Why You Shouldn’t Work with a Design Agency that Uses Templates

In our post-recession economy it can be very tempting to cut corners in order to save money– especially when it comes to creative work like graphic design. When vetting agencies to handle your design work, cost can often be the determining factor. Many times you’ll discover that agencies charge the same ballpark amounts, but one or two of your candidates will undercut prices significantly. Have you ever wondered how this is possible? Typically, graphic firms that offer bargain prices utilize templates. This practice allows them to keep costs low, and they pass that savings on to their clients. However, there are many pitfalls that come along with templates, and you should think twice before partnering with an agency that utilizes them as their primary method of design. Why Do Agencies Use Templates? Agencies use templates because they are profitable. They can simply pull a logo off the shelf, swap out some colors and fonts, and in no time flat, the client has a logo and the designer can begin the next project. Agencies that operate in this way typically hire untalented or burned-out designers who don’t do any actual design. They simply manipulate images one after the other. It’s the design equivalent of a factory assembly line. Template-happy agencies are far more interested in profit than they are in customer service. They don’t care what your business does, what its goals are, or what your plans for the future are. They just want to crank out logos the way Hostess cranks out Twinkies. […]