Ever heard of DIY graphic design for non-designers? Yeah, it’s a thing.
DIY graphic design sounds a little silly to me. Recently I read, “3 Ways Learning InDesign Can Save You Money” and I became pretty eager to voice my opinion on the matter. The writer gives a list of reasons including designer fees, productivity and becoming self-sufficient. I am all about learning and DIY, but honestly, I see nothing productive about trying to figure out any Adobe program in hopes of cutting costs. Plain and simple, If you have never touched Illustrator, Photoshop or Indesign and you think you are about to teach yourself well enough to not need a designer, I vote you scurry off to the woods and wrestle bears.
So, let me rebut…
#1 Designer Fees
Would you try and DIY replacing your radiator if you had absolutely no mechanical experience, relying on trusty-o YouTube to teach you? Probably not. Listen, being a designer is a lot more than just knowing how to use InDesign. Understanding how to properly communicate, visually and verbally, to consumers isn’t as simple as one might think. Paying a designer for their expertise is a win-win if you’re serious about what you do.
#2 Productivity
Hmm. If you’ve never touched an Adobe program, it’s a steep learning curve. To become even slightly proficient in InDesign (or any creative program), takes a serious time investment…all while your projects sit sadly in the corner crying small project tears. Designers spend 40+ hours a week designing. We’re efficient and damn-good at what we do. And again, we’ll make them more successful than you probably can as a new “designer.”
#3 Becoming A Self-sufficient E-Publisher
I agree, if you want a cheaper, more accessible product, digital is the way to go. But in a world that’s incredibly information rich and time poor, you need to make sure your stuff rises to the top. Providing people with content that is easy to read and makes them trust you, will inevitably help make you stand out. And when you’re making all the money, and you don’t have time to sit behind a computer all day (you’ll be traveling around being famous, of course), you’ll gladly pay your designers what they’re worth.
-Liz