Web Designer (Solo) Vs Web Design Firm – But He Said He Can Do it by Himself!

I wanted to briefly touch up on the difference between solo web designers and “ Web   Design  Firms”. I have heard a lot of discussion about this in various forum communities and have had businesses bring this up many times in conversation with me or my co-workers. I can’t count how many times we had a client who came from a solo designer who claimed to be their knight in shining armor (“but he dais he can do it by himeself!”). 

Solo Designers

Using any test of statistics shows that a solo web designer is usually a *student* looking to obtain the experience in the design industry. In most cases they are still in the process of obtaining their degree or educational interest. In other situations the solo designer is one who has never applied their interest in joining a team of designers and using their knowledge to it’s greatest extent. This could either be by personal decision or because they do not work well around others. Regardless of the reason why they choose to work alone, in almost all cases the solo designer lacks the over-all knowledge to complete a project with the highest possible quality. The reason I say this is because one person is only one style. A designer is a form of artist, and as we well know from the history of wonderful paintings we have today…each artist is unique in their own ways. In other words, a designer is known for the design style they specialize in. This limits the options in terms of selection when shopping for a specific design. One person can only know or specialize in so much. Also you have to look at the technology they use.

 Web   Design  Firms

All web designers might offer “ web   design “, but usually it’s the  web   design  firms that have the necessary training and technology to meet all of your needs.

Now when you look at a  web   design  firm, you see a collection of talent. Various specialities and technologies, that when combined, give the customer whatever they need.  Web   design  firms have the ability to place multiple designers on a project, allowing them to strategically analyze and share concepts and ideas. This is like taking multiple colors and mixing them together (the outcome is endless). This also helps to guarantee quality. You want to make sure your website is going to work exactly the way you want, and can be easily evolved as time goes by (while running into little or no bumps as possible).

Security is another advantage when using a firm to design your site. A solo designer is only one person, and history shows that it is more difficult to challenge an army, than a single person. When you have multiple minds behind the design of your website, you know the security behind it all is going to be amazing. Of course nothing is perfect; and as a friend of mine one told me “as long as man can make it…man can find a way to break it”…but at least you will have an army to come to the rescue.

Cost is also something to consider. A solo designer might try to offer you a cheaper price than his competition…a price that sounds hard to pass up; but you have to consider what your paying for. In the world of design, the saying “you get what you pay for” has a lot of truth.  Web   design  firms might charge a little more than a solo designer, but at least you know that you are going to get what you ask for. In some cases you might get a little more. This of course doesn’t mean you should go with the most expensive company available. There will always be those companies looking to squeeze you for everything they can. Sadly they place a bad image on the industry that everyone can feel. This is something all industries go through (i.e., car mechanics).

Finally, technology is another advantage to using a firm to design your website. A design firm usually has access to a large selection of technology; therefor, not limiting you on the results. A solo designer usually uses a single application or application suite, where a design firm uses multiple application packages, multiple computers, spanning multiple operating systems allowing them to develop and test within multiple environments (“options, options, options”).

There are of course many more advantages to choosing a design firm over a solo designer, however I did say I was going to briefly touch on these things so I will end it there.

Always remember that a website is a vital part of a companies presence. Just like a representing agent of your company, you are counting on it to provide your customers with a first (or general) impression. It is important that your website projects a fresh image that is appealing to the viewers, else it will reflect on your company in general.