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Graphic design + copywriting = more jobs?

by RecoveringTeacher
9 replies
Would a copywriter who can also offer graphic design skills be able to land more jobs? I was thinking about taking a course but obviously I'd want it to make me more marketable. Any thoughts?

Thanks.
#copywriting #design #graphic #jobs
  • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
    I don't think so myself. Actually I may contradict myself as you will soon see.

    You approach me and say you can get me more sales by doing my website or Newspaper Ad or whatever.

    Well in my mind and also 99% of business owners minds that means you are going to do it.

    Not do just the words but the whole thing to make it sell more otherwise what is the point?

    So you bring up at the end that I have to sort out the layout and what images will go best means I have now switched off.

    That is a fact not conjecture.

    So you doing it will not make you more sales in a direct way, but stop you losing some sales if that makes sense.

    You should have a graphic designer as a partner to call on yourself who knows your style etc.

    So when you tell me what you are going to do I am leaving you to the whole thing. You don't need to be the graphic designer yourself or even the person who hunts for pictures or takes them or whatever.

    But I would expect you to be doing 'the job' not bits of it and expecting me to do the rest.

    So don't even bring it up in conversation.

    Example. David Ogilvy did an Ad for the French Tourists Board way back.

    So he would have sat down, smoked his pipe etc and then had an idea for copy and pictures that would work well.

    He would then have directed the picture people to get what he wanted and lay it out as he wanted.

    He wouldn't write the copy then let the FTB lay out 1 column with a picture of Calais at the bottom.

    He had a big picture of a Frenchman on a bike looking back going down a leafy wide boulevard and 3 short columns of copy.

    ie He got everything done. You do too.

    Dan
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  • Profile picture of the author angiecolee
    There's a reason the phrase "jack of all trades, master of none" exists. The principles of economics dictate that markets run more efficiently when we specialize. That is, my strength is writing and yours is in making X product. When I need X product, I come to you instead of trying to make it myself, because making it myself means I spend less time writing.

    That said, I don't think graphic design is a bad skill to have. Writing is inherently creative, and often a strong design enhances the emotional pull of a piece. However, that type of design is usually done by design prodigies or people with YEARS of design experience, not someone who's taken one class.

    Take it from someone who's taken one design class. Unless you're noodling around in Creative Suite just for the fun of creating something pretty, it's better to focus your efforts where you are strongest. Partner with a good designer. 9 times out of 10, trying to do both results in churning out copy and design that are both half-assed.
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  • Profile picture of the author DavidG
    I personally have a designer do the work for me... here is a tip though: don't ever let your copy be alone with a designer. God knows he'll try to make it pretty.

    What I was going to say is that if necessary - look for a designer you could work with. And that understands that pretty doesn't sell. Someone that can make the whole message clearer and simple.

    Then you can also offer that service as a bonus or so.


    Hope that helps,
    DG
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  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    I think it's best to work with a designer who understands
    direct marketing strategies rather than try to be all things
    to yourself. You will end up compromising on one end.

    But who knows? You may turn out to be the exception
    and be great at both things.

    I would like to be able to do my own graphics because I
    have an eye for it but learning those graphics programs
    takes time and effort that I prefer to use in other
    areas.

    -Ray Edwards
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  • Profile picture of the author infinityplr
    Well that is exactly what I' doing now. I'm offering both my writing and graphic designing skills. the trick only into having many contracts on both services is that you know how to manage your time. Too many contracts is not also advisable as it can cause you to fell short into giving the required quality in all your works.

    But if you are planning to have and outsourcing agency int he future building reputation on both services now, can be a big help for you.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jomuli3
      I inexpressibly like this forum!

      There is a lot of learning taking place here.

      I am a copywriter. I value the idea of having my own website. I can sell my services to the whole world. I can do that because I have access to the global market.That is the beauty of owning a website!

      I have not done any designing course --- even web designing. But I would like to learn web designing. I have two friends I did a copywriting course with. The two were able to easily get more clients than I did. They claimed to have easily got clients because of their web designing experience.

      Why?

      They were able to make changes to their websites easily and quickly. They could fix snippets onto their web pages to enable Google Analytics determine visitor activities.

      Web designing is specifically for creating websites. All the graphics that go into making a website are handled by web designers. The uploading of content, creation of menus and links are also handled by web designers.

      Graphic designers may do their work for the print media. They have to learn web designing if they so wish. The two are not the same.

      If you own a website you could be given authority by the webmaster to access the front and back-end of your site. By so doing you can edit or upload new articles to your site. You do not need to consult your webmaster. If you do he could charge you big amounts of money for that service.

      It is good for a copywriter to learn web designing --- not graphic designing. This will complement his/her copywriting skills. Remember 'content is king'--- not graphics. In fact if your site has heavy graphics it could load very slowly!

      Complementing your coywriting skills with web designing ones could take you a mile farther.
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  • Profile picture of the author Loren Woirhaye
    Some skills are worth having.

    Knowing how to do graphics, layering, and so forth so
    you can at least rough-out ideas is worthwhile. Your
    search for a graphic designer who understands direct
    response as well as a copywriter will may be long
    and disappointing. If you know how to hack and
    play with graphic design you'll be able to do things
    text-only shops cannot.
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  • Profile picture of the author Andrew Gould
    I've just finished reading Andy Maslen's Write To Sell: The Ultimate Guide To Great Copywriting. Inside it there's a short interview between Andy and his designer, Ross Speirs, that I thought might be of interest to anyone contemplating hiring a designer:
    Andy - Why should people hire a designer?

    Ross - For the same reason people hire a carpenter or an electrician. A designer worth the fee will have a wealth of experience in the detailed crafting of type and graphic elements into coherent and legible marketing literature - a level of expertise that takes years to acquire. The DIY enthusiast is usually betrayed in the detail.

    Andy - What should a copywriter look for in a designer?

    Ross - Experience relevant to the project in hand. A grasp of the importance of words, of narrative, and of clear, well structured copy. A full understanding of the function and objective of the piece - how it will be received, who will be reading it, what response you want.

    Andy - How does a good designer help the copywriter achieve their goals?

    Ross - By reading and understanding the copy. Good copy will give a designer the lead and cues required to give the words life on the page. A good designer can bring graphic experience to bear on the structure and detail of the narrative.

    Andy - What's the single biggest thing a good designer can do with text?

    Ross - Make it legible.

    Andy - How can you tell if you've been given some good design?

    Ross - You should hardly notice it. The message should come through (on all levels) swiftly, clearly, without impediment.

    Andy - What's the most important question you should ask a designer before giving them any work?

    Ross - How much repeat business do you get from clients?
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    Andrew Gould

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