Graphic Design Myths: Debunked!

I love being a graphic designer. I’ve spent years gaining experience, practicing patience and overcoming creative blocks. And it’s one of those careers where you’re never done learning. From tech to trends, everything we do is in a constant state of evolution. Graphic designers have to be determined and passionate to keep up. Unfortunately, those outside our field often overlook our work and believe harmful graphic design myths. It’s not totally their fault. Designers are great at making their work so subtle that onlookers have no clue their attention to visuals and typography help draw their eyes to important information and save them from headaches. For example, you may overlook good design, but you always notice when something isn’t right.

It’s time we finally debunk these graphic design myths for all the hardworking designers out there.

Myth: Cheap graphic design works fine.

Yes, you can get your logo on the cheap. Yes, there are websites promising top of the line branding for a discount. And yes, anyone can piece together shapes and words to create collateral. However, if you’re hoping for something thoughtful, timeless and at or above industry standard, you should be working with a trained designer.

Professional graphic designers typically go through 2 to 4 years of college or training. In those years, they study conceptual design, art history, historical trends and all the tools and technology. Just as any profession, all that background and development helps them hone skills and learn the proper approach and methods to building a brand and producing brand elements. They don’t just put together something that looks good. They strategize a foundational brand reputation for their clients. This is serious business, and if it’s got all that behind it, it will cost you a bit of money.

Still doubtful? Would you trust a doctor who charged you $5 for a check up? A brand is something that should last for years, so you need and want high-quality, professional service.

Myth: Macs are the only computers for real designers.

Do all Philadelphians love Philly cheesesteaks? As with anything, there are pros and cons to working with specific operating systems and machines, but today PC and Mac are pretty comparable. Most tools and apps are compatible, so really, the only thing stopping a designer from choosing one over the other is preference.

Graphic designers, we would like to point out that one of our favorite apps, Sketch, is unfortunately not supported on Windows or Linux. And it doesn’t look like it’s in the plans to either. That said, PC does typically offer better pricing and customizability compared to Mac, so don’t count it out completely.

For those who aren’t in graphic design, do note that your designer works on one system, doesn’t mean they can’t think and build for users in another. Again, we’re trained to adjust our approach to various projects depending on the user, screen/paper size, environment and so on.

Myth: You have Adobe Suite, so you are a designer.

Owning a hammer doesn’t make you a handyman, having a pencil doesn’t make you a published writer and having Photoshop doesn’t make you a designer. There are multiple Adobe tools in Creative Cloud, and each has their own purpose. In fact, currently there isn’t a suitable Adobe tool for some of the important work a designer does on the regular. That alone is a complicated. Then you tack on the foundational things like typographic principles, font families, kerning, tracking, the 5 principles of design, rule of thirds… I’ll repeat this fact: graphic design professionals do way more than make things look good. The tools we use aren’t all it takes to get us there.

Above all, we’re professionals and we take pride in our craft. When we send you a price point for your project, you can bet we’ve considered all the time we’re going to spend conceptualizing the right look and feel, researching the industry, familiarizing ourselves with what your brand stands for and considering the needs of your audience. We are trying to cover the costs of the crucial technology and supplies necessary to getting you the right finished product. And yes, this is a job, so we’re trying to eat and live, too.

Red Branch Media – hayWire is a small firm in the heartland. We’re proud of our roots because our location helps us keep overhead costs down without sacrificing top-notch educational opportunities. We’re hard working professionals who offer amazing design and branding services at a reasonable price. If that sounds like a team you want on your side, take a look at our web development and graphic design portfolio!