IMPORTANCE OF DESIGN DIVERSITY

For Consumers: Should you go with a designer who specialises in one industry?
For Designers: How do I maintain authenticity with same-industry clientele?

Design diversity is becoming increasingly important in today's fast-paced industry. As businesses strive to stand out from competitors, unique and innovative designs have become crucial for success. We’ll explore the key components of design diversity and compare the benefits of niche versus broad appeal, across various business sectors.

DESIGN DIVERSITY - IS IT IMPORTANT?

Design diversity refers to the practice of creating unique designs tailored to all kinds of industries or target audiences. It goes beyond simply recycling designs for multiple clients, instead focusing on creating authentic visual identities that resonate with each individual business.

For consumers: • Design diversity allows businesses to stand out in crowded markets • Unique designs can create stronger brand recognition • Tailored designs better reflect the values and personality of individual companies

NICHE VS BROAD APPEAL

When it comes to design, there are two common approaches in a very competitive landscape:
1. Specialising in one or more particular industries OR
2. Designing for a wide range of businesses.

Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages.

Specific Industry Designers: • Designers become experts in branding specific sectors • Enables creation of highly tailored designs that speak to industry-specific needs • May limit opportunities for diversification

Broad Appeal Designers: • Provides versatility for designers • Can lead to faster client acquisition • Risk of appearing generic or unauthentic

EXPERTISE OR REPETITION?

Designers must carefully balance becoming experts in branding within one sector while avoiding the pitfall of reusing similar designs for multiple businesses. The key is to understand the nuances between.

Best Practices for Design Diversity

To effectively implement design diversity, ensure your designer works through strategies such as:

1. Conducting thorough research on target industries and their unique characteristics

2. Stays up-to-date on current design trends across various sectors

3. Collaborates with clients to fully understand their brand identity and goals

4. Continuously refines and adapts designs based on feedback and market trends

5. Balances consistency with innovation to maintain authenticity

IN CONCLUSION

Effective design diversity requires ongoing learning, adaptation, and a deep understanding of both industry-specific needs and universal design principles. By embracing these practices, designers can create impactful designs that drive success and ensure they are maintaining authenticity when servicing same-industry clientele.

WANTED: BRAND DESIGNER

We're looking for a Brand Designer to join our bespoke design studio on a contract/ per project basis with potential to build into a permanent role. Based locally, we specialise in Branding, Web and Visuals (Photography and Video) that position local businesses beyond the trend.

M O N O C R O W

Deeply embedded in our community and highly respected for our approach to design, we're committed to providing a service of utmost quality. With a flexible, collaborative ethos, our vision is a workplace with financial freedom, limitless creativity, shared workload and one that celebrates unique talent.

Our long term goal is to build a team of diverse, standout designers who clients can connect with based on individual skillsets, portfolio range and project requirements. We want people who can set their own schedule, play too their strengths, and solidify themself as a valued part of our rapidly expanding network.

What We’re Looking For:

• A designer who currently manages their own workload as a freelancer and is seasoned in the branding process from conception to completion. (ABN and own equipment required).

• Someone we can bounce creative ideas off and juggle projects with. You may be looking for more work, new opportunities or a flexible working pattern.
  

The Ideal Candidate Will Have:

• Recent or current brand projects involving real businesses.

• Experience designing brand collateral and liaising with clients.

• Realised there is a typo in this job ad.

• A Tertiary Qualification OR in-depth knowledge of design principles (a must).

• Effective and transparent communication skills.

• A mindset that embraces constant learning—we believe we can learn just as much from you!
  

Don't Apply If:

• You are not equipped with Adobe (Canva has its place, Adobe does it better).

• You value short term reward over long lasting success.

• Editing and copywriting aren’t your strong suit.
  

What We Offer:

For those with current clients:
Commission splits based on project, experience, lead generation and workload.

For those without:
An hourly rate that can develop into the above.

For all:
An environment that encourages and nurtures your creative strengths.
Open and honest discussions around working conditions.
Lead generation and networking bonuses.

Also offering:

• Flexibility to create and/or maintain your own schedule and clients.

• Opportunities to collaborate with local businesses and elevate your design career.

• Opportunity to grow with the studio** we will elaborate on this in person!
  

Apply Now
Email us at hello@monocrow.net with your experience, portfolio and socials or visit the link below.
From here we'll organise a catch-up to see if we'd be a good fit and discuss specifics.

