Is cheap design worth it?
A plastic sign on the side of the road here in Corona got me thinking about design pricing. The sign was advertising cheap websites. Like most other things, design prices can range from laughably low to outlandishly high. And, as with most other things, you get what you pay for.
There are many web-based design businesses out there that sell themselves based on their cheap work. They’ll offer logo design for $100 or a website for $250. Think about those prices for a minute. A good designer or design firm will spend 20+ hours on a logo including client consultation, research, concepting, sketching, revisions and creation of digital files. Clearly parts of that process must be cut in order to offer a $100 logo.
Which part would you want left out? Should the design firm skip the discussion with the client about their goals? Should they skip the research, ignoring what others in the market are doing and avoiding any analysis of target customers? Maybe the initial sketching should be cut and the designers should just present the first logo that comes to mind.
A good design doesn’t leave out any part of that process. It is vital, whether in a logo, a website, or a brochure, that a thorough process is followed. Design isn’t just about making something “pretty,” it’s about communication. Using budget design solutions may seem tempting at first but if they don’t open lines of communication with your customers then it’s really just wasted money.
