The ultimate question! DIY Design VS hiring a Brand Designer.

Do you DIY your designs or hire an expert brand designer? While both are great options and have different advantages, there is no right or wrong answer, ultimately, it comes down to your personal choice and current situation. There are many successful businesses that have DIY’d their design and website. Once they’ve established themselves and are able to invest financially they then outsource and hire a professional branding designer. If doing it yourself seems overwhelming and confusing, outsourcing can save you a lot of time and stress.

So if you’ve been thinking about investing in a designer or DIY, here are a few things to consider when making your decision.

How long have you been in business?

Whether you are just starting out or have been in business for years, there isn’t a specific number to when you should hire a designer, but it is important to consider how long you have been running your business. This will give you an indication on things like who your idea client is, your goals, visions and more. Working with a brand designer that offers strategy as well as design will help you gain clarity and confidence in these areas so that all of your visuals infuse purpose and connection to your audience and business.

How many clients do you have? Do you have a solid process/offerings/services? Do you have a strong foundation for your brand? These are other aspects to consider, when choosing to DIY you will have to figure all of these things out yourself.

Time or money. Which one do you want to invest in?

Building a business and a brand takes time. A lot of time. Especially when it is all new to you. You’ll have to consider the creative and technical side of creating your ideas. Do you have the technology/programs/skills etc to articulate your idea and bring it to life? A brand designer will most likely have years of experience within these areas, so what could take you weeks to months to complete, a designer could do in days/hours. So for this particular section, you need to decide if you would rather invest your time or your money.

Do you want a bespoke brand or are you happy with an overused template?

DIY design and templates can be beautiful, but they are purely that. There is no strategy, meaning, purpose or uniqueness to them. If you are happy with a pre-made or template design that is perfectly fine as well. But you should consider if it is right for you long term. For example, a pre-made/free logo app may not offer you full ownership, intellectual property rights etc. in turn meaning you cannot trademark your logo. Working with a brand designer you will get to create a bespoke brand identity, unique to you. When using DIY design elements check the terms and conditions, do you have full ownership of that design? This is extremely important especially when it comes to copyright infringements.

Do you want to do it? Or is your time better spent elsewhere, doing what you actually love?

This could be the ultimate tie breaker! Do you enjoy spending time creating graphics and elements of your branding? Canva is a great tool if you enjoy doing it yourself and are on a low budget! If is something you enjoy, then by all means, go for it! But if you find yourself wasting working hours creating graphics/content/images etc instead of doing what you started your business to do, it may be time to consider hiring a brand designer.

Do you want complete creative control?

If you know exactly what you want and aren’t open to the process of creating a bespoke brand backed by strategy that will captivate and connect with your dream clients, it may be best to DIY it. When you work with a designer, its great to have ideas, but you should also be open to considering their process and trust in their expertise. Working with a brand designer will push and challenge your vision, transforming your business from where you are to where you want to be. When you DIY your design you will most likely be designing purely on aesthetics. A successful brand identity combines strategy for longevity, growth and connection with your dream clients.

Before you design your branding, its important to start with strategy. If you’re not sure where to start, you can claim my FREE Brand Checklist.

If you’re leaning towards hiring a designer and would like to learn more, reach out here to book a FREE Clarity Call to learn how I can help you establish a clear strategy and brand identity.