Why do I need a graphic design agency anyway?

Chances are, if you are reading this, you can’t design squat. Your attempts at graphic design are crude doodles in the light of what you see at glitzy product launches, media briefings and artsy exhibitions. By the same token, most graphic designers can’t balance a ledger or fix a faulty car engine, so don’t feel bad. It’s time to stop berating yourself for what you can’t do, and tap into the creative juices of someone who can…

There is no shame in delegating the tasks you can’t do within your business to someone who has the relevant skills, so why should it be any different with outsourcing the work to a graphic design agency?

Yes, it can be intimidating when thinking about approaching a business that knows much more about graphic design than you do, but as with any business relationship, a little trust is required. If you are prepared to research them online first and ask around about their reputation and track record, you can get a pretty good idea of whether they suit your needs and have the experience to bolster your shaky confidence with a good helping of their own.

Make sure that you are compatible, both in tone and experience: A hip start up agency filled with bean bags and snotty nosed whizz kids would not be a great fit if you wanted an upscale corporate annual report designed, for instance. In contrast, if your business is an SMME struggling to gain credibility, maybe approaching a well established graphic design agency would lend some much needed authority and brevity to your brand.

Approaching a one-man-band working out of his garage may be great for those once-off small projects at the outset, but what does that say about your business and brand in the long run: that it’s not worthy of some serious design expertise, thought or extra expense? Also, an agency has more than one member to generate creative energy, and generally has a creative director who oversees all design projects, so there is quality control and consideration of whether the artwork fulfils your brief before designs leave the studio.

Graphic design agencies work every day within the industry, so they are knowledgeable about trends, what works and what doesn’t, what other organisations are doing in terms of marketing collateral, etc. They also know what is possible in terms of paper choices, binding/folding options and cover effects, disasters to avoid and designing within the digital space. You’d be silly not to take advantage of piggy backing off their collective know-how and insights in a realm that is as fuzzy as cottonwool to you!

So what’s the verdict? Find a reputable agency that is experienced enough to garner respect yet small enough for its account executive to be willing to sit down with you over a cup of coffee and listen to who you are as a business and what your real graphic design needs are. It might be the beginning of a beautiful symbiotic relationship – an extension of you like that of a bionic arm that skillfully designs whatever your mind can conceive. And, of course, you can get all of the credit too…