This might be an unpopular opinion, but design Intensives shouldn’t be used for everything. These quick-fix solutions are popular in the design industry right now. While they can help kickstart certain design projects, it’s important to understand their limitations. They are a great way to serve people quickly and give them fast results. But if they’re trying to promise you the world in a day, they’re setting themselves and YOU up for failure.
Not everything should be a quick-fix turnaround. Yes, brands and websites can be built quickly but it doesn’t need to happen in a day. Here’s why VIP days and design intensives don’t work for building brands and websites.
Thoughtful design takes time
Thoughtful design shouldn’t be rushed, it takes time to think through the strategy of things and create a brand or website design that is going to actually work for you.
Designing a brand or website often requires in-depth research into the target audience, competitors, industry trends, and user behavior. One day may not provide enough time for thorough research, which can lead to a design that doesn’t effectively meet the needs of the audience (AKA it won’t really be effective for your business).
Design should align with a clear brand strategy and business goals. Rushing through a design process in one day may lead to overlooking the strategic aspects of the project, resulting in a design that lacks purpose and coherence.
It puts pressure on the creative process
The idea of having a complete brand or website by the end of the day is pretty nice. But what if the designer isn’t feeling very creative that day? Or what if the vision just isn’t coming together easily? Creativity doesn’t really work on a schedule.
Sometimes it takes a lot of trial and error to get to the right design for a brand or website. If you’re limited to a one-day turnaround, then you could end up with a forced design or something that is just “good enough” because the clock ran out.
Building a brand or website typically involves multiple design iterations to refine and improve the final product. VIP Days and 1-day design intensives don’t allow for extended iteration and testing, which can result in a less polished end result.
When you’re trying to complete a project in just one day, there can be pressure to make quick decisions without sufficient time for reflection and collaboration. This can lead to design choices that are not well thought out or may not align with the brand’s long-term goals.
You can’t always fit the project into a one-day box
As much as we’d like for all projects to be the same, they aren’t. Some brands or websites come together really quickly and are more simple and straightforward. Others require more complex solutions which = more time.
Not all branding and website projects are straightforward and can be completed in a single day. Complex projects may require more time for concept development, content creation, and functionality testing.
With the 1 day VIP project, clients may have unrealistic expectations about what can be achieved in a single day. If they expect a fully-fledged website or a comprehensive brand identity in such a short time, it can lead to disappointment and dissatisfaction.
While VIP Days and 1-day design intensives can be valuable for specific tasks, like brainstorming initial ideas, updating or refining a website, or creating brand collateral, they may not be the best fit for complex and comprehensive branding and website projects.
It’s important to consider the nature and scope of the project and whether a condensed timeline aligns with the project’s goals and requirements. Even though you’d like to have your project done quickly, sometimes an extended timeline and design process will give you better results.
Resources
- How you can work with a designer to build your brand
- The natural evolution of a brand
- What you need to know before hiring a designer
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