Designers tell all: What you REALLY need to know about brand and web design
What do most business owners get wrong about design?
Is branding more than a logo?
What should come first: design or copy?
Do copywriters drive designers crazy?!?
We’re unpacking it all in this special edition blog post featuring four talented designers based in British Columbia. Grab a cuppa and dig in as they give us the inside scoop on web design and visual branding.
Copy vs. Design…dum dum dum
Some designers and copywriters like to joke about a shared rivalry. Ever met a copywriter who was bitter because a designer got all the glory for a sparkly new website? It’s a thing. Then there’s the debate about which should come first: design or copy… (Spoiler alert: Not all designers feel the exact same way about this.)
And don’t even get me started on brand voice vs. visual branding.
All jokes aside, I freaking love designers. They mesmerize me. And copy + design is like sunshine + ice cream. They make each other better.
Amazing copy will crash and burn if shoved into bad design. And the most spectacular design will not get you far if the messaging is, well, a mess.
That’s why I wanted to shed a light on these designers’ genius. Hopefully, it’ll give you a taste of design’s value and help you decide if it’s something you need to invest in (perhaps along with your copywriting investment😉).
Meet the BC-based designers
Thomas Newton
Thomas is the graphic designer and founder of Newton Creative Co., a small multi-disciplinary creative team based in East Vancouver, BC. They offer branding, print design, copy, communications, and photography.
Jessica Thomson
Jess is a graphic designer and founding partner at DesignCoast Creative, a boutique design agency based in Victoria, BC. They offer brand creation, graphic design, and WordPress website design and development.
Kayleigh Janssen
Kayleigh is the designer and founder of Vancouver Island-based Prismatic Marketing. She offers branding, Squarespace and Shopify web design, and social media marketing for passionate small business owners.
Emily Johnston
Emily is the designer and founder of Victoria, BC-based Artio Design Co, where she crafts uplifting brand and web experiences for sustainable businesses.
Now here’s what you really need to know about brand and web design.
What are the biggest misconceptions you hear about brand design?
Thomas
That branding is just a logo and some colours. If branding is done right, it will include a logo and set colours, BUT... it will also contain brand typefaces, brand voice, target demographics / an ideal consumer, and a well thought out idea of who and what the brand is and represents.
Jess
Branding = Logo Design. Yes, a logo is one important part of your brand, but it’s just one piece of a multifaceted process. The visual identity and framework of your brand permeate throughout all aspects of your business, from management to marketing to development.
Branding is only for the Big Guys. Everyone can benefit from a strong, clear brand. Branding packages can also be scaled to reflect your organization’s size and complexity. Don’t be afraid to reach out to design companies if you are interested in branding your small or medium-size business!
Branding is a Waste of Money. Sometimes when people don’t see an immediate, tangible financial return on their branding, they tend to think it isn’t adding any value to their business. But you can’t equate branding to a commodity or product. Not only does quality branding make your organization recognizable (and stand out among your competitors), but it also adds a level of consistency and organization throughout all processes of your business. Customer loyalty doesn’t happen with poorly designed (or non-existent) brands, because your customer doesn’t know who you are.
Emily
That the focus of a brand is aesthetics. Of course, making things look nice is an important part, but an impactful brand also considers how you want to communicate and the feelings that you aim to evoke. It’s about finding clarity and helping a brand appeal to the right people.
That a brand should cater to everyone. Having a clear picture of who you’re trying to speak to will ensure that your branding resonates with your ideal community–leading to stronger connections and more meaningful conversations with like-minded folks.
What’s something you wish business owners knew about brand design?
Thomas
There is actual thought and strategy that goes into your brand design. Yes, in its simplest form, I'm trying to design something appealing, but there's a tonne of thought and research that goes into choice of colour, choice of typeface, size of typeface, positioning, storytelling, and a whole lot more. OH. and properly delivered files, with tips on how to use them. Honestly, like anything, you get what you pay for.
