Is good design determined by the design app you choose?
In the creative industry, Adobe Creative Cloud is established as the choice for professional designers. When you want to produce quality graphics and media, there is no reason to look anywhere else.
There are a few open-sourced or budget-friendly options that meet the basic needs, but if you want to be seen as a professional, you use what the pros do.
How many times have you been asked by a client, “Can you get me a file I can edit in Word?”
Part of my client brief includes asking what their end result needs are. I always ask how important it is that they need to be able to edit the files. Asking them what software they have access to as well as how the designs will be promoted and distributed lets me figure out how I can translate my InDesign file into a version that can be used by them.
These days the requests and my suggestions direct them to use online design apps like Canva or Adobe’s free version, Spark.
So how do you validate your professional fee when providing design files in free online apps?
For myself, I do the work of the design in Adobe, whether InDesign or Illustrator for developing a company’s brand and template design. Once approved, I can export PNG graphic elements that can be used easily in apps like Canva.
There is time to set up the files and then you can easily share them with your client. From there they have a solid template with elements of the brand I exported to PNG that cannot be altered to help with brand consistency.
Projects like social media graphics and sales sheets are perfect for offering clients a budget-friendly way of having the ability to do basic design production in-house. In the end, the client works with you for your design savvy and values creative strategy.
If you are keen to learn more about how you can include online apps like Canva in your offerings to clients, Creatives Roundtable is put on an event on July 14, 2021, check out the video recap in our past events archive!
Written by Crystal Reynolds