Great Design, Limited Budget
Developing a design for a client who has a small or limited budget, can be a real challenge for any graphic designer. Every client wants to – (and should) - watch their bottom line. Some concepts and ideas will prove way too expensive.
Producing an innovative design within limited budget calls on a designer to be marketing savvy, to know about alternative processes or methods to communicate the same message. They need to produce an impact, maintain the qualities of the brand and achieve the desired end result of the communication being undertaken. And truthfully, a large or unlimited budget can easily disguise a designer with little talent and no imagination or knowledge. (Anyone can spend money to make something look good – it’s not hard and we’ve all done it!)
What we all need to keep in mind though, is that budget is a consideration, but not the only one. You can go too cheap! Communication is all about the end result. And if you accept work that saves $500 there and $1000 here, but reduces your potential sales by $1,000s, you end up cutting off your nose to spite your face.
In this time of economic uncertainty, the need for creating innovative and inexpensive designs has increased. Many organisations are cost cutting and slashing budgets, and marketing is usually the first to go. Marketers should see design as a necessity, not a luxury - especially if you are trying to maintain a brand and communicate a message. Design is all around us, it’s the ‘first impression’ a customer has of your product or service and we all know how important first impressions are.
Budgets are a fact of life. The true sign of a great designer is one who is able to fulfil clients needs, maintain the brand and do it within a reasonable budget. With the advancement of technology we have the ability to produce colour cost effectively. There is a magical array of paper stock available. There are some great printing techniques and software is getting more and more exciting. We can develop a stunning end result. The key is to be innovative and to experiment.
I always encourage my designer’s to remember all the techniques they utilized when they were studying and had limited funds. Techniques such as, hand drawing, simple typography, a detailed photograph, a textured or coloured paper, use of image libraries instead of professional photography. These are all tools that are part of the design process. A limitation on budget does not necessarily mean a reduced imagination. The key is a great idea or concept from the start, and as a graphic designer that’s what our clients pay us to do – to be imaginative and creative.
We try to remember that not every client remains small forever. Generally, as a business or product grows so does the budget. Innovative design does not need to be expensive. Using about other processes and printing techniques is an excellent way of saving a client money, and we strongly encourage it at Stella Design.
A budget should not constrain a designer’s ability to create an innovative design. In fact, facing a creative challenge on a limited budget can often assist in making sure the design process is as efficient as possible Be sensible about good design. It doesn’t have to be hugely expensive but there is a bottom line you should not cross. Communicate in a way you’re proud to be associated with and the sales will flood in!
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