specialist because they know what they are doing; they do it every day. You, the client, get exactly what you want and can spend your time doing what you do best.
Can you do it cheaper?
Yes, of course, you won’t even notice the difference.
“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”
Have you ever had a badly designed job? Send me a message.
