The Design Trinity: 3 kinds of must-have designs for your startup

My sister spent an entire day trying to design her own logo when she first started her home baking business.

With only three locations, our food company had already gone through a rebranding twice. Every Instagram home service massage I saw had a logo.

The marketing world of today has become increasingly visual. This means that no matter how good your product is, it will go unnoticed if it lacks stunning visuals.

All big corporations, as well as small and medium-sized businesses that want to look big, have visual representations of their brand.

Design is now perceived as a requirement in modern businesses. A company needs design work for campaign ads, company logos, product labels, website layouts, and so on.

I’m sure you’re bombarded with suggestions and design requirements every day. This begs the question of whether hiring the right design services is critical for your company.

Can your business survive without it? Yes, but only for a short time.

3 Types of design for your business

Anyone starting a business should have a basic understanding of design. It can be challenging for a business owner to make a decision, especially if they have a limited budget.

For the time being, you should only concentrate on these three design types: branding design, online marketing, and print design.

1. Design for Branding

If you are launching a new company or a new product, you will need a brand guide. It will help you ensure consistent branding, regardless of who is doing your design.

As your company grows, you will require more designers to create designs for you. Everyone will be on the same page with a branding guide.

Consistent design is essential when reaching out to potential clients. It enables consumers to put their trust in well-known brands. Besides that, consistency makes your brand more dependable.

Sample brand guidelines

2. Design for online marketing

Online sales now account for 36% of all business sales. Large eCommerce brands grew by 50% between 2019 and 2021. Customers are becoming more comfortable ordering or buying anything they need online.

The numbers have spoken. The Internet is the best place to get your company noticed. Having a website is a must. Great web design with functional visual elements is necessary for engaging web pages and content.

You need a strong online presence to drive traffic to your website. This implies you have to post on social media on a regular basis, which requires a completely different set of designs.

Sample social media designs

3. Design for print

Every business wants to be visible in the marketplace, and one classic marketing strategy is printouts. Graphics for print are needed for everything from brochures to business cards, from clothing to foldable fans.

Even if there is a surge in digital ads, these materials never go out of circulation, due to their effectiveness. So never leave home without them.

Sample print design

How much should you spend on design?

Money is a big concern for small and medium businesses. Most business owners make the mistake of mindlessly copying the marketing efforts of big businesses.

They fail to realize that these conglomerates are willing to spend millions of dollars just to get their name out there.

Out there is usually an immeasurable nowhere for SMBs. This is why the design partner you choose must be worth every penny.

The cost of design services

One of the most important aspects of almost everything you do is determining the cost. After all, that’s why you’re in business. So, how much should you spend on the design of your company?

Price per time spent

Most designers prefer an hourly rate to track payment after a certain amount of work has been completed. The rate is usually determined by the current market, as well as the designer’s training, experience, and reputation.

Fixed price

Some designers also offer flat-fee or fixed-fee services. Occasionally, the client will agree to pay a portion of the designer’s fee up front, with the balance due when the project is completed.

Package-pricing

Many designers provide a variety of services at a lower cost than paying for individual services. Each package is tailored to the needs of the business, from logo design to website development.

A new design agency, individual freelancers, or established design firms can all provide design services. As a result, prices vary according to the level of expertise.

The best option is an on-demand design service

On-demand design services can create different kinds of designs for businesses. You can easily request designs without having to hire and train new designers every time.

In comparison to freelancers with confusing talent fees and erratic design quality, Deer Designer provides consistent high-quality outputs for a fixed price.

As your company grows, you can gradually add designers to your design team without breaking the bank.

Your design team can also help you figure out which designs you need first. When you run out of ideas, they can give you alternatives. Pick a design team that will not only create designs for you but will also relieve you of HR headaches.