Who Does Your Graphic Design?

We’re often told that these days marketing is a visual art. You need stunning, dynamic images that will grab your audience’s attention and make your other content really pop. And to produce those images, of course, you’ll need top quality dedicated graphics professionals.

There is some truth to this idea. Quality images can definitely make your content stand out, and potential customers will quickly turn away from large, ungainly blocks of text. But do you actually need to spend a fortune on top quality graphic design? Should you attempt to do some of it yourself?

Outsourcing can have several benefits:

• As an entrepreneur, you’re already wearing a lot of different hats. While hiring someone else to do your design work might be an additional expense, it is one less thing you have to worry about.
• Unless you’re already a professional designer or have extensive training in the field, a professional can probably do the job better than you can. They’re professionals for a reason.
• Design work is project-based by nature, so you don’t always need to have a designer on hand. You can employ them as needed with a minimum of fuss, letting you concentrate on your strengths.

However, there are some compelling reasons for doing it yourself:

• Professional-grade design software used to cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars and require taking college classes to properly learn. Now with new subscription methods available from makers like Adobe, the leading creator of design software, the cost to use these tools is now far less. In addition, you can now access online tutorials from places like Lynda to teach you how to use it.
• Outsourcing means you have one more outside person to deal with, which means more oversight and administrative work.
• You’re giving up a degree of control. Graphic design isn’t just about images and logos. It determines how a potential customer sees you. By outsourcing, you’re giving someone else control over that.
• Doing your own design work gives you a better perspective on what graphic design can and can’t do, as well as an idea of the software and the process involved. If later on you decide to bring in a professional, you’ll have a better idea of what to look for.

Ultimately your design needs are going to depend on you, your company and your industry. How much design work will you need to have done, and how often do you need it? Do you enjoy the work or consider it a chore you want no part of? How much time are you willing to spend on it? How much time can you afford? What’s your design budget?

These are just a few of the questions you’ll need to answer. Figuring it all out can be challenging, but then again you didn’t decide to become an entrepreneur because it was easy.

Good luck and happy designing.