As a designer, I am constantly learning, reading & experimenting with new ideas. I recently read the book “Design is a Job” by Mike Monteiro. The book is all about running a design business and giving clients what they need rather than what they want. It also touched on the value of design in many different forms. The book is entertaining, witty and really hits home what having a design career actually means.
Design is a Job
Good designers work hard. They don’t sit around and doodle and draw unicorns or whatever they feel like. Design is about researching & discovering solutions through creative processes. The term “creative processes” may be off-putting to some who isn’t required to constantly put-forth original work day after day. Sometimes little, unorthodox methods like sitting at a coffee shop or playing ping pong may spark a new perspective. Being “creative” isn’t always fun and fanciful. It can be stressful, challenging & yes, work. Or a “job” as many call it these days 😊
The Value of Design
In all industries, there is good work, average work, and poor work. How you decipher between them will detirmine your success as a business. Who you hire or partner with reflects directly on you. Whether that person be your employee or an outside company, the choice you make can make or break you. So how does one decide whether something is good or poor? Can you tell the difference between a $300 website and a $7,000 one? From the perspective of a designer and business owner, it’s not always easy when you don’t live and breathe it from day to day.
Problem Solving & Persuasion
Problem Solving
Good design solves problems. Poor design adds to the problems. In the web world, there are many different types of websites. There may be a website that looks like an Escalade at first glance, but is actually a rusty old Lumina in disguise. Simply because a website looks beautiful, doesn’t necessarily mean it is solving any problems for the business. And visa versa. When you analyze a website, you have to determine these three key points:
- Does the design have a purpose allowing me to understand what it is the company does and what they represent?
- Can I find what I am looking for without frustration?
- Is the content presented in a readable, engaging fashion that answers my questions?
Persuasion
A good website is one that helps you make a decision or perform a task. It helps persuade you in the correct direction. That direction may be to go to the contact page or for others it may be to assist you in understanding all of the services a business offers. Persuasion generally has a negative connotation. When someone persuades you to do something, you may have not have been interested at all in the beginning. But, it isn’t all that bad if the persuasion is positive and is filling a need or a desire that was sought out in the first place. Design has the power to positively persuade. To do this successfully, the design needs to be targeted at the audience that needs or will find the most desire in having your product or services. If it isn’t, the design is, to be frank, a waste of money. So no matter how cheap you got your last website for, if it isn’t doing it’s job, it wasn’t a good deal after all.
Great Value
There is value in everything. Marketing campaigns around the world often portray value as being inexpensive or cheap. But, I could most certainly say the new couch I purchased was a great value at $2,000.
Value: The return for every dollar spent.
Value isn’t amount how much you spend, it’s about successful the investment was in the first place. You may spend $7,000 and receive 5 new clients due to your efforts. Or you may spend $300 and receive none. Which was a greater value? You do the math.
