| There's a lot of confusion out there. When I tell people that I run a graphic design firm, I prepare myself for the inevitable question: "Is that the same thing as an advertising agency?" The truth is, when I first started in this business in Pittsburgh there was no such thing as a graphic design firm. There were advertising agencies and public relations firms and "art studios." Art studios don't exist anymore. Today's graphic designers—those who know their history, anyway—would probably laugh if you were to mention it. Or get a kind of sour expression on their faces. That's because the art studios had very little to do with art. They were primarily print production houses that traditionally worked for ad agencies and bore little if any resemblance to today's design firms. But the confusion stems from the fact that today's design firms tend to look a lot like today's ad agencies. And PR firms. And "full-service marketing communications and branding specialist" firms, whatever those are. In short, there tends to be a lot of overlap in the creative services provided by different kinds of firms. So when people ask me about what distinguishes creative firms, I tell them about differences in size, philosophy and culture, agency agreements, and the capabilities that each firm offers. But I also tell them that it has a lot to do with the quality of strategic thinking that you get at each firm. If you'd like to read more about it, please click here. Thanks for reading. Susie Bradley Bradley Brown Design Group |
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