Because of this, good brand design isn't cheap. A full logo family alone is going to take me upwards of 16-20 hours of work to complete..and that's just the designing part. Let's do some quick math... Say you want to pay $50 for a logo family. If I'm putting in a minimum of 16 hours, that means I'm essentially getting paid a WHOPPING $3.12 an hour. (I would check my math, but that's about right.)
Kayleigh
Brandy strategy is a must. Business owners often get stuck on the visual aspect of their business, caring more about their logo than the Brand Strategy behind it all. Brand Strategy is understanding your ideal customer, it’s your positioning, your voice, your messaging, and your values. It’s what makes people remember your brand, and what they think about when they see your logo. Your brand identity is much more than just your logo.
A good logo works in plain black and white. Clients get caught up in wanting a beautiful, colourful logo. But sometimes they want one that is a bit too detailed to actually be a good logo. When designing logos, ensure that the logo works in a solid colour, such as black, and that details don’t get lost when you zoom out on it.
Jess
I create better designs when my clients trust my expertise. I’ve been doing this for a while, and my training and experience are what you are hiring me for. Remember, I want to create a design that will work best for YOU. Though I always try to stay true to my client’s ideas, sometimes I will have some additional concepts that may stray outside what they initially envisioned, because I think they will help elevate the brand.
Also, designing is super fun (shhhh… don’t tell anyone or they will all want to become designers)! Yes, there are frustrating moments, time crunches, creative brain blocks, continual training and late nights at the computer. But for me, this is a dream job. I get to problem solve AND be an artist every day. Does it get any better than that?
Emily
We can be mindful of sustainability in the design phase as we bring ideas to fruition. By considering the ripple effects of our design choices, we have the ability to help make a positive impact. From choosing sustainable paper and inks to avoiding plastic and harmful coatings, opportunities to implement things like this in brand design and beyond is an exciting way to support important business values.
Brand design is a powerful investment in your business. It’s an opportunity to nurture your ideas, bring life to your values and vision, and support your business to grow sustainably. Overall, brand design can empower you to feel more confident in sharing your story and more aligned with your business goals. Good design is like making a meal for someone special, knowing all the ingredients they'll swoon over. In brand design, we aim to deeply understand a business and its audience so we can craft visuals that inspire, delight, and connect.
Editor’s note: Your brand voice is a major element of “branding” too! Many of the points these legends made are also applicable to your voice—aka how your brand expresses itself through language, cadence, and tone.
What are the biggest misconceptions you hear about web design?
Kayleigh
Definitely that it’s easy. Business owners sometimes think they can easily whip up a website themselves to save money, but this can mean they end up cutting corners.
They think that they can get away with a basic website that they design, but they often fail to realize that web designers put in a lot of work behind the scenes to ensure that a web design build doesn’t just look pretty. It also has to function appropriately and implement important design theory to ensure that the website is also doing its job of converting visitors into customers.
Sure, it’s easy enough to put some text and photos on a page, but it takes skill and knowledge to design a webpage with the end goal of the user and business owner in mind!
Emily
That you need to include everything (to tell your whole story and have alllll the content). With web design, simplicity is key. A well-organized visual hierarchy with thoughtful, concise content will do wonders to make the experience easy to navigate and keep those visitors engaged.
I’ve also heard that web design “is easy enough to do and shouldn’t take long.” Ooof, haha. While it may seem that way, even a simple design takes a lot of strategy and hard work behind the scenes. An effective website involves in-depth research, a roadmap for a seamless experience, responsive design, captivating visuals, and triple-checking custom features, all before celebrating the website launch! All in all, it helps to work with a web designer to bring your vision to life and attract your people. Though I do think clients should feel empowered with the knowledge to update their website with ease.
What’s something you wish business owners knew about web design?
Kayleigh
1, It can be affordable! Web design doesn’t need to be a super costly expense that is out-of-reach for small business owners. Many web designers, myself included, offer lower tier, semi-custom designs or template designs that are tailored for small business owners so that they can have a beautiful website that functions appropriately without a hefty price tag.
2, Having well-written copy is a game-changer when it comes to web design. I often feel like clients don’t understand the true value of good website copy and how much it can transform your business. Hiring a good copywriter is a must! They are able to help with so many elements of the design, including SEO.
