Using Budgets Wisely, or Rise of the Freelancer!

By now, the downturn of this economy has hit most of us... in some way or another. Perhaps we're dining out less, foregoing a vacation, or simply ignoring it all in the hope it will just go away. But more specifically, our economy seems to have provided an interesting environment for designers, especially freelancers.

When budgets are cut, creative departments are some of the first to go. Perhaps it's easier to justify holding off on that website redesign, rather than to neglect something a little more urgent—like increasing productivity (a.k.a: taking your executives on a retreat.) But then again, companies still paid $3 million for 30 seconds of Super Bowl advertising last month. It's just more evidence that corporate America is still willing to waste its money to look cool. One highly publicized example comes to mind—Tropicana's impersonal brand redesign (and subsequent return to its original design). This is probably the most appalling example in recent history of how a highly-recognizable brand attempted to completely abandon their customer base to "reinvent" itself as something it never was in the first place. It would be one thing if Tropicana succeeded, but their fan base raised their voices and the $35 million ($35 MILLION!) advertising budget seems to have been wasted—as Tropicana is now going back to their original "straw in the orange" design (thank goodness!). READ THE NY TIMES ARTICLE HERE

Such an example provokes so many questions. What were they thinking? How is it possible that companies still have $35 million to throw away on rebranding? But more importantly, why on earth should it cost so much?

I digress... the real reason I bring all of this up, is that in tough times, we all have to use what money we do have wisely. That's why good freelance designers are now in high demand. We're often less expensive than our counterparts, as we don't require as much overhead to stay in business (at least it's the case for my business, as I operate as a sole proprietor.) We can also offer something even more valuable—personal service. Having a direct line of communication between client and designer, without having to go through layers of project managers, strategists, art directors, etc. is worth a lot. Not only does this enable a project to be completed on a much shorter timeline, it often means a lot less frustration for both parties, as it's much easier to communicate one's vision directly, rather than have it distilled through several channels before finally ending up on a designer's desk.

So, what I'm getting at is this: it's a great time to be a freelancer—not just any freelancer, but a good one—responsible and reliable, with a little creativity mixed in for good measure.