Why you should never design yourself.

Side note: If you’re a designer with an education please stop reading, it’s your job and keep doing what you’re doing. For the rest of us I’m going to make a plea on why it’s advisable to hire professionals.

In all modesty I’d like to believe I know a thing or two about design. When I came out of the womb the logo’s of Lego’s were literally imprinted in the soles of my feet. Unlike my brothers I spent all my Saturdays at art school instead of the football pitch. I owned an Apple computer in a time when it was still the number one reason to call someone a fruitcake.

I’m not unfamiliar with aesthetics or design software for that matter. I’ve even given birth to a few logo’s myself. Is it a coincidence that these companies have either gone out of business or changed their identities? I think not.

All jokes aside, good design needs a deeper understanding of it’s history, context and rules. Anyone can pick up Microsoft Paint or download Photoshop, however that thorough understanding needs to be taught and cultivated. A lack thereof makes the development of a brilliant concept impossible.

With this in mind we decided to work with a design studio; Studio Moan. In the next two sections I’ll try to explain where it usually goes wrong and what I’ve learned from our collaboration.

Strive for consistency

I often see people (myself included) alter their own designs over time. They’re either dissatisfied with previous attempts or they want to implement new trends that they’ve seen elsewhere. Unfortunately these changes leave your audience and customers confused. Are these guys schizophrenic, in a bad mood or completely clueless?

Even when large companies make adjustments they stay pretty close to the original design. Your brand should be recognisable and stand the test of time.

A different perpective.

When you execute your own idea, it usually doesn’t get any better than your own imagination. It’s incredibly valuable to let someone else expand on your vision. We gave our designers the freedom to tackle our identity with a completely open mind. It can be quite scary if you love to be in the driver seat.

Studio Moan came back with vibrant and playful colours and I was shocked at first. How was I ever going to be taken serious with pink as one of our base colours? Yes, I’m conditioned to stereotypical gender profiles.

However our studio understood that they had to balance multiple elements to preserve our sophistication. The colours could be wild, but the the font had to be slick. The icons could be cartoonish, but the animation had to be smooth. In the end that created the binding factor and a strong concept.

The whole design process helped us define ourselves. I realised we wanted to be something that we were not. We were compelled to copy something that felt familiar, instead of finding our own path. A form of conservatism that didn’t reflect us as individuals let alone our company.

Studio Moan defended their work not because they’d fallen in love with their own creation, but they believed it was better for our perception and identity. They never imposed an idea on us, but rather kept on asking questions. Finally I could stand behind their choices, because the sum of it all was greater then I could conceive myself.

A good design gives you confidence and the ability to stand behind your brand.

Feel free to download our Brandbook: guidlines for our identity.

Petty Looks

Your design and website says so much about your company. The investment might seem steep at first, but if done right it can propel your business quickly.

You could still be thinking “Well, I deliver a great service and design is just one tiny element.” and to a certain extend you’d probably be right. But consider this; How am I going to trust you leading me in the right direction, if I can’t even navigate through your website? How am I going to enjoy or feel good about your product if I’m repulsed by the packaging?

Perception is everything. It sounds kind of lame or superficial, but it’s the reason people go and watch a terrible film such as Batman VS Superman. It’s the reason people pay for an overpriced computer which was previously only intended for fruitcakes.

Do me a favour shell out a few bucks and get it over with. Focus on what you’re good at. In the end your product might stink, but at least it won’t be refused by a sweaty bouncer based on petty looks.

More about Studio Moan

How important is good design to you? We’re curious to know what you think. Please leave your comments below.

Twentie four is a six part documentary series about unique, smart and sometimes controversial impact entrepreneurs. The episodes are currently in production or lying on the editing table. If you want to know more about our series please follow us on Facebook