Having your website copy first is usually what guides the layout and overall design of your website. I always design based on the copy. Working the opposite way makes a lot more work as I might assume I have a piece of copy when I really don’t. If I don’t have copy to match my layout, I either have to write that copy or re-design my layout. It’s much easier to design around copy!
Emily
Web design can provide your brand with a beautiful online presence, but it should also consider functionality to delight your audience by creating a streamlined experience tailored for them.
Having a strategic design means understanding your audience and their goals. A good strategy goes a long way and is a key component for a stellar website.
Another cool element is the ability to create a dedicated online space that drives impactful conversations. And it can help a business encourage engagement and connections with their audience. Web design is an extension of your brand and is an opportunity to have fun expressing your brand’s voice and personality!
Do you think design or copy should happen first?
Kayleigh
When it comes to websites, definitely copy! Copy should always come first so that designers can construct a wireframe around what they have. Without having copy, we are basically designing in the dark. This can lead to longer project times due to needing to re-design sections that may or may not have copy that works for it.
Emily
When it comes to the infamous design or copy first debate, whenever possible, an even better scenario is when writers and designers collaborate on strategy and ideas. That’s where the magic really happens! The opportunity to combine our strengths and land on a concept together is what makes a compelling and clear storytelling experience. Having strategic copy that aligns with your brand voice and goals will help inform the visuals that bring it to life. Without a solid idea of what the messaging will be, design becomes somewhat decorative and less impactful. So, I vote for collaboration!
Thomas
I would prefer that at least some copy has been written before any design takes place. For me, personally, it makes it easier to visualize a design when you can plug in actual copy and know things like sizing and how much space it will take up etc. Placeholder text just doesn't quite do the same thing.
Jess
This is a really interesting question—a bit of a “chicken or the egg” scenario. In a lot of situations, I love having as much completed content as possible before beginning the design process. This prevents those dreaded situations where you’ve put hours into a beautiful design, only to have a client continually send you more and more content, piece by piece, and you end up spending the majority of your time re-jigging the design. Ultimately, it will result in an end product that is far from your original vision.
However, there are some circumstances where designing first is actually beneficial. Sometimes you are starting from a blank slate, and the client really doesn’t know yet what content they want and needs a little guidance in this area. That's when I can design, and use placeholder content. This placeholder will help the client envision how much and what sort of content they need. In these situations, the client is putting a lot of trust in my expertise in design as well as communications, but it allows me to really get creative with my concepts.
What's the most annoying thing copywriters do?
Thomas
The only copywriter I've worked with is my sister and tbh I'm usually the one annoying her.
*editor’s note: lol
Jess
Create TOO much! I know, I know… "you can’t have too much of a good thing”. But when you are trying to squish an essay onto the back of a business card, less is more! We designers LOVE lots of white space. I need room for the designs and layouts to breathe. I love when copywriters are witty and concise!
Emily
I have major respect for copywriters. :) I can't say anything they do is particularly annoying, but I find their creative talents and clever wordplay mystifying! Their ability to eloquently express what a client, or even myself, struggles to articulate just gets me every time. It’s so dang cool!
Concluding thoughts: Design and copy have a lot in common (awww cute, right?)
I’m obsessed with what these designers said. I think part of the reason it gets me so amped up is because most of it is super applicable to copywriting and brand voice too.
When you invest in copy or brand voice development, you’re getting more than words that sound nice and “get the job done”. Just like with design, there’s a whole lotta analysis, research, strategy, and creative expertise that goes into it behind the scenes.
But that’s a post for another day.
Thanks again so much to these talented BC designers for sharing their words and passion with me. And thank you for helping make the world a more strategically beautiful place!
Share this post with someone you love. And go follow these designers online!
Thomas, Newton Creative: Instagram - @newtoncreativeco
Jess, DesignCoast: Instagram - @designcoast
Kayleigh, Prismatic Marketing: Instagram - @prismaticmarketing
Emily, Artio Design: Instagram - @artiodesign