Everyone is not a designer. Most designers aren’t great. Great design is based upon research, creative churn, experience, and flat out top notch execution. Let me be clear- this is why great design isn’t free.

More and more we are asked to do homepage compositions for proposals. We don’t get paid for those so we don’t do them. We don’t enter into “logo competitions” either because at the end of the day if we want to do free work we’ll give our services to a great not-for-profit or charity. I’m getting concerned that the process of design is withering away because most think that it’s copying another’s work and putting a new logo on it.

This post is for new designers entering the industry, experienced designers, and those who are interested in working with designers. It’s not a rant, it’s a fact check.

Why Isn't Design Free?

It’s a profession. Design degrees are offered at many major universities worldwide. So it’s not amateur hour. Designers are not just people who are good at Photoshop. There are people like that and they are called “Technicians.” They can copy other people’s work because they know how to manipulate the software. But if you ask them to create something from scratch they are at a loss. There is a tremendous gap between Technicians and Designers. It’s the difference between $50.00/hour and $250.00/hour.

Multiple mediums. Here’s the premise- great designers are great whether they work on the Web or they work in Print. It’s simply a medium choice. The line between Print and Web is becoming more blurred each day (grids and typography). Granted being great via Print means understanding pre-press, ink, paper stock etc. Likewise, being great on the Web means understanding HTML, modular design for CMS, and some usability. But the point here is that those things can be learned. A great eye is a great eye. Not everyone has it.

It's a process. Often times the journey is so much more interesting than the destination. Great design is a process of discovery. Creativity is a means of using the result of that discovery and creating a finished piece. That’s what separates a good design from a great one.

Always on. Designers have to keep up with trends and changes in technology. Design time is not 9 to 5. Creativity can come at 3 AM. And when it does, it results in either an early morning sketch session or finishing that homepage design you were stuck on just six hours ago.

Why Is This Happening?

The Economy has created a demand for low cost design work. The problem though is that it is producing poor quality work. I can recall when Pagemaker came out and in an instant anyone could create brochures, catalogs, and business cards with the use of some templates and a Mac. In that era, typography was lost. Great photography took a backseat to stock photography and everything had clip art on it. I feel we are retreating back to this moment in time.

What's the Point?

The point is great design isn’t a bunch of kids in the back of the class with crayons. It’s a profession. Design is a process that is built upon years of education and experience. Sketching mock-ups for web sites, print pieces, and logos for free diminishes the Design Industry. For those that purchase design services consider asking your lawyer to draft a letter for you for free and if you like it, you’ll consider paying for it. Try it and see what happens. For the designer coming out of school looking to build your portfolio- if you can’t find work for hire build your portfolio with work for causes you believe in. You’ll not only have the opportunity to create a good piece but you’ll be able to help society in some way.

Look, I know things are tight with the Economy right now but it will recover. The Design Industry cannot bounce back if clients are used to getting design for free. The appreciation for the process will be lost and we will all lose our Designer title and become Technicians. Worst of all, clients will not benefit from the process. Their brand will become stagnant and their web sites won’t convert. Great design costs because great design provides a return on the investment. It makes good business sense to pay for great design!

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