Our Clients:

University of Wollongong
One Agency Elite Property Group
Locspec Building
The Land's Edge Foundation
Dylan Crandell Photography
Wollongong Mazda
Settle Petal Floristry
+ More

DESIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE

5 Essential Legal Considerations Every Graphic Designer Must Know

In the field of graphic design, there are no specific "laws" in the legal sense that apply uniquely to the practice, but there are legal principles and industry regulations that graphic designers must follow to protect their work and avoid infringement.

COPYRIGHT LAW

What it protects: Copyright law gives creators the exclusive right to use, distribute, and modify their original works, including designs, illustrations, and logos.

What this means for Designers: Graphic designers must ensure they do not use copyrighted images, fonts, or other materials without permission. Conversely, they should also protect their own work by registering it with copyright offices to assert their rights.

TRADEMARK LAW

What it protects: Trademarks protect brands, including names, slogans, logos, and other identifiers, ensuring that they are not confused with those of competitors.

What this means for Designers: When creating logos or branding elements, designers need to make sure that their designs do not infringe on existing trademarks. It’s also important to guide clients on registering trademarks for new brand identities.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (Ownership)

What it covers: When graphic designers work for clients, it's essential to define who owns the rights to the final design, any files and artwork and additional assets.

What this means for Designers: Contracts should clearly state whether the client gains full rights to the design or if the designer retains some rights. At MONOCROW, we retain the right to market ourselves using what has been created (additional plug for the client), however, we do not have the right to re-sell or re-distribute said designs.

licensing agreements

What it governs: Licensing dictates how a designer's work can be used by others.

What it means for Designers: If a designer creates a piece that is licensed for specific uses (like for one-time use in a campaign), the license must clearly define the terms. This prevents unauthorised reproduction, adaptation, or redistribution of the work.

FAIR USE DOCTRINE

What it allows: Fair use permits limited use of copyrighted material without permission for specific purposes like commentary, criticism, or parody.

What this means for Designers: Fair use can be a gray area, and designers should be cautious when incorporating third-party content. It's better to create original works or get explicit permission from the copyright holder.

IN CONCLUSION

Understanding these laws helps protect designers from legal disputes while ensuring they respect the rights of others in their creative process. This information is handy for clients and business owners in understanding their rights and the rights of creative material.

READY TO HAVE YOUR RIGHTS RESERVED?

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

So, your business has had a website for the last few years that just doesn’t look good. It doesn’t perform the way you want it to. The site is dated, lacks function and doesn’t represent your brand or the direction it’s moving in. Looking at it makes you sad, imagining how much impact a well-made website could make and seeing your competitors generate leads that should be coming directly to you…

SOUND FAMILIAR?
HERE’S WHAT WE CAN DO.

Let’s sit down together and run a brief website audit. In doing so, we find out how your current site was built, if and where your domain exists and how to access your current website from an editing perspective.

Confused? We’d be surprised if you weren’t. We break it down into 3 easy steps in order to kickstart your website upgrade and seamlessly transition to a better looking and working website.

LET’S BREAK IT DOWN

WHAT TO ASK YOUR CURRENT WEB DEVELOPER:

In order to make informed decisions, we ask you to communicate with your current provider/ designer and gather some information that makes the transfer easy and seamless. Here is what to ask when preparing to move on or crossover to another platform.

• Website Hosting Details
  Q: Who is my provider and can you provide me access?
  Q: What type of plan am I on?
  Q: Are there any settings the new designer should be aware of?
  
  A: You will most likely be provided with a login for a host website (Shopify, Wix, Wordpress etc) or for a CMS (Content Management System). This looks like the back-end or ‘Dashboard’ for your website and is how it can be edited.
  

• Domain Ownership
  Q: Who owns the domain?
  Q: Where is it registered? (GoDaddy, Squarespace etc)
  Q: Can you provide login credentials for this domain?
  
  A: A domain is the URL that is purchased and placed on your website for people to search (for example www.monocrow.net). Knowing what you own and where it is kept will allow you to transfer this url from an old website to a new one and enable your new designer to manage it.
  
  If either of these are not accessible by you, you must request transfer of ownership or complete access in order to manage them successfully.
  

• Website Files and Backup
  Q: Can you provide or tell me where all current website assets are?
  Q: Are there any custom scripts, CSS or integrations I should know about?
  
  A: Knowing where the photography, video and assets are stored, will allow for smooth transition from one website to another. Knowing about any integrations, scripts, third party plug-ins and custom code will stop your new designer from accidentally breaking your website when trying to edit.
  

• SEO and Analytics
  Q: What strategies are currently in place for SEO?
  Q: What Analytics Tools are in use?
  
