Is graphic design what your company needs? Depending on when you make this question, the most probable answer is yes. Companies from all around the world use graphic design in their day-to-day duties. Whether they need to post something on social media or run a marketing campaign through several channels, graphic design is how the company will express its solutions to their customers' needs.
But, when exactly do you need to hire a graphic designer, or when is graphic design not so imperative? There are a lot of factors that can alter this question, and if you want to keep a low budget, you will have to choose your battles when it comes to graphic design. Learn more about the importance of graphic design below.
Disclaimer
The statements below are just simple ways to decide if you want to spend a little more of your budget on a graphic designer. We recommend having one in-house or a trusted freelancer for all your projects. The better your content's quality, the more results you will see in the future.
Your Company needs a Graphic Designer when:
Start the Business
Graphic Design is essential for any company starting to enter the business world. All new companies should have a website, a presence on several social media platforms, a logo, a color and a font palette, and an overall consistency between their content.
When you start a business, you need to hire a graphic designer, period. They will help you create all the things we mentioned above and more. Set aside a big part of your budget for this one because this will be your presentation card to the public.
Rebranding
Following up on the first bullet point, you also need a graphic designer when you want to rebrand your business. Many things can incite a company to rebrand, such as updating its image or changing the industry they perform in. Whichever reason you have, you must consider that rebranding is like starting your company from the ground up, at least from a graphic point of view.
Your logo, your pictographic line, and even your website will go through some changes that need a graphic designer. A graphic designer's job is to maintain a constant graphic line when rebranding.
Marketing Campaigns that last longer than Three months
Marketing campaigns can be complex if you do not have the right content. Sure, most of the Ad campaigns for social media are now more segment-based, but the content is still primordial for an advertisement to work. You also need to remember that ads are just one part of a marketing campaign. Several designs would go into social media, your website, and any other platform you use that can include visual content.
Hiring a graphic designer to complete these tasks is necessary if the campaign runs for more than three months, even more so if you are planning to launch a product or expand your services. Part of knowing when you need a graphic designer is evaluating the actions your company will take in the short and long term.
Your Company can skip a Graphic Designer when:
Social Media is not your main Channel
Many local businesses do not rely on social media as much as national or worldwide companies. They base their marketing and sales campaigns on different channels, like printed media or word of mouth. If you find that your company works better through more traditional means, then a graphic designer may be a long shot. Try to stick to design apps like Canva. These apps can help you by providing templates for any occasion and can save you a lot of money when comparing their subscription plan against the cost of a graphic designer.
One last tip before moving to the next idea is not to neglect your social media accounts. Even if most of your business is local, always be active on social media platforms. You never know when someone from outside your community will come to visit. And that visit was because they, most likely, discovered your place on social media.
Your workers have an understanding of What is Graphic Design
Many modern employees have dabbed in dozens, if not hundreds, of different tasks from companies they have worked with. Ranging from basic skills like converting a document to PDF to more intricated ones like color correction, a lot of workers have experience in several fields even though they did not study those assets.
Having an employee with these skills is great, but you also need to pay for those skills. We are not in the boomer age anymore. If you have someone within your ranks who has an understanding knowledge of graphic design and likes it, why not provide them with the right tools to develop the skill? You can pay for a course or a class they can take and provide them with the right equipment to do their new tasks.
You have a Virtual Assistant
The last scenario in which you will not need a graphic designer is if you have a virtual assistant. Tightly related to the point above, virtual assistants are experts in many business areas, including specific skillsets like graphic design or bookkeeping. One great advantage over workers with visual design knowledge is that they already possess the necessary equipment to perform any job you tell them, like making a logo or creating a social media campaign.
Virtual assistants are the future of the workforce. Not only do they have the experience of dozens of companies they have helped in the past, but they also come at a meager price compared to a regular employee. You don't have to worry about benefits, healthcare, equipment, or even payroll. All you have to do is contact an agency, like New Age Cubicle, and they will match you with the candidate suited for your needs.
When is Graphic Design really needed?
The short answer is: always. Graphic design has become one of the content pillars in the modern era. Companies even fight amongst themselves for graphic designers that have excelled in many campaigns before, making their cost a little bit higher than a regular worker. If you do not have the time to learn graphic design as a new skill or the correct amount of budget to hire one in-house, you can go with a virtual assistant. Click here to know more.