I was recently reminded of this brilliant quote from the late Paul Rand, a design legend and one of my personal favourite designers.
I realised it actually relates to the modern debate on the value of design – a hot subject these days as it’s become quite hard to get some people or businesses to value and pay for quality design.
There will always be cheaper ways to get design work produced. Most recently it’s been a rise in crowdsourcing websites, design competitions and freelancers willing to work for less and less. All of these make people question why they should pay good money for design. But there is design and there is good design. Good design makes a difference rather than just exists.
Which brings me back to Rand’s quote. His simple statement manages to make in one sentence a very good case for why good design adds value to you or your business:
Good design is your ambassador – something that represents you when you or your employees can’t be there in person. It represents you in the little details that people notice. It represents you on your website, or your brochure, but most importantly in your logo and brand. It silently exists upholding everything your brand stands for, long after any advertising or PR has faded away.
So why wouldn’t you make sure that your ‘ambassador’ is as good as it could be, that it’s well equipped to do it’s job and can hold it’s ground with authority? After all, it’s got a tough job to do these days.
Of course it’s possible to get by with a cheaper version, but it’s not going to work hard on your behalf. If your logo is poorly designed or very generic, or if your website is not user friendly, or your marketing material not properly targeted – it does reflect on your business and brand.
Awesome post