  A: Knowing what strategies are in place will allow your new designer to assess two things. The first, will be if the current strategies are performing and the second, how they can improve these strategies and implement those your previous designer may have missed.

WHERE TO NOW?

With this information, we sit down and discuss what you want from your upgrade or new build. We go over what wasn’t working and what you want to focus on with the revamp.

We fill out our brand questionnaire that identifies your messaging, market, competitors and business goals that are then used to strategically design your new website AND help you rank organically in your search engine.

WHAT IF I CAN’T GET THIS INFO

Salvaging as much information as possible will save you from further investment and is why it’s important for designers to equip clients with ALL the information. We equip all of our clients with basic editing skills and co-maintenance access as part of our service. You shouldn’t be left in the lurch once the design is complete.

By having access to your current website and domain via logins, we can do a lot of heavy lifting without having to re-invest. However, if we can’t access the current website’s editing platform and are unsure how to retrieve our domain - this is where it can be complex.

Without access to your old website:

• We have to start from scratch by crossing over to another platform. This means a new subscription and any other costs associated with switching over.
  
  You can plan for this by understanding when your old subscription runs out and make a smooth transition once it finishes. Without access it can be hard to stop subscriptions rolling over that you are no longer using.

Without access to your domain:

• We won’t be able to move or redirect your loved URL to a new website. This one is usually the biggest hit as business owners will have placed this URL on a lot of their paid marketing, print, social etc. Not having access means we choose a new domain which is different from the one on your current marketing.
  
  You can keep the old domain until you refresh your marketing and redirect anyone who visits to the brand new website and domain. This just takes time and can create a little bit of confusion amongst your clients and audience. However, the more domains you own work in your favour at the end of the day.

Without website files and assets:

• You will need to capture new content that can’t be salvaged from the old website. Not the end of the world and can inspire businesses to take a new direction and refresh thier whole look and feel.
  
  You can add photography and video capture by us to any web package for a discount!

STILL NEED A HAND?

Reach out to us and we can organise a more in-depth chat to explain these principles and even help liaise with your current web designer or developer. We’ll take care of the details while you plan for a brand new website launch.

ENQUIRE BELOW FOR AVAILABILITY

INSPO: TO BRING, OR NOT TO BRING

WHY ZERO IDEAS IS A SILLY IDEA

When businesses bring inspiration to a graphic designer, they set the stage for a creative and productive collaboration that can enhance the quality and output of your final product.

Here are five key reasons to bring inspiration to your next design meeting:

ALIGNMENT WITH BUSINESS GOALS

Bringing inspiration to the table helps ensure that your designer’s work aligns closely with your business’s overall goals. When a designer understands the core objectives, brand values, and target audience, they can create visuals that not only look good but also serve a strategic purpose. This alignment ensures that the design effectively communicates your desired message, supports marketing efforts, and resonates with your intended audience.

Together, we fill in our carefully curated Branding Questionnaire which helps identify these core objectives and values in your business.

EFFICIENT USE OF TIME & RESOURCES

Providing clear inspiration and direction helps streamline our creative process. When designers have a solid foundation to work from, we can spend more time refining ideas and less time guessing what the client wants. This efficiency reduces the likelihood of extensive revisions, saving both time and money. It also ensures that the project stays on track and meets deadlines.

ENHANCED CREATIVITY & INNOVATION

Inspiration can serve as a springboard for creativity. By understanding your brand’s identity, goals, and the industry landscape - designers can push the boundaries of traditional designs and explore innovative concepts. This collaborative inspiration can lead to unique, standout designs that differentiate the brand in a crowded market and place you beyond the trend.

CONSISTENCY IN BRAND IDENTITY

When businesses provide us with inspirational material that reflects their brand’s voice, style, and ethos, it helps ensure that the design work remains consistent with existing branding elements. This consistency is vital for building brand recognition and trust with their audience.

IMPROVED COMMUNICATION

Inspiration fosters better communication between business and designer. When both parties have a clear vision of what they want to achieve, it reduces misunderstandings and misalignments. This open line of communication not only makes the design process smoother but also empowers us as designers to ask the right questions and offer valuable suggestions, ultimately leading to a more successful outcome.

TOP 10 FORMS OF DESIGN INSPIRATION:

• Mood Boards

• Fonts and Text Styles

• Music or Artists

• Photography

• Specific Colours

• Textures or Interiors

• Social Media Profiles

• Mindmaps or Brainstorms

• Shapes

• Other Brands and Businesses

READY TO BRING YOUR INSPO TO A QUALIFIED DESIGNER?