How free-pitching amateurs are tearing down the reputation and value of the graphic design industry
Free pitching is a term used to describe the supply of design services without payment.
Free pitching may be initiated by a customer who requests the provision of free services, or it may be initiated by a designer who provides free services in the hopes of later payment.
Free pitching is condemned by professional design organisations around the world.
Free pitching undermines the value of design services and destroys the professional standing of designers.
Why choosing professionals is better for business
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Most business owners have grown savvy to this, and recognize that graphic design is a tool they can use to showcase their company, products and services in the best light possible. Yet, in practice, many seem to lose track of their commercial objectives as soon as they start thinking about design.
A common mistake is to approach the graphic design task from an artistic perspective, giving this precedence over business considerations.
Effective design goes further than capturing customers' eye thanks to striking visuals. All the composing elements of a graphic interface including images, layout, style, copy and format, should actively contribute to a company's brand building. Logotypes, websites, brochures and business cards should all aim to capture a company's personality and unique selling proposition, engaging target audiences at once and further fostering likeability for the brand and the relationship with it.
Faced with the plethora of graphic design suppliers available, one way for business owners to choose who to contract is by assessing their response at briefing stage: do they seem to have a good grasp of the business at hand and of the desired design outcome? In addition, examining a designer's portfolio should provide a feel for the standards of work provided and facilitate the commission of a specialist style, should this be required. Illustration, for instance, is a specialist skill not all suppliers might be able to offer.
Cost-cutting when undertaking photography, for example by putting more products in one shot or hiring amateur photographers, will often entail additional hours of desktop publishing to manipulate and enhance imagery, with direct repercussions on total sums spent.
In the same vein, rock bottom printing options can spoil a superior design and be unworthy of the economy they represent.
Being upfront about budget available for any given project, even in ballpark terms, is the best way to save time and money. Using their experience, graphic designers will be able to pinpoint where budgets might be unrealistic, provide advice on alternative creative avenues and direct the graphic design process to ensure they add value where it matters most.
DIY solutions can rarely be satisfactory for professional use, unless execution is undertaken by amateurs with high levels of self-training, using quality equipment and software packages.
Using the expert guidance of a graphic designer to plan the design process is invaluable, because it is the surest way for business owners to identify where their competences could possibly allow them to do more themselves and cut down on specialist fees.
In addition, designers' knowledge of print production for off-set and digital processes should enable them to help organize the seamless transition of designs from concept to media.