Fast Food Design: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Cheap and Easy Design

September 27th, 2010 Design by Thomas McGee with No Comments

After a little browsing on-line, or a couple of quick Google searches, it soon becomes overwhelming to see the vast array of options available for graphic design.

Site after site features its own list of quick and easy solutions for design, with packages, amazingly fast turn-around times, and constant promotion.

But what separates the starving designer (or design team) from the truly successful ones?

Quality.

Thousands of places can deliver something quick and cheap—that’s how the fast food industry revolutionized how we choose to dine. The design industry is heading the same direction as our eating habits.

However, there are still many reputable and reliable companies focused upon delivering you the highest quality. Read on to learn how you can find the same for your graphic design needs.

Avoid the Cheap and Easy

Like so many fast food restaurants that line downtown strips, graphic designers are not difficult to come by. But how can you find one that’s right for you?

Search for designers with the quickest turnaround times and lowest rates to compete, right?

Wrong.

As fast-and-easy graphic design grows, there are still a considerable amount of businesses, authors, and other individuals who want their graphic design done right. They prefer the quality time, effort, and expertise their project deserves.

Design Done Right

If you want a logo designed and delivered within the next 24 hours and for under one hundred dollars, try an online design company that’s set up for such requests.

If, on the other hand, you seek a quality design, check the designer’s reputability and focus on design “done right.” The best designers rely heavily on delivering supreme customer service and in offering the best quality work. It’s almost always worth the wait to receive a design that’s done right.

Custom-Tailored to Fit Your Needs

Let’s say someone approaches you for a writing project for an upcoming website. They want their copy finished by this afternoon and are willing to pay any amount to accomplish this.

You brainstorm, scribble, and crank out a draft, which you show to your client for review. Then it’s back to the grindstone; you type like wild to finalize your written piece. Barely meeting your deadline, you thrust your finished literary creation into the online world.

How unique do you think this copy was? How well do you think it established your client’s brand or identity?

Certainly, a skilled and experienced writer can pull off something creative and effective under these circumstances, but is it the best it can be?

The answer is a resounding no.

In the same manner, when design is done on a pressured turn-around time, or for a very low price, it seldom receives the attention to detail required to make it successful.

For a cover design, logo design, Web site, stationery, or any other number of designs, time, research, and many comps are required to find what’s best. Quality design takes take time to produce.

A Targeted Plan

One of the first helpful tools to avoiding the fast-food mentality is a targeted plan. Usually begun on blank sheet of paper, a plan or roadmap helps you fine-tune your ideas and goals.

What’s the purpose of the website? Is it to sell product, or to convey information?
Would visitors benefit from a full-service online shopping experience, or would a simple and informative site suffice?

Partner with your design and marketing team; ask questions so you learn about the services they offer, and so you can receive valuable advice and guidance from them throughout the design process.