Now before you discredit this post from the get-go because this information is coming from a professional designer, hear me out! I share these points because I really do care, friends. I’m tired of watching fellow business owners struggle on their own, or go the haphazard DIY route or even worse, work with a designer who lacks the experience or credentials to back them up. Whether you’re attempting to visually brand yourself or you simply need some top notch print  materials for an upcoming event, I really do believe that professional designers are worth the investment every single time. Not quite convinced? Well, let’s see if I can’t help change your mind.

Reason #1: We’re Impartial

Although we have the utmost respect for your work, your business and your boss lady attitude, we aren’t emotionally tied to your work the way you are. We have the ability to take a step back from a project and fairly assess what needs to happen in order to make visual magic come to life. In many cases, we haven’t poured in sleepless nights and huge amounts of heart into your business the way you have, so we can also offer our professional opinions from a slightly more rested perspective. I think I can speak for most designers when I say that we truly want what’s best for you and your business, whether that’s with us or another designer. That being said, we make suggestions or share new ideas of reaching a common goal with you in order to help you receive the best quality work possible.

Reason #2: We Play by the Rules

And by this, I mean that we understand the basic principles of what makes good design so good! We know our serifs from our scripts, and have a solid grasp on the psychology of color, how to share information in a hierarchal manner, and the keys to strong layout. We pay attention to those little seemingly neurotic details that others don’t because that’s part of our jobs, and honestly, we enjoy it! We love kerning, the Pantone color system and explaining the difference between press-ready and web-ready graphics. Yes, it sounds nerdy but oh my goodness does it come in handy when you need a beautiful set of branded stationery at your disposal!

Reason #3: We’re Here to Tell Your Story

So much of my work with my branding clients involves helping them articulate the core values, mission and goals behind their brands. In turn, we take that incredibly valuable information and figure out how to best represent it visually! Why? Because I’m all about sharing my clients’ stories with the world through beautiful design and powerful messaging. Although I’m a firm believer in the power of the written word, strong visuals can pack an impressive punch. Your designer works tirelessly to create the perfect color palette, typeface pairings, and custom graphics because all those little details add up to the bigger story that’s waiting to be shared – the story of your brand and how it’s going to impact the world. We’re visual storytellers armed with an array of Adobe software and Pantone swatch books, and we can’t wait to hear what we can help you share!

Reason #4: We’ll Help You Get It Right the First Time

When you work with a pro, you are making an investment in quality work, a one-of-a-kind client experience, and strong visuals that will stand the test of time. Don’t be daunted by that higher price tag! If you’re willing to make the investment upfront in creating on point visuals for your business, then you won’t find yourself needing to update colors or recreate images every six months. A professional designer helps you create beautiful graphics that are well grounded and overflowing with purpose and meaning. Gone are the trendy visuals that you’ll outgrow in a few weeks! Get ready to enjoy timeless visual content that is truly made just for you.

I could keep going, but I believe these are a few of the most important reasons to invest in a professional time and time again. Just like you wouldn’t trust something as important as heirloom family photos to a novice, you wouldn’t trust the visual face of your brand to anyone but a seasoned pro, right? I’d love to hear what you think about going pro vs. taking the DIY or amateur route, friends. If you’ve had experience with one or the other before, sound off in the comments below!

Stay tuned for next week’s post – Qualities to Look For in a Graphic Designer!