Your photos with styled text and funky font treatments are awesome right? Even better when they’re practically automatic to make and export with a couple clicks. GONE ARE THE DAYS OF WORD ART!
(And for that, we are all so grateful)
AND LISTEN. I’m the first one to jump on the fun apps that format your text in cool ways, doing it by yourself, and having a GREAT result that looks badass and makes you feel legit online.
There’s nothing wrong with that.
I have them. I use them.
What was once a skill only available to a trained designer (photoshop, etc) is now available to the masses without the need for years of training in complicated programs, OR an eye for what looks good. It’s all done for you.
THE GOOD STUFF:
The cool thing is that these apps (whether free or for a few bucks) are pretty powerful. Things that take an average designer time to format just right, these things will do in SECONDS.
Choose a color.
Choose a background.
Reformat.
Add a filter.
BOOM!
The layouts are generally trendy and styled to be eye-catching (read: they don’t suck).
As a professional designer of 15 years, I use these in a pinch. No shame.
PROS: Fast options. Looks better than Microsoft Paint. Free or a few dollars to have several tools at your disposal.
——
So why ditch them at all?
The problem is when you’re using these for your business on the regular, they can actually keep you HIDDEN instead of getting noticed (which is why you got them in the first place right?).
——
THE BAD STUFF:
In a nutshell, everyone’s social media starts to look the same. Everyone’s feed starts to match. All the amazing stuff you have to share can’t be told apart from the next inspirational thought leader.
Because everyone uses these too and you see them over & over & over.
That’s a fucking problem. If you’re trying to reach a certain audience, and so is Jane down the lane…. how can people tell you apart?
HINT: THEY CAN’T
The problem with a canned design is exactly that. IT’S FROM A CAN. There’s nothing unique about it. Even if you put your name on it. It’s mass produced and inherently UN-UNIQUE.
There’s only so many templates these apps offer. And you probably downloaded it in the first place because you saw someone else using it and you wanted your stuff to look that cool too.
Yeah? It’s ok.
It’s ok to want to look better.
It’s ok to have tools to help you when you have no chance of hacking through photoshop in a reasonable amount of time. (FYI if you’re considering it – I spent an entire semester in design school learning just that one program and barely scratched the surface of it’s capabilities)
CONS: Look like everyone else. Limited template options. Waste of time trying to figure out how to make something look good.
——
But if you want to go next level, if you’re serious about standing out? You gotta do something different than the easy templates.
DIY prefab designs don’t cut it here.
——
You want to look different? Stand a head above the rest? Get noticed?
This is my specialty and where I’ve spent the last 15 years of my life.
Brand your business in a way that sets you apart. It’s time.
comments +