Why do you need to hire a designer?
Reasons you need to hire a designer rather than doing things by yourself–if you’re not a designer by trait
(Designlabb) -- Throughout my years of experience as a designer, I often ask myself: “Why do startups need designers?” Especially the early-stage ones (pre-seed to seed).
Dribble said “First impressions count” and that “A graphic designer can make sure that every aspect of your branding is consistent. That consistency builds trust and confidence among potential customers.”
They also mentioned that designers will “Bring new, innovative ideas to the table.”
While these are true to their own definitive meaning, I have a few strong reasons why as early-stage founders, you need to have a designer as part of your team.
A usual early-stage founder thinks like this:
“Well if I need a website, it’s cheaper for me to just buy a template on Webflow, Squarespace, Wix, and just replace the elements till they fit my brand style. What for hire a designer?”
Before you start agreeing to the above statement, hear me out:
7 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Designer
You should hire a designer to be part of your early-stage team because of the following points:
designers are researchers (don’t hire designers who just design for design sake; make sure they’re big-picture thinkers and know the purpose of adding and subtracting elements)
as founders, we like to add lots of things, designers are taught and trained to be reductionist
they understand the fundamentals of design and you don’t (they know what works and what doesn’t)
they have an eye for creativity
they are visionary, beyond pushing pixels (the best designers understand the ‘why’, not just the ‘what’)
they’re obsessed with designs and brands, and you’re not
they’ll build systems for you so that you can understand and be clearer about where you stand in the market (design systems)
As a designer who reads deeply into systems thinking, I know that this is the one thing we can’t deny:
“Every business relies on two additional factors: people and systems.
Every business is created by people and survives by benefiting other people in some way. To understand how businesses work, you must have a firm understanding of how people tend to think and behave — how humans make decisions, act on those decisions, and communicate with others.”
– Josh Kaufman, The Personal MBA
Designers are systems designers.
They build design systems you need to ramp up efficiency, ensure consistency, and foster collaboration between developers, engineers, marketers, founding team, etc.
“Systems are the invisible structures that hold every business together.
Every business is a collection of processes that can be repeated to produce a particular result.”
If you’re not a designer by trait, of course, you don’t know how a design system works, let alone creating one. It’s better to outsource to an expert designer or hire one who knows how to develop and leverage design systems.
My post on Reddit–arguing my point on why designers are needed in teams
Recently, I’ve been very active on Reddit because I find that you can connect with more builders and startup founders there (some of Designlabb’s clients are from there).
This is what I posted in the r/SaaS community.
Here are some comments from the community:
#1: “Early on the brand means nothing. All it counts is the problem you’re solving and getting customers.”
As an early-stage founder, your primary focus should be on clearly communicating what problem your product or service solves and how you solve it.
At this stage, the brand itself might be secondary and it might be more important to ensure your target audience understands the value you’re offering.
However, my point is:
If a founder knows how to design, that’s a bonus.
If you don’t know how to design, or how brand/design works, it’s better to have someone who’s expert in the field to help you with that.
As founders, we definitely don’t want to have a product/marketing/sales collateral poorly designed that people can’t tell what you’re trying to convey, which affects the user experience ultimately.
The best designers design with UX in mind.
The best designers design with the ‘why’ in mind.
The best designers design with strategy in mind.
#2: “Being a good designer in an early startup isn’t among the 3 major skills: hard selling, hard building, hard funding.”
This is partially true.
Adding to my previous argument, at least one of the founding members needs to have a strong eye for design.
Great designs sell because it’s visual and have more emotions attached to them. And most importantly, it differentiates your brand from competitors, making it more appealing.
Designers often employ the concept of “MAYA” (most advanced yet acceptable) to create designs that are both innovative and familiar enough to be accepted by users.
However, many founders overlook this concept, which is why having a designer who understands the nuances of human psychology and design principles is essential — helping you save time and resources, as well as ensuring your design efforts are aligned with your startup objectives.
#3: “Investing in design is a strategic decision that can make or break your startup’s success.”
Even though we’re on the topic of graphic design, a good designer knows a bit of everything–just like a ‘T’ shaped marketer. They have a deep expertise in design but also a broad understanding of fields like branding, marketing, and psychology.
Good design supports startup business strategy, helping to convey complex ideas in a simple, visually compelling way. This is especially important at the very early stages of the startup when they need to get funding and things rolling fast.
#4: “You should invest in one as soon as possible/when you feel like it provides max ROI for your business.”
Timing is everything. While you don’t need to invest heavily in design from day one, you should recognize the point at which design becomes critical to your growth and brand perception.
So when to get a designer?
Once you have early traction. Once you’ve validated your product and started gaining traction, it’s time to refine your brand and UX with strategic design.
Not just any random designs put together using Canva.
Great, strategic designs are not nice-to-haves, but rather investments that amplify your message, enhance user satisfaction, and ultimately drive long-term success.
Conclusion
While design might not be at the top of every founder’s priority list, it’s an essential component of a successful startup. Investing in good design early on ensures that your brand is not only visually appealing but also strategically positioned for growth and success.
I’ve just shared 7 reasons why you need to hire a designer for your startup as well as some thoughts from the Reddit community.
Always remember, design isn’t just about making things look good, but also creating meaningful experiences, building trust, and communicating your brand’s value effectively.
So as you build your startup, prioritize design as a key element of your strategy (hire one if you need early on)–it could be one of the most impactful decisions you make.
Did I miss anything out? Leave us a comment below or shoot me an email at alvis@designlabb.cc.
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