What’s the Cost of Design on your Organization?
When you think about the costs for running your organization, you probably think of the standard four: functional costs, operational costs, administrative costs, and development costs. The things that keep your lights on, help you fundraise, and do all the things you need to keep your organization running smoothly. But have you thought about what the cost of design is? It might not be what you think.
When we say “cost of design” we don’t mean these literal costs like your transactional expenses. We mean what you’re not getting due to poor or less-than-adequate design.
Here’s the case for design:
1. Good design builds trust.
Simply put, people don’t trust poorly designed websites or brands. A website that isn’t well thought out, looks unappealing, or is outdated will immediately give people a negative impression of your organization. They’ll be deterred from your page, and this leads to you missing out on potential connections, donors, and leads.
First impressions are unbelievably important.
People are quick to judge. Within seconds. That means in the first few seconds of their interaction with you, you HAVE to make a positive impact. The impression you make on them with your words and your design can get them to stick around and learn more, or leave and find another competitor. A professional website and brand identity signals trust with your audience. They will want to connect more with you and dive deeper.
Client example: The Plenary, Co. Website Homepage
2. Good design increases conversion
Your visuals, whether on your website, newsletter, social platforms, or snail mail, are all means to draw your viewers deeper and deeper into your sales funnel. Good design can lead to higher visibility, credibility, and appeal — which in turn help move the needle as potential donors look to organizations they trust. In addition, it helps provide a smoother user experience (particularly on your website) which guides them to donate in a clear and straightforward manner.
You can use design to communicate more effectively.
Additionally, as your organization likely has many different components, programs, and aspects to it — design helps communicate all the important information to a potential donor. When they understand what you do clearly, they’re more persuaded to take action. Design helps get them across the finish line.
Client example: The Plenary, Co. Website
3. Your competitors are doing it.
If none of the above clicked with you, this one should. Your competitors are already using design to help them stand out. They’re investing in a strong and compelling brand identity, messaging strategy, website, and digital presence. Their good design will perform better time and time again if you stick with your outdated, low-quality website.
Design is a way to set your business apart.
You don’t have to follow the trends and copy exactly the design styles and methods your competitors are doing (in fact, we recommend NOT doing that because it can be illegal), but we DO recommend that you find a way to help your business stand out from the rest. By carefully crafting a design system that tells a compelling story, is authentic to your organization, and creates consistency and brand recognizability, you’ll show your audience that you are operating at a level they can believe in.
Client example: The Plenary, Co. Website
THE BOTTOM LINE:
The cost of design lies in the loss of donations and missed connections.
We know hiring a good designer or design studio is an investment. We wouldn’t be self-aware if we didn’t realize that. But we truly believe that it has the power to bring people together, to forge legacy, to create an even greater impact around us, and to move the needle in your organization. Without design, your ability to connect with more people and garner a domino effect of change is limited.
Let us help you.
At Sereth Design, we offer three ways of working with us: design kickstarter, refresh, or revolution. We know every organization is different and operate at all levels of budgets and needs, so we'd love to help you figure out what method is best suited for your needs. If you're curious about taking your design systems to the next level to increase brand awareness, trust, loyalty, and conversions - let's chat! We can help you analyze where you're at, where you want to be, and where you should focus in on to get there.
