Visual Designer vs Graphic Designer — What Web Design Customers In Trinidad & Tobago Should Know
Locally, there’s no acknowledgement from the general public about the distinctions between a visual designer and a graphic designer mainly because there isn’t any information being produced from my industry around said topic. So naturally, you’ll come across 99.9% of professional graphic designers creating billboards, websites, content design and the like, calling it branding, which it is, but that type of “branding” is centered on supporting something that’s already there through the design of individual design projects — Not finding the brand and building it from scratch.
As a consequence many Trinidadians (maybe they’re a startup like Cru Nonpareil once was, or maybe they want to create and hone in on their brand voice like The Red Bushing Man did) engaging visual design services, misguidedly expect a graphic designer. Therefore, prospects come upon my services for The One-Page, and it confuses them because the characteristics of the service are so different.
Here are 5 things web design customers in Trinidad and Tobago shouldn’t do when hiring a visual designer, as well as signs to be aware of that differentiates their job from someone who is a graphic designer so you’re not caught off-guard when approaching and experiencing their services.
1. “Understanding” The Goal Of The One-Page
It’s typical of web designers to depend on the client’s direction with regards to mapping the pages for their site. Their job is design after all so it’s not unnatural that they’ll ask the client to create a list of the pages for the site and to set KPIs (key performance indicators) for the project. But, because the project’s value is built on ‘getting a website designed’ and not what specifically needs to be done in order to deal with whatever problem/s the client is having in their business, the design tends to be superficial to that of a visual designer. But that methodology however is native to a graphic designer.
When a client hires a graphic designer they provide the brief. In other words, the clients are the ones telling the graphic designer what to do. Whereas, with a visual designer, they are the ones telling the client what needs to be done: the visual designer is the problem solver.
You want to know ‘why professional brand and web designers function like glorified graphic designers and by extension work with the wrong type of client?’ It’s not understanding their job; to some degree, not having the confidence to lead a client; and unfortunately, it’s also much easier to blame you when the project fails.
While you (the prospect) need to know what the goal is for your One-Page, KPI’s aren’t something you need to be immediately concerned with unless you have experience marketing your type of business to say ‘I know what I’m looking for’. In my experience, local specialists or startups seeking online advertising in the form of The One-Page to varying degrees don’t have this, don’t know what they want beyond the website, and typically fumble when prompted for this information.
The result of trying to figure out things you don’t understand how to figure out on your own is you’ll always stay stuck “working on getting a website” if having a website is the real goal.
I have found effective ways to mine specific information from my clients without it feeling like work to them. Therefore, I define ‘understanding the goal of The One-Page’ as possessing the ability to articulate the problem you need solved. This ensures that my line of sight (based on the goal) is informed (as per the projects I’ve handled) when I take on a project.
2. Figuring Out What You Are Looking For Visually First, Before The 15-Minute Call
Figuring out the look and feel of a branded project like The One-Page is dependent on the clarity you (the client) have around your brand. Unfortunately, the average customer in the market for The One-Page isn’t thinking about branding because they don’t know what it is. You would recall that at best you believe ‘a brand is your logo, colors, imagery and fonts.’ Plus, many of you never heard of an ideal client nor want to appear like you have one for fear of losing money. But understanding who you serve is a critical part of creating the look and feel of your online presence and that’s uncovered in The BrandConductor Design Interview.
So, determining what you’re looking for visually, prior to even figuring out where the focus in your services is and how it expresses itself is reminiscent of an pubescent girl (with no experience in the world) trying to convince someone she’s someone that she isn’t. You don’t want to project a lie and the best way to circumvent that is to get help from someone capable of asking the right questions to bring that information out.
3. Finding a Copywriter
Earlier we learned all designers aren’t created equal. Therefore, if you’re working with a local web designer, it’s quite possible that you’ll need to find a copywriter. On the other hand, depending on the focus of their services, you may not have to with a visual designer.
The creative expectations of a visual designer can range from designing Internet sites to games and movies. Their duties are often industry or project-specific, therefore, job descriptions frequently call for knowledge of a particular niche. Moreover, in the case of a local small business experiencing a specific range of problems, a visual designer and expert on said problems providing a leg up to the internet like The One-Page is fully capable of writing copy.
Focusing on projects of a specific nature is its own whetstone to the skillset of a service provider.
4. Branded Photos Or Stock Images?…Hmmm!
While on the topic of decisions that don’t need to be made ahead of time, you won’t know whether or not you’ll need stock images or branded photography until you’ve been put through TheBrandConductor design interview. I’ve had clients who thought nothing of piggybacking on another brand’s photography, now they invest time and money behind professionally branded images because it’s critical to their credibility. But I’ve also had clients who didn’t need branded photography and the best solution was to purchase an image. So my advice is if you’re eyeing The One-Page, relax. Again, let the designer guide you.
One thing I can guarantee is that I don’t encourage snatching images off the net. So if that’s an ultimate goal of yours, The One-Page isn’t for you.
5. Asking For Discounts
There are no discounts, payment plans or the like associated with The One-Page project so I won’t suggest you try asking for any of that!
If you’re looking for bargains on web design services, as hinted earlier I suggest you seek out a graphic designer who sells web design services. If you’re seeking an answer to a specific problem I’m capable of solving I’ll be selling that.
I am the Founder and Visual Brand Strategist at The BrandTUB
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