A huge part of branding your company is deciding whether you want to hire an in-house design team or a design agency. I will share my point of view as a Jr. Designer of what is like working on both ends of the spectrum.
In-house
Corporate In-House
My first role as a designer was at a medical university in San Antonio. My role was to design print and web collateral based on specific brand style guidelines. It was very easy to become familiar with the brand since the color, fonts, spacing, etc., always remain the same. You also get to learn all the ins and outs of the company. Many times, work was slow, and we used that time to brainstorm and come up with new ideas to market the creative department.
Start-up In-house
My second role as a designer was at a direct selling tea company. The owner hired a small team to help grow her company. I redesigned her brand including tea labels, stationery design, created the website, and I was responsible for all the photography that was needed for social media posts and the website. Unlike working for a corporate in-house, working for a start-up, there was less of a budget and I did not have a design team. As a result, everything design: I WAS THE GUY! I needed to be flexible and juggle multiple roles at once.
Working at Tribu has given me an insight of how an agency operates and I have a few important points to make. I HAVE A TEAM!!! Tribu has a collaborative work environment. At times when I feel stuck, there is always someone that is willing to help out with creative ideas. In an Agency, work is very fast-paced. I’ve been doing work for multiple clients and unlike working for an in-house client, in a design agency, you get to explore more than one brand and have to become familiar with many industries. In an agency, a project is considered complete after many edits made by your peers and the client, while in-house, you get the last word and get to decide when the project is ready to be wrapped up. Finally, in-house, if a task is not finished, the client/owner can very easily push the due date back. In an agency, DEADLINES MUST BE MET and there is no pushing dates back. Missing a deadline would not only set the whole team back, but it would not be in the best interest of our partners.
So whether you want a team that knows the ins and outs of working in-house for your company, or if you prefer a design agency with a diverse portfolio, it really just depends on what you are looking for in your marketing efforts. Here at Tribu, I am happy to work for a team that strives for great results and aims to exceed our partners’ expectations. If hiring an agency it’s what’s best for your company, we have a whole tribe that would be excited to be an addition to your team.